I 1111111111111111 11111 1111111111 11111 111111111111111 111111111111111 IIII IIII
`US007809802B2
`
`c12) United States Patent
`Lerman et al.
`
`(IO) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,809,802 B2
`*Oct. 5, 2010
`
`(54) BROWSER BASED VIDEO EDITING
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: David Ross Lerman, San Francisco, CA
`(US); Matthew Allen Sanchez, San
`Francisco, CA (US); Kevin Walker
`Sladek, San Francisco, CA (US)
`
`(73) Assignee: VideoEgg, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 636 days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis(cid:173)
`claimer.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 11/620,783
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Jan.8,2007
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2007/0183741 Al
`
`Aug. 9, 2007
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 11/409,502,
`filed on Apr. 20, 2006, now abandoned, and a continu(cid:173)
`ation-in-part of application No. 11/409,507, filed on
`Apr. 20, 2006, now abandoned, and a continuation-in(cid:173)
`part of application No. 11/408,790, filed on Apr. 20,
`2006, now abandoned.
`
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/673,445, filed on Apr.
`20, 2005, provisional application No. 60/732,548,
`filed on Nov. 2, 2005.
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`G06F 15116
`(52) U.S. Cl. ........................ 709/217; 709/203; 715/723
`
`(58) Field of Classification Search ......... 709/203-204,
`709/217; 715/723
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`8/1993 Mills et al.
`5,237,648 A
`10/1994 Cohen et al.
`5,353,391 A
`4/1996 Mills et al.
`5,513,306 A
`6,154,600 A * 11/2000 Newman et al.
`............... 386/4
`6,239,793 Bl *
`5/2001 Barnert et al.
`.............. 715/201
`7/2004 Hyman et al.
`6,760,885 Bl
`7,055,100 B2 *
`5/2006 Moriwake et al . ........... 715/723
`3/2007 Wang eta!.
`7,197,544 B2
`7,617,299 B2
`11/2009 Yoshimine
`5/2002 Liwerant et al.
`2002/0056123 Al
`2002/0116716 Al
`8/2002 Sideman
`2005/0091186 Al*
`4/2005 Elish ............................. 707/1
`11/2005 Liwerant et al.
`2005/0246752 Al
`2006/0236221 Al* 10/2006 McCausland et al . .... 715/500.1
`2007/0081094 Al*
`4/2007 Ciudad et al. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348/3 71
`2008/0256583 Al
`10/2008 Liwerant
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`WO
`
`099008 Al
`* cited by examiner
`
`9/2006
`
`Primary Examiner-William C Vaughn, Jr.
`Assistant Examiner-Mohamed Ibrahim
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-SilverSky Group, LLC
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Embodiments of the present invention provide for a clip
`manipulation facility within a browser environment. Without
`limitation, the clip may be a video clip. An editing tool may be
`adapted to alter the appearance of a clip associated with the
`manipulation facility.
`
`16 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
`
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`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Oct. 5, 2010
`
`Sheet 6 of 8
`
`US 7,809,802 B2
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`

`

`US 7,809,802 B2
`
`1
`BROWSER BASED VIDEO EDITING
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a continuation-in-part of each of the
`following co-pending, commonly-owned, patent applica(cid:173)
`tions: U.S. application Ser. No. 11/409,502 filed on Apr. 20,
`2006; U.S. application Ser. No. 11/409,507 filed on Apr. 20,
`2006; and U.S. application Ser. No. 11/408,790 filed on Apr.
`20, 2006.
`Each of the foregoing applications further claims the ben(cid:173)
`efit of the following commonly-owned provisional applica(cid:173)
`tions: U.S. Provisional App. No. 60/673,445, filed onApr. 20,
`2005; and U.S. Provisional App. No. 60/732,548, filed on
`Nov. 2, 2005.
`This application is also related to commonly-owned U.S.
`application Ser. No. 11/620,779 and U.S. application Ser. No.
`11/620,785, both filed on even date herewith.
`Each of the preceding patent applications is hereby incor(cid:173)
`porated by reference in its entirety.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`2
`phone, a still camera, a web-cam, or the like. Additionally, the
`clip may be stored in memory, such as in local memory, main
`memory, a mass storage facility, a removable media, a flash
`drive, associated with a storage location at a network location,
`5 on a server, on a client, on a database, or the like.
`The clip may be dragged into the manipulation facility with
`a mouse and moved into the manipulation facility by moving
`the mouse, with the mouse and moved in the manipulation
`facility by using the arrow keys on a keyboard, by selecting
`10 the clip using the keyboard, or the like.
`The at least one editing tool may provide an editing func(cid:173)
`tion, such as deleting, adding, inserting, a file insertion, an
`advertisement insertion, blending, blanking, fading, appear(cid:173)
`ing (opposite of fading), a layover, a contrast, a brightness, a
`15 color, an appearance, a shading, a focus, a sharpen, a trans(cid:173)
`form, a graininess, an erase, a cut, cut frames, a paste, pasting
`frames, painting, patterning, airbrushing, a crop, a copy, add(cid:173)
`ing text, adding audio, a rotate, an annotation, inversion, or
`the like. Wherein the clip may be altered, such as concatena-
`20 tion of clips, deletion of portions of clips, a transition between
`clips, a cropping of clips, insertion of clips, insertion of adver(cid:173)
`tisement, a change of color character, a change of focus char(cid:173)
`acter, a change ofluminance, an addition of text, an annota-
`tion, a change of audio.
`Two clips may be associated by an editing tool, where the
`association may be a transition from one clip to the other, such
`as a splice, a segue, a concatenation, a blend, a fade, a jump
`cut, a match cut a geometric shape wipe, an image file wipe,
`a pattern wipe, a pixelate, or the like. Further, a transition may
`30 alter an image characteristic, such as a change in chroma, a
`change in luminance, a change in focus, or the like. The
`transition may also set the two clips in juxtaposition.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
`
`As more people gain access to broadband Internet connec- 25
`tions, wireless broadband Internet connections, and video(cid:173)
`enabled digital cameras and cell phones, they will want to
`incorporate Internet-based, rich media into their lives. While
`today's Internet users are uploading still photos, future Inter(cid:173)
`net users may upload home videos to share with friends,
`walking tours to accompany their real estate listings, videos
`to augment their online dating profiles, and the like.
`One of the principal barriers to such an Internet-based,
`rich-media future is the complexity of putting digital video on
`the web. Uploading video requires a technical understanding 35
`of video formats, codecs, players, streaming servers, and so
`on. The average Internet user simply does not understand the
`intricacies of preparing a video for the web, posting a video to
`the web, and the like. There exists a need to improve a user's
`ability to post and view video.
`
`The invention and the following detailed description of
`certain embodiments thereof may be understood by reference
`to the following figures:
`FIG. 1 depicts the functional blocks of a browser-enabled
`40 video manipulation and posting facility according to aspects
`of the present invention.
`FIG. 2 depicts aspects of a web browser in an embodiment
`of the invention.
`FIG. 3 depicts aspects of a publisher in an embodiment of
`45 the invention.
`FIG. 4 depicts aspects of a player in an embodiment of the
`invention.
`FIG. 5 depicts aspects of an application server in an
`embodiment of the invention.
`FIG. 6 depicts a workflow diagram for the browser-enabled
`video manipulation and posting facility according to aspects
`of the present invention.
`FIG. 7 depicts certain functionality of the video manipula(cid:173)
`tion facility in an embodiment of the invention.
`FIG. 8 depicts certain functionality of a multiple video clip
`viewing and editing embodiment of the video manipulation
`facility.
`
`SUMMARY
`
`50
`
`Provided herein are methods and systems for a manipula(cid:173)
`tion facility within a browser environment, where an editing
`tool may be adapted to alter the appearance of a clip associ(cid:173)
`ated with the manipulation facility. The clip may be a video
`clip, an audio clip, a multimedia clip, a podcast clip, an
`advertisement clip, an interactive clip, or the like, and the
`element may be a video element.
`The manipulation facility may include a plurality of com(cid:173)
`ponents, such as a timeline, a time-line slide bar, a start slider,
`a end slider, a modified indicator, a deleted indicator, an
`addition indicator, a viewing area, a viewing control, or the
`like. In addition, the viewing control may be play, rewind, 55
`forward, fast forward, frame forward, frame back, pause,
`slow motion forward, slow motion backward, or the like. The
`plurality of components may also include components such
`as an audio time-line slider, an audio start slider, an audio end
`slider, an audio modified indicator, an audio deleted indicator, 60
`an audio addition indicator, an audio editing controller, a file
`management controller, a file naming facility, a storage loca(cid:173)
`tion facility, a menu bar, or the like.
`The browser environment may be hosted by a computing
`facility, such as a personal computer, a mobile computing 65
`facility, a mobile phone, a PDA, or the like. The clip may be
`associated with a format such as a video camera, a mobile
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`Throughout this disclosure, reference is made to systems,
`methods, applications, embodiments, et cetera that are
`directed at extracting, manipulating, posting, or otherwise
`acting in association with a video clip. It will be appreciated,
`however, that embodiments of the present invention may
`additionally or alternatively be directed at extracting,
`manipulating, posting, or otherwise acting in association with
`
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`3
`any and all kinds of clip such as and without limitation an
`audio clip, a multimedia clip, a podcast clip, an advertisement
`clip, an interactive clip, and so on.
`An aspect of the present invention involves providing video
`extraction, manipulation, posting and other related functions
`through a network user interface ( e.g., browser 108) applica(cid:173)
`tion. The integration of the video functions into the network
`user interface provides many advantages to a user who wants
`to ultimately post his videos onto websites 122. The invention
`described herein provides a simple means of posting a video 10
`file to the Internet to anyone familiar with the use of a browser
`108. No knowledge of video file formats or Internet protocols
`is required. In embodiments, the user merely performs a
`one-time installation of plug-in software to their browser 108,
`enabling them to drag-and-drop video files for immediate 15
`extraction, or edit and post a video file to a website 122 or
`other location accessible through the network user interface.
`Aspects of the invention include a user segment and a
`network segment. The user segment may take the form of a
`browser plug-in that is downloaded, or otherwise made avail- 20
`able to be associated with the browser 108, onto the user's
`processor-based device, henceforth referred to as a browser
`enabled processor platform 104. In embodiments, the
`browser plug-in may be directly associated with a browser
`style application provided by an OEM, or the like, so that the
`user does not have to make the association. In other embodi(cid:173)
`ments, a website may associate a plug-in with a browser, a
`user may load and install the browser plug-in such that it
`becomes associated with the browser 108, or a third party, or
`other entity may associate a plug-in with a browser. The
`association may result in the plug-in functionality being made
`available directly through the browser 108 to provide a seam(cid:173)
`less network style environment for a user wanting to post the
`video to a website 122 or other network location. Embodi(cid:173)
`ments of the invention use separate browser plug-ins for a
`user wanting to post a video file to the Internet, referred to as
`the publisher 112, and another for a user wanting to view a
`video file, referred to as the player 128. Users may perform a
`one-time download of a browser plug-in which thereafter acts
`as an extension of the familiar browser environment. In other
`embodiments, the two segments of functionality may be
`offered through one plug-in or other form of associated soft(cid:173)
`ware.
`In embodiments, the user's browser enabled processor
`platform 104 may be separate from the actual video enabled
`recording/storage device video enabled recording/storage
`device 102 (e.g., a digital video camera 102B linkable to a
`personal computer, an integral part of the actual video capture
`device, such as a video enabled cell phone 102B, or video
`storage device such as a form of memory). In other embodi(cid:173)
`ments, the browser enabled processor platform 104 may be
`integrated into a video enabled recording/storage device 102.
`In embodiments, a system according to the present inven(cid:173)
`tion may involve a network 118 segment. The network 118
`segment may be transparent to the user 602 and may take the
`form of an application server 120 for central control of the
`certain processes and content delivery networks 124 for the
`storage of video files. It will be appreciated that one or more
`application servers may be provided in embodiments of the 60
`present invention.
`Aspects of the present invention relate to providing a
`browser-enabled video extraction, editing and posting facility
`to facilitate the posting of video files on personal, profes(cid:173)
`sional, enterprise, e-commerce, auction, reverse auction,
`classified advertisement, real estate, auto, or other types of
`networked user resource locations.
`
`4
`The publisher 112 and player 128 browser plug-ins (e.g.,
`either integrated as a unified software component or as sepa(cid:173)
`rate software components) may provide the user 602 many
`DVR-type record and playback functions such as play, stop,
`rewind, and fast-forward. In addition, the publisher 112 may
`provide video editing functions such as video and audio splic(cid:173)
`ing, segment concatenation, and titling. Transparent to the
`user are the automatic features of video file format transcod-
`ing and automatic technology updates. File formats are great
`in number, and the invention may transform the user's file
`format to a common format to ease distribution and playback.
`In order to provide transcoding for multiple devices, the user
`may have a system according to the present invention that
`may provide automatic updates from an application server
`120 for future device technologies that become available. In
`this manner, the system may provide the user 602 with a
`facility to upload a manipulated video-clip to a network loca(cid:173)
`tion 122 (e.g., a webpage or website) with only a general
`understanding of browser operability.
`FIG. 1 depicts the major functional blocks of a browser-
`enabled video manipulation and posting facility 100 accord(cid:173)
`ing to aspects of the present invention. In embodiments, the
`browser-enabled video manipulation and posting facility 100
`may include a browser enabled processor platform 104A
`25 (e.g., a personal computer or laptop computer) and the
`browser enabled processor platform 104A may be operating a
`web browser facility 108A. With this configuration, the user
`of the browser enabled processor platform 104A may interact
`with a variety of networks 118, network locations 122 (e.g.,
`30 websites), and local applications (e.g. the publisher 112). A
`video manipulation and posting publisher 112 may be
`directly associated with a network browser facility 108A and
`these software components may operate on the browser
`enabled processor platform 104A. The publisher 112 may be
`35 configured as a browser plug-in or other form of software
`component that is adapted to be directly associated with a
`browser application 108A. The publisher 112 may be a down(cid:173)
`loadable software component or it may be delivered to the
`user of the browser enabled processor platform 104A in any
`40 number of other ways ( e.g., delivered from a CD, DVD,
`memory stick, portable memory, FTP transfer, etc.). Once the
`publisher 112 is presented on the browser enabled processor
`platform 104A, it may be installed in such a way that its
`functionalities (e.g., extracting video files from video
`45 sources, editing video, converting video files to playback
`formats, posting video to network locations, and other such
`functionality as described herein) are presented to a user
`through a user interface 110 associated with the browser
`108A. This configuration allows a user 602 to interact with
`50 network locations 122 through the browser interface and then
`interact with any of the publisher's 112 functionalities
`through the same user interface. In embodiments, the pub(cid:173)
`lisher 112 may also access a hard drive, database 114, or other
`storage facility for the storing of video files or the retrieval of
`55 video files.
`While the browser enabled processor platform 104A may
`be a standalone facility, with respect to some of the other
`facilities in the manipulation and posting facility, in embodi(cid:173)
`ments, the browser enabled processor platform 104A may be
`directly associated with a video enabled recording/storage
`device 102. For example, the browser enabled processor plat-
`form 104A may be integrated into a digital camera 102A such
`that a user of the digital camera 102A can interact with a
`network 118 for the purpose of manipulating and posting a
`65 video file.
`The publisher 112 may be adapted to interact with one or
`more types of video enabled recording/storage devices 102.
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`The publisher 112 may be adapted to extract video files from
`video enabled recording/storage devices 102, and/or the pub(cid:173)
`lisher 112 may be adapted to perform functions associated
`with the video enabled recording/storage devices 102. A user
`of the browser enabled processor platform 104A may make a
`data connection between a video enabled recording/storage
`device 102 and the publisher 112 to extract a video file,
`manipulate the video file, control the video enabled record(cid:173)
`ing/storage device 102, or other video transfer process.
`Once the publisher 112 has extracted a video file from a
`video enabled recording/storage device 102, the publisher
`112 may be used to edit the video file, manipulate the video
`file, convert the video file to an acceptable format ( e.g., a
`streaming format) for posting to a network location 122, or
`otherwise prepare the file for posting to a network location
`122. The publisher 112 may then connect to a network 118
`through a network interface 110A that is associated with the
`browser enabled processor facility 104A to connect to a net(cid:173)
`work 118. The publisher 112 may then post the video file to a
`network location 122 ( e.g., a website or webpage ).
`The browser enabled processor platform 104A may enable
`an interconnection to a video enabled recording/storage
`device 102 that may or may not be an integral part of the
`browser enabled processor platform 104A. The user, through
`a drag-and-drop interface within publisher 112, may transfer
`video files to the publisher 112. The publisher 112 may then
`automatically transcode the video files into a common file
`format for network posting ( e.g., a streaming format), which
`readies the video file for posting to a network location 122
`( e.g., the Internet). The user may choose to edit the video file 30
`prior to posting to the Internet where the user would utilize
`familiar VCR/DVR-type controls, and video editing tools.
`For uplink to the network location 122, the publisher 112
`interfaces with a network 118 through the web browser 108
`via the network interface 110A. Video files are then passed 35
`from the publisher 112 to the content delivery network 124
`across the network 118. An application server(s) 120 may
`assist the data transfer between the user's 602 publisher 112
`and the content delivery network 124 where the video files
`will be stored. In other embodiments, the data transfer may 40
`occur without the use of an application server(s) 120. Video
`files stored on the content delivery network 124 may be linked
`to a network location 122 ( e.g., a personal website, profes(cid:173)
`sional website, enterprise website, myspace.com website,
`auction website, reverse auction website, advertisement web- 45
`site, classified advertisement website, auto website, rental
`website, real estate web site, other forms of e-commerce
`websites, or other networked user resource locations) to pro(cid:173)
`vide access, viewing and streaming/downloading to other
`people desiring to interact with the linked video.
`A user interested in interacting with the linked video may
`interact with the video files on the content delivery network
`124 and view the video file through the player 128. In embodi(cid:173)
`ments, the 'viewing' user 602 may view the video through a
`streaming video player, a sequenced video player, a progres- 55
`sive download video player or other video player. In embodi(cid:173)
`ments, the 'viewing' user may interact with the video file
`posted on the content delivery network 124 by downloading
`or copying the file to the user's computing/viewing platform.
`In embodiments, the application server(s) 120 may offer a 60
`download of the player 128 for users that have not previously
`viewed a video.
`A user choosing to interact with a video file that was posted
`on the content delivery network 124 may use his own browser
`enabled processor platform 104B equipped with a network 65
`browsing facility 108B, network interface 110B and player
`128 to connect to the video file by interacting with a link or
`
`6
`other such connection facility associated with a network loca(cid:173)
`tion 122 (e.g., a website or page as described elsewhere
`herein). The player 128 may be adapted as a browser plug-in
`that is adapted to become directly associated or integrated
`5 with the browser application 108B. In embodiments, the
`player 128 plug-in may be downloaded from the content
`delivery network 124. In embodiments, the downloading of
`the publisher 112 may occur as a result of the user attempting
`to interact with a posted video. The user's 602 browser
`10 enabled processor platform 104B may be checked to see if it
`already has the proper player 128 installed and if it does not,
`the user may be provided an option to install one, or it may
`occur automatically or in some of fashion.
`While the browser enabled processor platform 104B may
`15 be a standalone computing system such as a desktop, laptop
`computer, or the like. In embodiments, the browser enabled
`processor platform 104B may be integrated into a video
`enabled playback device 132. For example, a digital camera
`132A, digital video camera 132B, cell phone 132C, PDA
`20 132D, or other video display facility 132E may be directly
`associated with ( e.g., integrated with) the browser enabled
`processor platform 104B.A user 602 may use a video enabled
`playback device 132 to view, download, copy, manipulate,
`control or otherwise interact with a video file posted on the
`25 content delivery network 124 by connecting to it through the
`linked network location 122.
`While embodiments of the present invention illustrate vari-
`ous processes being performed by the application server(s)
`120, the network locations (e.g. posted websites) 122 and the
`content delivery network 124, it should be understood these
`embodiments are illustrative in nature and the functions are
`not limited to the specific structures. For example, some or all
`of the applications server and content network functions may
`be performed through the posting network location servers.
`FIG. 2 depicts certain functionality ofa web browser 108 in
`an embodiment of the invention. The web browser 108 may
`host the publisher 112 and/or player 128 ( e.g., as an integrated
`browser plug-in) and may provide for the interconnection of
`the publisher 112 with external components such as video
`enabled recording device( s) 132, the network 118, file storage
`( e.g., local storage such as database 114 and database 130, or
`network storage such as on the content delivery network 124)
`within a browser enabled processor platform 104. The
`browser 108 may provide upload and download functions
`through the network interface, for transfer of files to and from
`the browser enabled processor platform 104, provide user
`interface network navigation tools and provide other such
`network user interface tools. The web browser 108 may also
`provide for a web interface to the user with functions that
`50 include navigation control within web pages, bookmark man(cid:173)
`agement, favorite page storage and the like.
`FIG. 3 depicts certain functionality of the publisher 112 in
`an embodiment of the invention. The publisher 112 may
`provide for a 'drag-and-drop' style user interface through
`which video files from a video enabled recording/storage
`device 102 may be transferred to the publisher 112. Video
`files may then be transcoded into a format compatible with
`network posting and viewing where the user may utilize edit(cid:173)
`ing features of publisher 112 to modify the video file prior to
`uploading. The edited, transcoded or otherwise manipulated
`video file may then be transferred to the content delivery
`network 124 through the network interface 110A. Video files
`may also be transferred into the file storage 114 of the browser
`enabled processor platform 104 through the browser inter(cid:173)
`face. The user 602 may also control parameters that custom(cid:173)
`ize the user interface, receive interactive help from a publish-
`er's help software module, and receive automatic updates to
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`US 7,809,802 B2
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`publisher 112 software modules. Security software modules
`may be incorporated to protect the system from disallowed
`activity.
`FIG. 4 depicts certain functionality of the player 128 in an
`embodiment of the invention. The player 128 provides a user 5
`interface that allows the download, copying, viewing and
`interaction of video files previously stored on the content
`delivery network 124. Downloading of video files, or other(cid:173)
`wise interacting with the files as described herein, is enabled
`through the player's web interface to the browser network 10
`interface. Video files may also be stored in the browser
`enabled processor platform 104 through the player's browser
`interface. Playback controls may be made available though
`typical VCR/DVR-type controls such as play, stop, pause,
`rewind, fast forward, copy, paste, cut, save, and other such 15
`control features.
`FIG. 5 depicts certain functionality of t