US5808628A — Electronic video processing system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 156 words

An electronic video processing system for combining a plurality of video clips, the system comprising: at least one disc storing unit for storing digital video data representing a multiplicity of video frames; an access circuit connected to said storing unit for providing random access transfer to and from the at least one storing unit of a number of said video frames comprising said plural video clips; two ports connected to the access circuit and each capable independently or simultaneously with the other of transferring data by way of said access circuit to or from the at least one storing unit at video rate; a processor responsive to a user operable input device for processing data from the at least one storing unit representing user selected frames of at least two of said plural video clips to produce a combined video clip; and a monitor for simultaneously displaying at least some of said multiplicity of video frames.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 156 words

An electronic video processing system for combining a plurality of video clips, the system comprising: at least one disc storing unit for storing digital video data representing a multiplicity of video frames; an access circuit connected to said storing unit for providing random access transfer to and from the at least one storing unit of a number of said video frames comprising said plural video clips; two ports connected to the access circuit and each capable independently or simultaneously with the other of transferring data by way of said access circuit to or from the at least one storing unit at video rate; a processor responsive to a user operable input device for processing data from the at least one storing unit representing user selected frames of at least two of said plural video clips to produce a combined video clip; and a monitor for simultaneously displaying at least some of said multiplicity of video frames.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 58 words

A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display store for storing image data representing an image to be displayed on the monitor, the processor being operable in an editing mode for controlling the writing of data representing plural selected frames to the display store for subsequent display of said plural selected frames on the monitor.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is arranged to apply user selected effects to user selected frames in the video clips, the effects and frames being selectable by manipulation of said user operable input device.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 65 words

A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor is arranged to write data to the display store such that when the image represented by the data stored in the display store is subsequently displayed and the monitor is divided into a plurality of working areas, said plural selected frames are displayed at a reduced size in one or more of said working areas.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 58 words

A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor is arranged to write data to the display store such that when the image represented thereby is displayed, at least some of the working areas include one or more frames at a reduced size, the frames corresponding to a portion of one or more of the video clips.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 51 words

A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is arranged to generate cursor data representing a cursor in response to user manipulation of said user operable input device, said processor being arranged to write the cursor data to the display store for display of said cursor on the monitor.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 91 words

A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processor is arranged to respond to the action of the cursor being disposed by manipulation of the user operable input device at a position between two adjacent displayed frames of a single clip and moved rapidly away from said position, the processor responding by modifying the data in the display store so as to divide the single clip into two new clips, one of the new clips including one and the other new clip including the other of said adjacent displayed frames.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 45 words

A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in order to effect dividing of said single clip into two new clips the processor responds to the displayed cursor being moved rapidly in a substantially horizontal direction by corresponding manipulation of the user operable input device.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 79 words

A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processor is arranged to respond to manipulation of said user operable input device by modifying the data in the display store so as to cause selected displayed frames relating to one clip to become attached to the displayed cursor, and to further manipulation of the input device by modifying the data in the display store to cause both the cursor and the selected displayed frames to move on the display.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 71 words

A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processor is arranged to respond to the positioning of the selected frames attached to the cursor at other displayed frames relating to another clip by modifying the data in the display store so as to combine frames of said one clip, associated with said selected frames, with frames of said another clip, associated with said displayed frames, to create a combined clip.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 60 words

A system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the processor is arranged such that when said selected frames are overlaid on the display monitor on said displayed frames, data in the display store is modified so that a marker is displayed with the combined clip to indicate that the combined clip has a number of hidden selected frames associated therewith.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 62 words

A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor is arranged to respond to the overlaying of frames attached to the cursor at said other displayed frames by modifying the data in the display store so as to replace the frames of said one clip, associated with the overlaid displayed frames, with frames of said another clip associated with overlaying frames.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 66 words

A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor responds to the overlaying of frames attached to the cursor at said other displayed frames by modifying the data in the display store so as to combine the overlaid frames and the overlaying frames on a frame by frame basis, thereby creating a combined clip which includes a dissolve between the clips forming the combined clip.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 32 words

A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the marker is displayed in a first color to indicate that in the combined clip the overlaid frames are replaced with the overlaying frames.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 31 words

A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the marker is displayed in a second color to indicate that the combined clip is created by dissolving between overlaid and overlaying frames.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 68 words

A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the total number of frames used in dissolving between the one clip and the other clip forming the dissolve is selectable, the marker comprising a central portion displayed in one color indicating frames used in the dissolve and end portions displayed in another indicating the frames in the one clip and in the other clip not used in the dissolve.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 68 words

A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein once a clip has been identified by manipulation of the input device the processor is arranged to respond to the cursor being moved off and then back on to the display in response to manipulation of the input device by modifying the data in the display store so as to attach a copy of the identified clip to the cursor.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 29 words

A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of said working areas is a plural clip working area in which a plurality of clips can be processed concurrently.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 56 words

A system as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least some of the plurality of clips in the plural clip working area have an associated control image clip and the processor places the displayed plural clips in a stack and assigns a priority to each clip depending on the position of the clip in the stack.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 66 words

A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor is operable in a preview mode in which data from the random access video frame store representing the plurality of video clips is combined, in accordance with the modifications made in said editing mode, with the data in the display store to produce data representing a preview clip which is output to the monitor for display.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 23 words

A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the preview clip data is output for subsequent display of the clip at video rate.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 80 words

A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is operable in a committing mode in which data from the random access video frame store representing the plurality of video clips is combined, in accordance with the modifications made in said editing mode, to the data in the display store to produce data representing a final combined clip which is written back to the random access video frame store, the processor thereby committing the final combined clip to memory.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 225 words

An electronic video store comprising: a store for storing digital data representing a multiplicity of different video frames which together form one or more video clips displayable on a monitor at a predetermined video frame data rate; at least two ports for receiving digital data for input to or output from the store, each port being operable simultaneously with the other to receive said digital data for input or output at the predetermined video frame data rate; and an interface connected to said store and said at least two ports for transferring data therebetween; wherein said store comprises a number of disc store devices operable to transfer data at a data transfer rate, the number of disc store devices being selected to enable data to be transferred between said store and said interface at a total data transfer rate at least equal to the sum of the frame data rates for all of said ports, and wherein said interface comprises a buffer for temporarily holding the video data to enable data from said at least two ports at said video frame rate to be transferred to said number of disc store devices at said data transfer rate and to enable data from said number of disc store devices at said data transfer rate to be transferred to said ports at said video frame data rate.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 225 words

An electronic video store comprising: a store for storing digital data representing a multiplicity of different video frames which together form one or more video clips displayable on a monitor at a predetermined video frame data rate; at least two ports for receiving digital data for input to or output from the store, each port being operable simultaneously with the other to receive said digital data for input or output at the predetermined video frame data rate; and an interface connected to said store and said at least two ports for transferring data therebetween; wherein said store comprises a number of disc store devices operable to transfer data at a data transfer rate, the number of disc store devices being selected to enable data to be transferred between said store and said interface at a total data transfer rate at least equal to the sum of the frame data rates for all of said ports, and wherein said interface comprises a buffer for temporarily holding the video data to enable data from said at least two ports at said video frame rate to be transferred to said number of disc store devices at said data transfer rate and to enable data from said number of disc store devices at said data transfer rate to be transferred to said ports at said video frame data rate.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 180 words

An electronic video store comprising: at least two disc storing units for storing digital video data representing a multiplicity of video frames; an access circuit connected to said storing units for providing random access input to and output from said storing units of video frames; and two ports connected to the access circuit and each capable independently or simultaneously with the other of transferring by way of said access circuit to or from said storing units a video frame at video rate; wherein each of said at least two storing units is connected to said two ports via the access circuit and data representing each video frame is distributed between the storing units; wherein said access circuit comprises two buffers respectively associated with the at least two storing units for buffering data in transfer between each of the storing units and the two ports; and wherein the access circuit further comprises an interface between the buffers and the two ports, which interface converts video data between a video format at said two ports and a storing format at said buffers.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 180 words

An electronic video store comprising: at least two disc storing units for storing digital video data representing a multiplicity of video frames; an access circuit connected to said storing units for providing random access input to and output from said storing units of video frames; and two ports connected to the access circuit and each capable independently or simultaneously with the other of transferring by way of said access circuit to or from said storing units a video frame at video rate; wherein each of said at least two storing units is connected to said two ports via the access circuit and data representing each video frame is distributed between the storing units; wherein said access circuit comprises two buffers respectively associated with the at least two storing units for buffering data in transfer between each of the storing units and the two ports; and wherein the access circuit further comprises an interface between the buffers and the two ports, which interface converts video data between a video format at said two ports and a storing format at said buffers.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 36 words

A store as claimed in claim 24, wherein the interface comprises a cache store for accumulating a multiplicity of frames of data to facilitate the transfer of data between the two ports and the access circuit.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-09-14	2002-03-16	2002-09-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-09-14	2006-03-16	2006-09-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-09-14	2010-03-16	2010-09-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electronic video processing system

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