U.S. patent application number 10/438974 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-18 for assistant editing display method for media clips.
Invention is credited to Lin, Brian.
Application Number | 20040230910 10/438974 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33417689 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040230910 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin, Brian |
November 18, 2004 |
Assistant editing display method for media clips
Abstract
This specification discloses an assistant editing display method
for media clips. It provides in multimedia editing software an
improved three-point control scheme. In other words, the concept of
double time axes is used to execute editing display processes for
media clips. In contrast with the multimedia editing and processing
software in the prior art, the disclosed technique is characterized
in that: the disclosed method provides an assistant display mode to
resize the display ratio of assigned media clip and to perform
detailed media editing processes. The invention can solve the
problems that it is impossible to visualize detailed media clip
presentation and to perform detailed media clip editing processes
when the media clip is too long.
Inventors: |
Lin, Brian; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O. BOX 8910
RESTON
VA
20195
US
|
Family ID: |
33417689 |
Appl. No.: |
10/438974 |
Filed: |
May 16, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
715/723 ;
G9B/27.01; G9B/27.051 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 27/031 20130101;
G11B 27/34 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/723 |
International
Class: |
G09G 005/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An assistant editing display method for media clips to provide
an improved three-point control in multimedia editing software for
executing a media clip editing display process, wherein the method
is characterized in starting an assistant display mode to resize a
display ratio and perform detailed editing process in a designated
media clip, the assistant display mode comprising the steps of:
receiving media clip information and generating a second trim-bar
interface and a second media clip interface using an
equal-proportion mechanism; displaying a current-point cursor and a
corresponding media content; and providing media editing operations
for the second media clip.
2. The method of claim 1 applied to the media clip editing display
process with the time concept.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the types of the media clip
include at least video and sound.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media clip editing display
process comprises the steps of: starting the media clip editing
interface and reading in information of a selected media file;
extracting time information from the media clip information and
generating a first trim-bar interface using the equal-proportion
mechanism; receiving the media clip information set by a user;
generating a first media clip interface and displaying the media
content corresponding to the current-point cursor; and providing
media editing operations for the first media clip.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the media file information
contains at least a name, a time, a file size, and a media source
path.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the equal-proportion mechanism is
to set the number of rod adjustment sections in the first trim-bar
interface according to the time information.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media clip information
contains at least an in-point time, an out-point time and the
current-point cursor.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the equal-proportion mechanism is
to set the number of rod adjustment sections in the second trim-bar
interface according to the media clip time information.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the equal-proportion mechanism is
performed at real time through an interface.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the media clip time information
is the difference between the out-point time and the in-point
time.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the media clip time information
is immediately adjustable by dragging in an interface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The invention relates to the editing display method for
multimedia editing and processing software and, in particular, to a
double-time axis assistant editing display method for media clips
with the time concept.
[0003] 2. Related Art
[0004] Up to now, the multimedia editing and processing can be
divided into linear and nonlinear types. The conventional linear
editing method has to rely very much upon the uses of various
hardware devices. The editing process is performed step by step.
Therefore, the multimedia processing is more expensive, less
flexible, and less efficient. Moreover, if the screen effects to be
processed are too complicated, it is almost impossible to finish
the job without using fancy hardware devices or much effort and
time in repeatedly processing the same frame. All such
inconveniences render the linear editing and processing method less
favorable. This method is only adopted by very few television
media.
[0005] The nonlinear editing and processing method is the
new-generation one. Since the nonlinear method uses a digitized way
to edit multimedia clips, it is thus more convenient, flexible and
efficient, but less expensive in processing than the linear method.
It is currently the most popular multimedia editing and processing
method. However, such multimedia editing and processing software
usually uses a single time axis to represent the time relation of
the corresponding multimedia files. The three-point control method,
which defines a media clip to be edited using an in-point, an
out-point, and a current-point set by the user, is then employed
for the user to perform various media processes in the
corresponding media clip.
[0006] Nevertheless, the conventional three-point control method is
likely to cause users troubles when the media clip is too long.
Take the editing operation of a two-hour long media clip as an
example. The clips visible to the user on the horizontal time axis
are in units of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 20 minutes (depending
upon the multimedia editing and processing software). Using the
three-point control method, the user can only perform large-area
media clip editing. There is no way to quickly and precisely find
the desired media contents in a media clip for detailed processing.
Sometimes it is even impossible to perform editing. Therefore, one
cannot make high-quality media using the conventional software.
[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a media editing and
processing method based upon current computer software technology
to provide a whole new user interface for media clip presentation.
Not only should the user experience the more precise media clip
visualization, the software should also enables the user to perform
precise and detailed editing on an assigned media clip in a more
efficient and convenient way.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The disclosed assistance editing display method for media
clips provides the user an improved three-point control mechanism
to perform media clip editing. The improved three-point control
mechanism is a method that utilizes the concept of double time axes
to generate assistant editing display of a media clip. Through the
disclosed assistant display mode, the user can arbitrarily resize
the display ratio of a dsignated media clip and perform more
detailed editing and processing.
[0009] Using the invention, the user can use the visualized doubel
time axes to search sliding bar interface and the media clip
interface, performing more detailed and more precise editing
processes in the designated media clip. During the editing process,
the user can arbitrarily adjust the range of the medi clip or
resize the media clip according to the needs at any time.
Therefore, the multimedia editing process is made much easier, more
precise and efficient.
[0010] In fact, the disclosed assistant editing display method for
media clips is featured in improving the conventional three-point
control of single-time axis (i.e. the first trim-bar interface and
the first media clip interface). It can provide a more detailed
assistant display mode by producing another time axis interface for
the media clip. The assistant display mode contains the following
steps. First, it receives media clip information and generates a
second trim-bar interface and a second media clip interface using
an equal-proportion mechanism. It then displays a current-point
cursor and the corresponding media content. Finally, it provides
various editing operations for the second media clip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The invention will become more fully understood from the
detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus
are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1-a is a flowchart of the media clip editing display
according to the disclosed assistant editing display method for
media clips;
[0013] FIG. 1-b is a flowchart of the assistant media clip editing
display according to the disclosed assistant editing display method
for media clips;
[0014] FIG. 2-a is an embodiment of the media clip editing display
according to the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2-b is an embodiment of the assistant video clip
editing display according to the invention; and
[0016] FIG. 2-c is an embodiment of the assistant sound clip
editing display according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The disclosed assistant editing display method for media
clips is mainly used for media clips with the time concept. The
so-called media clip contains at least video and sound. In
comparison with the three-point control provided in the
conventional multimedia editing and processing software that
performs media clip editing along a single horizontal time axis,
the invention provides an improved three-point control method that
has double-time axes. Through the visualization of the search rods
and the media clip user interfaces, the user can accurately find
the media clip frame to be edited and perform detailed editing and
processing.
[0018] In the following, we will use FIGS. 1-a and 1-b to explain
the procedure of the disclosed method and, at the same time, refer
to FIGS. 2-a, 2-b, and 2-c for an embodiment of the invention.
First, with reference to FIG. 1-a, the disclosed media clip editing
flowchart is similar to that for the conventional single-time axis
media clip editing method. When the user performs a media clip
editing display process, a media clip editing interface 900 has to
be started first, reading in the selected media file information
(step 100). The media file information contains: name, time, file
size, and media source path. One can refer to FIG. 2-a for an
embodiment of the media clip editing the media file information is
extracted to generate a first trim-bar interface 901 using an
equal-proportion mechanism (step 200). The equal-proportion
mechanism sets the rod adjustment sections of the first trim-bar
interface according to the time information (e.g. dividing a
one-hour media file into ten sections, dividing a ten-minute media
file into five sections, etc). The number of sections can be set by
the user through the media clip editing interface 900. The method
then starts to receive media clip information set by the user in
step 300. The media clip information contains: in-point time,
out-point time, and a current-point cursor 915. An embodiment is
shown in FIG. 2-a, where the first in-point time 905, the first
out-point time 910, and the current-point cursor 915 are shown. In
particular, the interval between the first in-point time 905 and
the first out-point time 910 is the first media clip. The position
of the current-point cursor 915 indicates the time corresponding to
the current media clip screen. Step 400 determines whether the
media clip information setting is complete. If not, the procedure
goes back to step 300. Otherwise, the first media clip interface
901 is generated and the media content corresponding to the
current-point cursor 915 is displayed (step 500). Step 600
determines whether the user starts the assistant display mode. The
user can press the assistant display mode button 920 in FIG. 2-a to
start the mode. If the mode is started, then the procedure
continues to step A in FIG. 1-b. Otherwise, the media editing
operations for the first media clip are provided (step 700). Step
800 determines whether the editing is complete. If so, the whole
media clip editing display procedure is complete. Otherwise, the
procedure returns to step 600 and repeats steps following that.
[0019] After entering step A, please refer to FIG. 1-b. Step 610
starts the assistant display mode. In step 620, the media clip
information is received according to the user's settings, and a
second trim-bar interface 902 and a second media clip interface 902
are generated using the equal-proportion mechanism. An embodiment
is shown in FIG. 2-b (or FIG. 2-c), where the interval between the
second in-point time 940 and the second out-point time 945 forms
the second media section and the position of the current-point
cursor 915 indicates the time corresponding to the current media
clip screen. At this moment, the previous media clip becomes the
assistant display media clip 925 as in FIG. 2-b (or FIG. 2-c). The
equal-proportion mechanism sets the rod adjustment sections of the
second trim-bar interface according to the media clip time
information set by the user (the media clip time information is the
difference between the out-point time and the in-point time). The
number of sections can be set by the user through the media clip
editing interface 900. For example, the user can use the zoom-in
button 930 or zoom-out button 935 in FIG. 2-b to perform settings.
Step 630 displays the current-point cursor and the corresponding
media content. Step 640 determines whether the user adjusts the
media clip information. The user can use the mouse to immediately
adjust the in-point time or out-point time of the original media
clip information (i.e. the assistant display media clip 925) in a
dragging way. If there is any adjustment, then the procedure goes
to step 650 to store the adjusted media clip information and to
regenerate the first media clip interface 901, followed by step 620
again. In the assistant display mode, the received media clip
information is used to regenerate the corresponding second trim-bar
interface 902 and the second media clip interface 902 using the
equal-proportion mechanism. If there is no adjustment, step 660
provides various media editing operations on the second media clip.
Step 670 determines whether the editing is complete. If so, the
procedure continues to step B in FIG. 1-a, finishing the whole
media clip editing display procedure. Otherwise, step 680
determines whether the user chooses to finish the assistant display
mode. The user can use the ending button 950 in FIG. 2-b (or FIG.
2-c) to finish the assistant display mode. In this case, step 690
terminates the second trim-bar interface 902, followed by step 700
(i.e. going back to the editing state with only the first trim-bar
interface) for the user to perform various media editing operations
on the first media clip. If the user has not finished the assistant
display mode, the procedure returns to step 660.
[0020] Certain variations would be apparent to those skilled in the
art, which variations are considered within the spirit and scope of
the claimed invention.
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