U.S. patent application number 15/488957 was filed with the patent office on 2018-10-18 for snippet augmentation for videos.
The applicant listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to VIJAY EKAMBARAM, RAMASURI NARAYANAM, NITENDRA RAJPUT, YEDENDRA B. SHRINIVASAN.
Application Number | 20180302655 15/488957 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 63761388 |
Filed Date | 2018-10-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180302655 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
EKAMBARAM; VIJAY ; et
al. |
October 18, 2018 |
SNIPPET AUGMENTATION FOR VIDEOS
Abstract
A video augmenting computer augments a video with snippet
information. The video augmenting computer transmits requests to
multiple remote video reviewing computers for a video and a snippet
to augment the video. The snippet provides additional information
about a particular passage from the video, and each of the requests
includes a request for a profile of a reviewer of the video who
created the snippet. The video augmenting computer receives the
video and multiple versions of the snippet that were created by
different reviewers of the video, and then compares profiles of the
different reviewers to a profile of a new viewer of the video. In
response to the profile of the new viewer matching a profile of a
particular reviewer from the different reviewers of the video, the
video augmenting computer augments the video with the snippet that
was created by the particular reviewer to create an augmented
video.
Inventors: |
EKAMBARAM; VIJAY; (CHENNAI,
IN) ; NARAYANAM; RAMASURI; (GUNTUR, IN) ;
RAJPUT; NITENDRA; (GURGAON, IN) ; SHRINIVASAN;
YEDENDRA B.; (YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
63761388 |
Appl. No.: |
15/488957 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/8126 20130101;
H04N 21/6175 20130101; H04N 21/435 20130101; H04N 21/4532 20130101;
H04N 21/84 20130101; H04N 21/23418 20130101; H04N 21/6125 20130101;
H04N 21/4722 20130101; H04N 21/25891 20130101; H04N 21/44008
20130101; H04N 21/278 20130101; H04N 21/235 20130101; G06F 16/735
20190101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 21/234 20060101
H04N021/234; H04N 21/258 20060101 H04N021/258; H04N 21/84 20060101
H04N021/84; H04N 21/61 20060101 H04N021/61; H04N 21/44 20060101
H04N021/44; H04N 21/45 20060101 H04N021/45; H04N 21/278 20060101
H04N021/278; G06F 17/30 20060101 G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: transmitting, from a
video augmenting computer to multiple reviewing computers, a video
and a request for one or more snippets created by video reviewers
who are using the multiple reviewing computers to view the video,
wherein the one or more snippets provide additional information
about one or more video passages in the video, and wherein the
request also requests that each video reviewer include a video
reviewer profile when returning the one or more snippets;
receiving, by the video augmenting computer, one or more responses
to the request, wherein each of the one or more responses comprise
the one or more snippets and the video reviewer profile for a video
reviewer that created each of the one or more snippets; receiving,
by the video augmenting computer and from a new viewer, a new
request to view the video along with a new viewer profile;
comparing, by the video augmenting computer, video reviewer
profiles associated with the one or more snippets to the new viewer
profile; in response to the new viewer profile matching a video
reviewer profile associated with the one or more snippets,
augmenting, by the video augmenting computer, the video with the
one or more snippets to create an augmented video; and
transmitting, from the video augmenting computer to a client
computer associated with the new request, the augmented video.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or
more snippets is a first snippet, and wherein the
computer-implemented method further comprises: associating, by one
or more processors, an identifier with the video; receiving, by the
video augmenting computer, a second snippet that matches the
identifier of the video and the new viewer profile of the new
viewer of the video, wherein the second snippet provides additional
information about the particular passage from the video, and
wherein the second snippet is received from a second remote video
reviewing computer; further augmenting, by the video augmenting
computer, the augmented video based on the second snippet, to
create a further augmented video; and transmitting, from the video
augmenting computer to the client computer, the further augmented
video.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein said further
augmenting, by the video augmenting computer, the augmented video
based on the second snippet, to create a further augmented video,
further comprises: further augmenting, by the video augmenting
computer, the augmented video by replacing the first snippet with
the second snippet to create a further augmented video.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or
more snippets are text that provides additional information about a
particular passage from the video.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or
more snippets are links to another video that provides additional
information about a particular passage from the video.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or
more snippets are generated in response to the first remote video
reviewing computer pausing the video at the particular passage.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or
more snippets are generated in response to one or more of the
multiple remote video reviewing computers rewinding the video at
the particular passage.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or
more snippets are generated in response to one or more of the
multiple remote reviewing computers repeating the video at the
particular passage.
9. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable
storage device having program instructions embodied therewith, the
program instructions readable and executable by a computer to:
transmit, from a video augmenting computer to multiple reviewing
computers, a video and a request for one or more snippets created
by video reviewers who are using the multiple reviewing computers
to view the video, wherein the one or more snippets provide
additional information about one or more video passages in the
video, and wherein the request also requests that each video
reviewer include a video reviewer profile when returning the one or
more snippets; receive, by the video augmenting computer, one or
more responses to the request, wherein each of the one or more
responses comprise the one or more snippets and the video reviewer
profile for a video reviewer that created each of the one or more
snippets; receive, by the video augmenting computer and from a new
viewer, a new request to view the video along with a new viewer
profile; compare video reviewer profiles associated with the one or
more snippets to the new viewer profile; in response to the new
viewer profile matching a video reviewer profile associated with
the one or more snippets, augment the video with the one or more
snippets to create an augmented video; and transmit, from the video
augmenting computer to a client computer associated with the new
request, the augmented video.
10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the one or
more snippets is a first snippet, and wherein the program
instructions are further readable and executable by the computer
to: associate an identifier with the video; receive, by the video
augmenting computer, a second snippet that matches the identifier
of the video and the new viewer profile of the new viewer of the
video, wherein the second snippet provides additional information
about the particular passage from the video, and wherein the second
snippet is received from a second remote video reviewing computer;
28 further augment the augmented video based on the second snippet,
to create a further augmented video; and transmit, from the video
augmenting computer to the client computer, the further augmented
video.
11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the one or
more snippets are text that provides additional information about a
particular passage from the video.
12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the one or
more snippets are links to another video that provides additional
information about a particular passage from the video.
13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the one or
more snippets are generated in response to the first remote video
reviewing computer pausing the video at the particular passage.
14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the program
instructions are executed as a service in a cloud environment.
15. A computer system comprising: one or more processors; one or
more computer readable memories, operably coupled to the one or
more processors, wherein the one or more computer readable memories
store program instructions for execution by at least one of the one
or more processors, the stored program instructions comprising:
program instructions to transmit, from a video augmenting computer
to multiple reviewing computers, a video and a request for one or
more snippets created by video reviewers who are using the multiple
reviewing computers to view the video, wherein the one or more
snippets provide additional information about one or more video
passages in the video, and wherein the request also requests that
each video reviewer include a video reviewer profile when returning
the one or more snippets; program instructions to receive one or
more responses to the request, wherein each of the one or more
responses comprise the one or more snippets and the video reviewer
profile for a video reviewer that created each of the one or more
snippets; program instructions to receive, from a new viewer, a new
request to view the video along with a new viewer profile; program
instructions to compare video reviewer profiles associated with the
one or more snippets to the new viewer profile; program
instructions to, in response to the new viewer profile matching a
video reviewer profile associated with the one or more snippets,
augment the video with the one or more snippets to create an
augmented video; and program instructions to transmit, to a client
computer associated with the new request, the augmented video.
16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the one or more
snippets is a first snippet, and wherein the stored program
instructions further comprise: program instructions to associate an
identifier with the video; program instructions to receive a second
snippet that matches the identifier of the video and the new viewer
profile of the new viewer of the video, wherein the second snippet
provides additional information about the particular passage from
the video, and wherein the second snippet is received from a second
remote video reviewing computer; program instructions to further
augment the augmented video based on the second snippet, to create
a further augmented video; and program instructions to transmit, to
the client computer, the further augmented video.
17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the one or more
snippets are text that provides additional information about a
particular passage from the video.
18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the one or more
snippets are links to another video that provides additional
information about a particular passage from the video.
19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the one or more
snippets are generated in response to the first remote video
reviewing computer pausing the video at the particular passage.
20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the program
instructions are executed as a service in a cloud environment.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of computers that
are capable of displaying videos. More particularly, the present
invention relates to augmenting computer videos with information
obtained from distributed sources.
SUMMARY
[0002] In a computer-implemented method embodiment of the present
invention, a video augmenting computer transmits a video to
multiple reviewing computers along with a request for one or more
snippets created by video reviewers who are using the multiple
reviewing computers, which provide additional information about one
or more video passages. The request also requests a video reviewer
to provide a profile when returning the one or more snippets. The
video augmenting computer receives one or more responses to the
request that include the profile of the video reviewer of the video
and the one or more snippets. The video augmenting computer
receives, from a new viewer, a new request to view the video along
with a new viewer profile and compares profiles associated with the
one or more snippets to the new viewer profile. In response to the
new viewer profile matching a profile associated with the one or
more snippets, the video augmenting computer augments the video
with the one or more snippets and transmits an augmented video to a
client computer associated with the new request.
[0003] Other embodiments of the present invention include a
computer system and a computer program product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary system and network in accordance
with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary view of a system in
accordance with one or more embodiments the present invention;
[0006] FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary video that has been augmented in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the present
invention;
[0007] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary relationship between a video
augmenting computer and multiple remote video reviewing computers,
in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present
invention;
[0008] FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary method in accordance with one or
more embodiments of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 6 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0010] FIG. 7 depicts abstraction model layers of a cloud computing
environment according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] With reference now to the figures, and in particular to FIG.
1, a block diagram of an exemplary system and network in accordance
with one or more embodiments of the present invention is depicted.
Some or all of the exemplary architecture, including both depicted
hardware and software, shown for and within computer 101 can be
utilized by: software deploying server 149 and/or remote video
reviewing computers 151 and/or client computer 153 shown in FIG. 1;
and/or video augmenting computer 401 and/or remote video reviewing
computers 451a-451b and/or client computer 453 shown in FIG. 4.
[0012] With further reference to FIG. 1, exemplary computer 101
includes processor(s) 103, operably coupled to a system bus 105.
Processor(s) 103 may embody or use one or more processor core(s)
123. A video adapter 107, which drives/supports a display 109, is
also coupled to system bus 105. In one or more embodiments of the
present invention, video adapter 107 detects (e.g., using inputs
from keyboard 117 and/or mouse 119) that a user has paused,
stopped, rewound, or otherwise interrupted the play of a video
being shown on display 109.
[0013] System bus 105 is coupled via a bus bridge 111 to an
input/output (I/O) bus 113. An I/O interface 115 is coupled to I/O
bus 113. I/O interface 115 affords communication with various I/O
devices, including a keyboard 117, a mouse 119, a media tray 121
(which may include storage devices such as CD-ROM drives,
multi-media interfaces, etc.), and external USB port(s) 125. While
the format of the ports connected to I/O interface 115 may be any
known to those skilled in the art of computer architecture, in one
or more embodiments, some or all of these ports are universal
serial bus (USB) ports.
[0014] As depicted, network interface 129 is also coupled to system
bus 105. Network interface 129 can be a hardware network interface,
such as a network interface card (NIC), etc. Computer 101 is able
to communicate with a software deploying server 149 and/or remote
video reviewing computers 151 via network interface 129 and network
127. Network 127 may include (without limitation) one or more
external networks--such as a wide area network (WAN), and/or a
network of networks such as the Internet--and/or one or more
internal networks such as an Ethernet or a virtual private network
(VPN). In one or more embodiments, network 127 includes a wireless
network, such as a Wi-Fi network, and a cellular network. An
example embodiment of the present invention utilizing a network
"cloud" environment will be discussed with reference to FIGS. 6 and
7.
[0015] Referring again to FIG. 1, a hard drive interface 131 is
also coupled to system bus 105. Hard drive interface 131 interfaces
with a hard drive 133. In one embodiment, hard drive 133 is a
non-volatile memory storage and populates a system memory 135
(e.g., random access memory (RAM)), which is also coupled to system
bus 105. System memory may be considered a lowest level of volatile
memory in computer 101. System memory 135 may include additional,
higher levels of volatile memory (not shown), including, but not
limited to, cache memory, registers and buffers. Data that
populates system memory 135 includes computer 101's operating
system (OS) 137 and application programs 143.
[0016] Operating system (OS) 137 includes a shell 139, for
providing transparent user access to resources such as application
programs 143. Generally, shell 139 is a program that provides an
interpreter and an interface between the user and the OS. More
specifically, shell 139 (sometimes referred to as a command
processor) can execute commands entered into a command-line user
interface or from a file. In other words, shell 139 can serve as a
command interpreter. While shell 139 is a text-based, line-oriented
user interface, the present invention will equally well support
other user interface modes, such as graphical, voice, gestural,
etc. As depicted, shell 139 can be considered the highest level of
an OS software hierarchy. The shell can also provide a system
prompt, interpret commands entered by keyboard, mouse, or other
user input media, and send the interpreted command(s) to the
appropriate (e.g., lower) levels of the operating system (e.g., a
kernel 141) for processing.
[0017] As depicted, OS 137 also includes kernel 141, which includes
(hierarchically) lower levels of functionality for OS 137. A few
(non-limiting) examples of kernel functions include: providing
essential services required by other parts of OS 137 and
application programs 143, including memory management, process and
task management, disk management, and mouse and keyboard
management.
[0018] Application programs 143 include a renderer, shown in
exemplary manner as a browser 145. Browser 145 includes program
modules and instructions (not depicted) enabling a World Wide Web
(WWW) client (i.e., computer 101) to send and receive network
messages from network 127 (e.g., the Internet using hypertext
transfer protocol (HTTP) messaging), thus enabling communication
with software deploying server 149 and other systems.
[0019] In some embodiments, application programs 143 in computer
101's system memory include Program for Augmenting Videos with
Snippets (PAVS) 147. In some embodiments, system memory 135 can be
shared and/or application programs 143 distributed across one or
more software deploying servers 149 or other systems (not
depicted). In the example depicted, PAVS 147 includes program
instructions (software) adapted for implementing processes and/or
functions in accordance with the present invention, such as
(without limitation) those described with reference to FIGS. 2-5.
In some embodiments, PAVS 147 is downloaded from software deploying
server 149, (on-demand or "just-in-time") e.g., where the PAVS 147
software is not downloaded until needed for execution. In some
embodiments of the present invention, software deploying server 149
can perform all (or many) of the functions associated with the
present invention (including execution of PAVS 147), thus freeing
computer 101 from having to use its internal computing
resources.
[0020] The hardware elements depicted in computer 101 are not
intended to be exhaustive, but rather are representative to
highlight essential components required by the present invention.
For instance, computer 101 may include alternate memory storage
devices such as flash memory, magnetic cassettes, digital versatile
disks (DVDs), Bernoulli cartridges, and the like. These and other
variations are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the
present invention.
[0021] Users often watch videos on the World Wide Web (WWW), such
as on video sharing websites. Such video sharing websites allow
viewers of the videos to post opinions, questions, and other
comments related to the videos. For example, previous viewers of a
video may post comments stating that the video was unclear about a
particular subject that is addressed in the video. However,
comments of one or more previous viewers may not be useful to
another (i.e., current) viewer of the video. For example, such
prior viewers' comments may be above or below the level of
expertise of the current viewer, and thus can be considered
"clutter" that simply clogs up the feed and consumes unnecessary
amounts of network bandwidth.
[0022] Similarly, comments from prior viewers may be unclear as to
where in the video their comments are directed. For example, a
prior viewer comment that "The presenter in the video is using an
improper formula to explain how to reach the answer," can be
considered unclear since it does not identify what "formula" is
thought to be improper, and is too vague with regard to the
"answer."
[0023] Thus, the current viewer may have to pause the video, use a
search engine to look up additional information about a topic in
the video that is unclear to the current viewer. Such searching can
consume excessive resources of the current viewer's computer as
well as the network (e.g., the Internet). Some embodiments of the
present invention provide an improvement to the function of the
current viewer's computer as well as the network to which it is
coupled. These improvements to the functionality of the current
viewer's computer are the result of supplementing the video with
independently obtained explanatory snippets, based on a match to
the current viewer's profile. Furthermore, network bandwidth is
reduced by 1) transmitting to the current viewer's computer only
explanatory snippets that are appropriate for the current viewer;
and 2) reducing, if not eliminating, network bandwidth consumption
otherwise caused by the current viewer searching the Internet for
clarifying information. Furthermore, the efficiency of the current
viewer's computer can be improved by being able to efficiently
display the video without interruption (e.g., to search for
information on the Internet), since the explanatory snippets have
pro-actively provided the information otherwise needed by the
current viewer.
[0024] FIG. 2, depicts an exemplary view of a system in accordance
with the present invention. As shown, in block 201, a set of
comments/questions/feedback/etc. (e.g., comment 305 shown in FIG.
3) regarding a particular video (e.g., video 301a shown in FIG. 3)
are created by multiple viewers (USER 1 . . . USER N) of that
particular video. In some embodiments, the question and answer
(Q&A) "inference" in block 201 establishes 1) which prior
viewer posted the comment; 2) a profile of the prior viewer who
posted the comment; and 3) the point in the video to which each
comment is directed (i.e., time t1 in video 301a shown in FIG.
3).
[0025] Establishing 1) which prior viewer posted the comment can be
ascertained by the name/identity of the viewer (e.g., "VIEWER X" in
comment 305) who posted the comment. This information can be
obtained by the posting viewer providing his/her name/pseudonym
along with his/her posting.
[0026] Establishing 2) the profile of each of the prior viewers can
be ascertained by matching the name/pseudonym of the posting viewer
with a profile stored in a database. By way of example only, this
database may be: co-resident with the video server that serves the
video; reside in a "cloud" environment, such as the example
discussed below with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7; associated
with a video augmenting computer (e.g., in the viewer profile
database 403 depicted within video augmenting computer 401 shown in
FIG. 4, etc.); or some combination of one or more of the
foregoing.
[0027] Establishing 3) the point in the video to which each comment
is directed can be ascertained either from the comment itself or
from an action associated with the posting viewer. By way of
example only, the posting viewer may provide a comment such as "At
10:25 into the video, the presenter refers to a "Monte Carlo
simulation". A Monte Carlo simulation is a mathematical technique
for predicting various outcomes according to their likelihood. Go
to www.montecarlosimulationlkjlk.com for further information about
Monte Carlo simulations." (See comment 305 in FIG. 3.)
[0028] Referring again to FIG. 2, in block 202, once the above
information is established about prior viewers of the video, video
behavioral analytics may be performed. Such analytics may reveal
points in time in the video that were confusing for the prior
viewers. Such points in time may be identified based on when the
video is paused, rewound, repeated, etc., or may be based on when
question and answer exchanges (the "above Q&A pair") occurred
among previous viewers. The time points are matched/correspond to
the set of comments/questions/feedback/etc. available for the
video, as established in block 201.
[0029] However, commenters often do not specify where their comment
is directed. Thus, in an embodiment of the present invention, the
commenting reviewer's computer will detect a disruption to the
video to match a particular place in the video to the viewer's
posting. For example, assume that the prior viewer of the video
(i.e., the commenting reviewer) paused the video at the place in
the video that is ten minutes, 25 seconds (10:25) from the
beginning of the video. Assume further that while the video is
paused at the 10:25 position, the prior viewer posted a comment:
"The presenter refers to a "Monte Carlo simulation." A Monte Carlo
simulation is a mathematical technique for predicting various
outcomes according to their likelihood. Go to
www.montecarlosimulationlkjlk.com for further information about
Monte Carlo simulations".
[0030] Referring again to FIG. 2, User 1-User N (where "N" is an
integer) may represent prior viewers who have paused, rewound, etc.
the video at certain time points in the video. As depicted, User 1
has paused, rewound, repeated, etc. a passage from the video at
time points 206, which are displayed on playbar 208-1. Similarly,
User 2 has paused, rewound, repeated, etc. a passage from the video
at two other time points (not labeled) shown on playbar 208-2,
while User N has paused, rewound, repeated, etc. a passage from the
video at two different time points (also not labeled) shown on
playbar 208-N.
[0031] In block 203, a video augmenting computer matches the times
at which viewers have paused, rewound, repeated, etc. a passage
from the video to certain profile types. Let's assume that the
presenter is a biologist and that the focus of the video is
biology. Let's further assume that the video has been completely
viewed by each of Users 1-N, and at a certain point (e.g., time t3
shown in FIG. 3) the presenter begins speaking about "Monte Carlo
simulations." Assume also that the presenter is not an expert in
predictions based on uncertainty and/or randomness, and more
specifically is not familiar with "Monte Carlo simulations."
Although User 1 is an expert in biology, the profile of User 1 is
silent with regard to any interest or experience in the field of
predictions based on uncertainty and/or randomness.
[0032] Referring specifically now to block 203 of this example
(FIG. 2), a system (e.g., video augmenting computer 401 shown in
FIG. 4) consolidates the timelines in playbars 208-1 to 208-N to
create an augmented video represented by playbar 210-1 (with time
points t1, t2, t4, and t5). The playbar 210-1 may be associated
with future viewers (i.e., User 1) who are: 1) biologists; and 2)
not experts in Monte Carlo simulations and/or predictions based on
uncertainty and/or randomness; (collectively referred to as
"Profile Type 1"). In other words, a version of the video
represented by playbar 210-1 may be generated for and provided to
future viewers that: have paused, rewound, repeated, etc. the video
at times t1, t2, t4, and t5 of the video; and have a matching
Profile Type 1.
[0033] Similarly, if one or more previous viewers of the video have
a "Profile Type M", then the places in the video where they paused,
rewound, repeated, etc. a passage from the video are shown as t1,
t2, t3, and t4 of playbar 210-M.
[0034] It is to be understood that in this example, all of the
playbars 208-1 through 208-N and 210-1 through 210-M are for a same
video, which has been or will be viewed by different viewers.
[0035] Referring now to block 204 of this example (FIG. 2), a
system (e.g., video augmenting computer 401 shown in FIG. 4)
performs semantic and contextual correlations of the video captions
at the extracted time slots (e.g., time points t1, t2, t4, and t5
of playbar 210-1) to identify/designate augmenting information. For
example, assume that metadata from the video, and extracted
text/speech from the video about biology is analyzed to reveal that
at time t4 of the video the speaker is referring to Monte Carlo
simulations. Assume further that User 1 paused the video at time
t4, and added a comment (e.g., in the comment section of the video
provider website) providing a brief explanation of Monte Carlo
simulations discussed by the presenter at time t4 (e.g., as shown
in block 305 of FIG. 3). Thus, the information in block 305 can be
designated in block 204 as "augmenting information" for the
presentation at time t4 in the video for future viewers of the
video whose profile matches Profile Type 1. In other words, this
augmenting information (comment 305) can be considered a snippet
that is presented to future viewers of the video in order to
further explain the content being presented at a certain time slot
in the video.
[0036] Returning now to FIG. 2, in block 205, augmenting
information is aligned to specific applicable points of the video,
e.g., corresponding to time points on a playbar. Various methods (a
few examples of which will be discussed below) can be used to
identify snippets (e.g., comments, advice, links to other
resources, etc.) relevant to a particular place (time slot) in the
video (e.g., video 301a shown in FIG. 3).
[0037] In some embodiments of the present invention, snippets are
ranked and assigned to a particular time slot (e.g., one of times
t1-t5 shown in FIG. 2), using the following five steps.
[0038] Step 1. Identify a candidate snippet, such as a particular
comment, an explanation, a question and answer pair, etc. that was
generated by a previous viewer of the video.
[0039] Step 2. Identify all previous viewers who are associated
with the identified candidate snippet. For example, if the snippet
is the result of a question and answer pair, then any and all
parties to that question and answer exchange are associated with
the identified candidate snippet. By way of another example, if the
identified candidate snippet is a comment, instruction, etc., then
any previous viewer who commented on that identified candidate
snippet is associated with the identified candidate snippet. That
is, the identified candidate snippet is for a same segment of the
video that was commented upon by another viewer.
[0040] Step 3. For all identified associated parties from Step 2,
conduct video behavioral analytics that reveal the time points at
which these associated viewers may have become confused in the
video e.g., based on (at least in part) when the video is paused,
rewound, repeated, etc.
[0041] Step 4. By applying pattern matching, extract the
time-points (extracted from Step 3) that are common across users
belonging to a same profile. These time slots represent possible
time slots to display snippets according to profile types.
[0042] Step 5. Given a new user who will be watching the video,
identify the specific profile type that this new viewer belongs to.
Thereafter, extract those time points that suggest confusion for
that specific profile type and conduct a semantic and contextual
comparison of these time points with the snippets. The snippets are
then ranked according to their relevance to particular time points
in the video, resulting in a ranked list of snippets and time slots
for each profile type.
[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, a profile type
of a new viewer of the video may be matched with one or more prior
viewers/reviewers due to similarities with previous viewers (e.g.,
asking similar/same questions as previous viewers, profile contains
same/similar areas of expertise, etc.) In some embodiments, a
profile type of a new viewer and a particular prior viewer/reviewer
may be matched when the video augmenting computer ascertains that
the particular prior reviewer has provided/created a snippet that
is relevant to viewers with the profile type of the new viewer.
That is, while the prior reviewer may share some similarities with
the profile of the new viewer, the profile and/or analysis of the
particular reviewer may additionally reveal that
pausing/rewinding/repeating/etc. the video was performed at the
same time point(s). However, although the prior reviewer and new
viewer may have paused the video at the same times, confusion was
not necessarily the cause in both cases. The prior reviewer may
instead have paused the video to prepare a helpful snippet
(comment, advice, a link to resources, etc.), and the relevance of
the identified snippet resulted in this prior reviewer's profile
being matched to the profile of the new viewer.
[0044] As mentioned above, various methods can be used to identify
relevant and insightful snippets (e.g., comments, advice, links to
other resources, etc.) for a particular place (time slot) in the
video (e.g., video 301a shown in FIG. 3). For example, if the
snippet is a comment on a certain passage in the video, then that
comment/snippet is compared to other comments/snippets about that
passage. All of these comments/snippets can be input to a neural
probabilistic language model, which quantifies the words and
phrases in the comments/snippets in order to establish their
proximity in a vector space found in a neural network (n-space). An
exemplary process uses a term frequency-inverse document frequency
(tf-idf) algorithm that weights words in the comments/snippets
according to how often they appear. Thus, if the passage in the
video is related to "simulations" and the term "simulation" occurs
multiple times in a comment from a previous viewer, then the tf-idf
algorithm will give that comment an appropriately higher ranking
than a comment with fewer occurrences of the term. In other words,
the snippets are converted into vectors that can be plotted in an
n-space, such that those vectors that are within a certain
proximity in the n-space are deemed to be sufficiently closely
related to be appropriate for a particular type of viewer (based on
that type of viewer's profile). That is, if two vectored passages
are sufficiently close together, then they are both going to be
useful for a same type of future viewer.
[0045] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary relationship between a video
augmenting computer and multiple remote video reviewing computers,
in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present
invention. By way of overview to the example depicted, remote video
reviewing computers 451a-451b (where "b" is an integer and
analogous to remote video reviewing computers 151 shown in FIG. 1)
initially displayed the video (e.g., video 301a shown in FIG. 3)
and generated (or retrieved as applicable) the augmentation
comments/information. By way of further example, the video is
augmented with snippets, such as the comment 305 of FIG. 3, by
video augmenting computer 401. Video augmenting computer 401
coordinates/aligns the snippets/comments generated by the remote
video reviewing computers 451a-451b by aligning these snippets with
a particular time in the video based on viewer profiles, e.g., as
previously discussed with reference to the examples of FIG. 2 and
FIG. 3. The augmented video (e.g., video 301b shown in FIG. 3) is
communicated and displayed to a subsequent viewer via network 427
and client computer 453. Referring now to FIG. 4, each of the
remote video reviewing computers 451a-451b nclude snippet retrieval
devices 402a-402b, reviewer profiles 404a-404b and video
interruption detectors 407a-407b.
[0046] Video interruption detector 407a can be a component of video
adapter 107 (shown in FIG. 1), which is able to detect when a video
is paused, replayed, or otherwise interrupted by the viewer.
Snippet retrieval devices 402a-402b may be hardware devices (e.g.,
a combination of processor(s) 103, hard drive interface 131, hard
drive 133, and/or system memory 135 shown in FIG. 1) that retrieve
augmentation information created by prior viewers of the video.
This augmentation information (presented as "snippets" in the auto
clarification section 303 in FIG. 3) may be stored in the hard
drive 133, system memory 135, etc. of the remote video reviewing
computers 451a-451b. That is, comments/links/etc. created by a user
of remote video reviewing computer 451a are retrieved by snippet
retrieval device 402a from storage within remote video reviewing
computer 451a. Reviewer profiles 404a-404b may be profiles of
reviewers of the video (and thus users of the respective remote
video reviewing computers 451a-451b) that created a snippet (e.g.,
a comment, instruction, link to a resource, etc.) about a
particular passage in the video.
[0047] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a
profile identifier (e.g., "Profile Type 1" shown in FIG. 2) is
appended to the augmented video 301b. Thus, when video augmenting
computer 401 receives a request from client computer 453 for the
video in a version that is appropriate for a viewer matching
"Profile Type 1", then only the augmented video 301b for viewers
having "Profile Type 1" is sent to the client computer 453. As
such, the client computer 453 (which is used by a person who later
views the video that was shown previously on remote video reviewing
computers 451a-451b) only receives from the video augmenting
computer 401 the augmented video appropriate for his/her profile
(e.g., augmented video 301b in FIG. 3). Thus, the client computer
453 may display the augmented video for a user having a certain
profile without any modifications or interruptions, thereby
improving the efficiency of client computer 453 and the smooth
display of the video. Furthermore, client computer 453 may not be
not slowed down while the user looks up certain concepts, to the
extent that such concepts are already displayed in the augmented
video 301b, thereby further improving the operation of the client
computer 453 since no additional resources are used by the new
viewer, e.g., using a search engine to look up certain concepts,
information, etc. discussed in the video. Further still, network
427 (analogous to network 127 shown in FIG. 1) bandwidth can be
conserved since only the augmented video 301b need be conveyed to
the client computer 453, without one or more of the profiles,
timelines, etc. generated by the various remote video reviewing
computers 451a-451b, thereby improving the operation of network
427.
[0048] FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary method in accordance with one or
more embodiments of the present invention. In this example, an
identifier is associated with each video. As depicted, the method
begins with initiator (start) block 501 and proceeds to block 503.
In block 503, a video augmenting computer (e.g., video augmenting
computer 401 shown in FIG. 4) transmits a video (e.g., video 301a
shown in FIG. 3) to multiple remote video reviewing computers
(e.g., remote video reviewing computers 451a-451b shown in FIG. 4)
along with a request for a snippet to augment the video and a
profile of the reviewer who created the snippet. In this example,
the requested snippet is to provide additional information about a
particular passage from the video. In other words, each request not
only identifies which video is being requested (e.g., video 301a),
but also requests a profile (e.g., "Profile Type 1" shown in FIG.
2) of the reviewer who created the snippet (e.g., the previous
viewer who wrote a comment about a certain passage from the
video).
[0049] In block 505, the video augmenting computer receives
multiple versions of the (augmented) video that match the
identifier for the video. The multiple versions of the received
video contain different snippets created by different reviewers of
the video and various profiles corresponding to the reviewers. As
is mentioned below, one or more of such profiles may (or may not)
match the profile of a new viewer of the video.
[0050] In block 507, in response to a request for a version of the
video that is appropriate for a new viewer corresponding to a
particular profile, the video augmenting computer compares profiles
of the different reviewers to the profile of the new viewer of the
video. If the profile of the new viewer matches a profile of a
particular reviewer from the different reviewers of the video
(query block 509), then the video augmenting computer augments the
video with the first snippet that was created by the particular
reviewer in order to create an augmented video, as described in
block 511. If the profile of the new viewer does not match a
profile of a particular reviewer from the different reviewers of
the video, the method proceeds to block 515.
[0051] As depicted in block 513, the video augmenting computer then
transmits the augmented video to a client computer for display on
the client computer.
[0052] The flow chart ends at terminator block 515.
[0053] By way of further example, in some embodiments of the
present invention, assume that the video augmenting computer
receives a second snippet that matches the identifier of the video
and (in block 509) matches the profile of the new viewer of the
video. Assume further (for purposes of this example only), that a
first snippet was created on a first remote video reviewing
computer (e.g., remote video reviewing computer 451a shown in FIG.
4), while the second snippet was created on a different remote
video reviewing computer (e.g., remote video reviewing computer
451b shown in FIG. 4). In this example, the first snippet provides
information about a particular passage from the video and the
second snippet provides additional information about the same
particular passage from the video. The second snippet is received
by video augmenting computer (e.g., video augmenting computer 401
shown in FIG. 4) from the second remote video reviewing computer.
The video augmenting computer then further augments the video
(already augmented with the first snippet) by supplementing the
first snippet with the additional information contained in the
second snippet. The further augmented video (with the combined
snippets) is then transmitted to the client computer for display.
For example, comment 305, which is displayed in the auto
clarification section 303 shown in FIG. 3 when the progress button
307 reaches time t3 on video 301b, reflects a modification of the
first snippet based on another comment (the second snippet) from
another reviewer.
[0054] By way of an alternative to the above exemplary combination
of snippets, the video augmenting computer may further augment the
augmented video by replacing the first snippet with the second
snippet to create a further augmented video, which is transmitted
to the client computer for display. In other words, rather than
combine two snippets as described above, the first snippet is
deleted and replaced with the second snippet, and the second
snippet (but not the first snippet) is presented in the auto
clarification section 303 shown in FIG. 3 when the progress button
307 reaches time t3 on video 301b.
[0055] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first
snippet is text that provides additional information about a
particular passage from the video. In some embodiments, the first
snippet is a link to another video that provides additional
information about a particular passage from the video. In some
embodiments, the first snippet is generated in response to the
first remote video reviewing computer pausing the video at the
particular passage. That is, when a reviewer of the video pauses
the video at a particular place on the video, he/she generates the
first snippet (e.g., comment 305 shown in FIG. 3) for that
particular place on the video.
[0056] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first
snippet is generated in response to the first remote video
reviewing computer rewinding the video at the particular passage.
That is, when a reviewer of the video rewinds the video at or to a
particular spot on the video, then he/she generates the first
snippet (e.g., comment 305 shown in FIG. 3) for that particular
spot on the video. In some embodiments, the first snippet is
generated in response to the first remote video reviewing computer
repeating the video at the particular passage. That is, when a
reviewer of the video replays a certain passage of the video,
he/she generates the first snippet (e.g., comment 305 shown in FIG.
3) for that certain passage that is being replayed/repeated.
[0057] In some embodiments, generation of the first snippet in auto
clarification section 303 causes the first remote video reviewing
computer to automatically pause the video, to allow the reviewer of
the video unlimited time in which to read/play/review the content
of the first snippet. In some embodiments, generation of the first
snippet into auto clarification section 303 causes the first
snippet to be held in view while the video continues to play, until
the video is manually paused/stopped/rewound/repeated/etc. by the
reviewer of the video and the snippet is read/played/reviewed by
the reviewer at a time point of his choosing.
[0058] One or more embodiments of the present invention may be
implemented in a cloud computing environment. Nonetheless, it is to
be understood that although this disclosure includes a detailed
description of cloud computing, implementation of the teachings
recited herein is not limited to a cloud computing environment.
Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable of being
implemented in conjunction with any other type of computing
environment now known or later developed.
[0059] Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling
convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of
configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth,
servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual
machines, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and
released with minimal management effort or interaction with a
provider of the service. This cloud model may include at least five
characteristics, at least three service models, and at least four
deployment models.
[0060] Characteristics are as follows:
[0061] On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally
provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network
storage, as needed automatically without requiring human
interaction with the service's provider.
[0062] Broad network access: capabilities are available over a
network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use
by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile
phones, laptops, and PDAs).
[0063] Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are
pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with
different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and
reassigned according to demand. There is a sense of location
independence in that the consumer generally has no control or
knowledge over the exact location of the provided resources but may
be able to specify location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g.,
country, state, or datacenter).
[0064] Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and
elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly
scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in. To the
consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear
to be unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any
time.
[0065] Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and
optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some
level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g.,
storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource
usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing
transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized
service.
[0066] Service Models are as follows:
[0067] Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the
consumer is to use the provider's applications running on a cloud
infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client
devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser
(e.g., web-based e-mail). The consumer does not manage or control
the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers,
operating systems, storage, or even individual application
capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific
application configuration settings.
[0068] Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the
consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure
consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming
languages and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does
not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including
networks, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control
over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting
environment configurations.
[0069] Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided
to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and
other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to
deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating
systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control
the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating
systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited
control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls).
[0070] Deployment Models are as follows:
[0071] Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely
for an organization. It may be managed by the organization or a
third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises.
[0072] Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by
several organizations and supports a specific community that has
shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and
compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations
or a third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises.
[0073] Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to
the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an
organization selling cloud services.
[0074] Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of
two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain
unique entities but are bound together by standardized or
proprietary technology that enables data and application
portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between
clouds).
[0075] A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a
focus on statelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic
interoperability. At the heart of cloud computing is an
infrastructure comprising a network of interconnected nodes.
[0076] Referring now to FIG. 6, illustrative cloud computing
environment 50 is depicted. As shown, cloud computing environment
50 comprises one or more cloud computing nodes 10 with which local
computing devices used by cloud consumers, such as, for example,
personal digital assistant (PDA) or cellular telephone 54A, desktop
computer 54B, laptop computer 54C, and/or automobile computer
system 54N may communicate. By way of example only, local computing
devices may include one or more features and/or functions of
computer 101, remote video reviewing computers 151, 451a-b and/or
client computer 153, 453(described with reference to FIGS. 1 and/or
FIG. 4). Nodes 10 may communicate with one another. By way of
example only, one or more of nodes 10, may include one or more
features and/or functions of computer 101, and/or video augmenting
computer 401 (described with reference to FIGS. 1 and/or FIG. 4).
Nodes 10 may be grouped (not shown) physically or virtually, in one
or more networks, such as Private, Community, Public, or Hybrid
clouds as described hereinabove, or a combination thereof. This can
allow cloud computing environment 50 to offer infrastructure,
platforms and/or software as services for which a cloud consumer
does not need to maintain resources on a local computing device. It
is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-54N and nodes
10 shown in FIG. 6 are intended to be illustrative only and further
that computing nodes 10 and cloud computing environment 50 can
communicate with any type of computerized device over any type of
network and/or network addressable connection (e.g., using a web
browser).
[0077] Referring now to FIG. 7, an exemplary set of functional
abstraction layers provided by cloud computing environment 50 (FIG.
6) is shown. It should be understood in advance that the
components, layers, and functions shown in FIG. 7 are intended to
be illustrative only and embodiments of the invention are not
limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers and
corresponding functions are provided:
[0078] Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and
software components. Examples of hardware components include:
mainframes 61; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture
based servers 62; servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65;
and networks and networking components 66. In some embodiments,
software components include network application server software 67
and database software 68.
[0079] Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from
which the following examples of virtual entities may be provided:
virtual servers 71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73,
including virtual private networks; virtual applications and
operating systems 74; and virtual clients 75.
[0080] In one example, management layer 80 may provide the
functions described below. Resource provisioning 81 provides
dynamic procurement of computing resources and other resources that
are utilized to perform tasks within the cloud computing
environment. Metering and Pricing 82 provide cost tracking as
resources are utilized within the cloud computing environment, and
billing or invoicing for consumption of these resources. In one
example, these resources may comprise application software
licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloud
consumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other
resources. User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing
environment for consumers and system administrators. Service level
management 84 provides cloud computing resource allocation and
management such that required service levels are met. Service Level
Agreement (SLA) planning and fulfillment 85 provide pre-arrangement
for, and procurement of, cloud computing resources for which a
future requirement is anticipated in accordance with an SLA.
[0081] Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for
which the cloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of
workloads and functions which may be provided from this layer
include: mapping and navigation 91; software development and
lifecycle management 92; virtual classroom education delivery 93;
data analytics processing 94; transaction processing 95; and video
augmentation processing 96, which can perform one or more features
of the present invention.
[0082] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an"
and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further
understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when
used in this specification, specify the presence of stated
features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components,
but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other
features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or
groups thereof.
[0083] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and
equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the
claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or
act for performing the function in combination with other claimed
elements as specifically claimed. The description of various
embodiments of the present invention has been presented for
purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be
exhaustive or limited to the present invention in the form
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the present invention. The embodiment was chosen and
described in order to best explain the principles of the present
invention and the practical application, and to enable others of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the present invention for
various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the
particular use contemplated.
[0084] Methods described in the present invention may be
implemented through the use of a VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description
Language) program and a VHDL chip. VHDL is an exemplary
design-entry language for Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs),
Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), and other similar
electronic devices. By way of further example (only), one or more
computer-implemented (e.g., in software) methods described herein
may be emulated by a hardware-based VHDL program, which can then be
applied to a VHDL chip, such as a FPGA.
[0085] The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a
computer program product at any possible technical detail level of
integration. The computer program product may include a computer
readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program
instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects
of the present invention.
[0086] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible
device that can retain and store instructions for use by an
instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium
may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage
device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an
electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or
any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of
more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium
includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk,
a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static
random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a
floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or
raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon,
and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable
storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being
transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely
propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves
propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g.,
light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical
signals transmitted through a wire.
[0087] Computer readable program instructions described herein can
be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a
computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or
external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a
local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network.
The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical
transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,
switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter
card or network interface in each computing/processing device
receives computer readable program instructions from the network
and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage
in a computer readable storage medium within the respective
computing/processing device.
[0088] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out
operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions,
instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine
instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware
instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object
code written in any combination of one or more programming
languages, including an object oriented programming language such
as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural
programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or
similar programming languages. The computer readable program
instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on
the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on
the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on
the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote
computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type
of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area
network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external
computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet
Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry
including, for example, programmable logic circuitry,
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays
(PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by
utilizing state information of the computer readable program
instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to
perform aspects of the present invention.
[0089] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with
reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of
methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products
according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood
that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block
diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations
and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable
program instructions.
[0090] These computer readable program instructions may be provided
to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose
computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to
produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via
the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts
specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in
a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a
programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable
storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an
article of manufacture including instructions which implement
aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.
[0091] The computer readable program instructions may also be
loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing
apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps
to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or
other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that
the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable
apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified
in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0092] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate
the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this
regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent
a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one
or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the
functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in
the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in
fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may
sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of
the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations
of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can
be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that
perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations
of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0093] Having thus described embodiments of the present invention
of the present application in detail and by reference to
illustrative embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that
modifications and variations are possible without departing from
the scope of the present invention defined in the appended
claims.
* * * * *
References