JP2009529250A - Convert slideshow still images to multiple video frame images - Google Patents

Abstract

The method (70) generates a still image for a slide show (72), converts at least one of the still images into a plurality of video frame images (74), and Performing a visual effect on at least one (76).
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This invention claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 643,659, filed Jan. 12, 2005, which is incorporated by reference.

Background Art Electronic “slideshows” include useful mechanisms for communicating information. There is software that allows a user to create individual slides (generally referred to herein as “still images”) to be included in a slide show to be shown in a predetermined order on a display. Some software allows special effects to be performed during the presentation of the slide show. Some effects (eg, region scrolling, zoom in / out) are intended to be applied to a single frame of the slideshow, while other effects (eg, wipe, fade in / out) are one static It can be applied to the transition from frame to next. Implementing special effects during the creation of a slide show depends on the special effects capabilities of the playback system. That is, different playback systems can implement different types of special effects. Thus, for example, an existing optical disc player may not be easily used to implement special effects invented after the disc player is manufactured.

  For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings.

Notation and Nomenclature Throughout the following description and claims, a number of terms are used to refer to specific system components. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, computer companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following description and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in a non-limiting manner and therefore should be construed to mean “including but not limited to”. I must. Also, the term “couple” is intended to mean either an indirect electrical connection or a direct electrical connection. Thus, when the first device couples to the second device, the connection may be by direct electrical connection, or by indirect electrical connection through other devices and connections. It may be.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system 50 that includes a processor 52, a storage device 54, and one or more input and / or output devices 53. The processor 52 can be any suitable processor that executes software instructions. The input / output device 53 may include an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse and an output device such as a display. The storage device 54 may be implemented as a combination of volatile and / or nonvolatile storage devices such as random access memory, read only memory, hard disk drive and the like. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the storage device 54 includes software that can be executed by the processor 52. This software includes a content authoring module 56, a frame duplication module 58, a special effects module 60, and an encoder 62. The various modules 56-62 may include modules within a common software application, or may include individual software applications. As described herein, various modules are executed by processor 52 at the direction of a user of system 50 using input / output device 53 to create a slide show.

  Software modules 56-62 cause the processor to perform any one or more of the operations described below to create a slide show in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The term “slide show” is widely used to refer to any series of images that are to be displayed in a playback system as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, an optical disc player 55 is operatively associated with display 57. Display 57 may include a television receiver, a computer monitor, or other suitable display device. The optical disc player 55 accepts an optical disc on which a generated slide show as described herein is stored. Next, the optical disc player 55 plays the slide show on the display 57. The playback system can also include one or more speakers that play audio associated with the slide show.

  Here, FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described in order to explain the creation of the slide show according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a method 70 that includes acts 72-78. Act 72 includes generating a still image. This operation may be performed by the content authoring module 56. In the example of FIG. 4, this operation results in a series of still images 100, 102, 104, 106 and 108. Each still image generally represents a single slide within a slide show. As shown, each still image 100-108 includes a different type of shading to indicate that each still image can have different information in the slide show. Each still image may include text and / or graphics as required. Each still image can be provided from any of a variety of sources, such as a digital camera, a scanned photograph, and the like.

  Some types of slideshows are generally referred to as “time-based” slideshows where each slide is displayed for a finite time specified by the user. As such, the playback system (eg, the optical disc player 55 in FIG. 2) shows each slide for a predetermined period, then switches to the next slide, and so on. In FIG. 4, the period of each still image to be displayed is indicated by reference numeral 101. The playback system implements a specific video frame rate. The video frame rate refers to the number of video frames displayed per second. An exemplary frame rate is 30 frames / second.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, each still image 100-108 is converted to a plurality of video frame images (operation 74). Furthermore, the conversion of a still image into multiple video frames follows the applicable playback frame rate. In at least one embodiment, the conversion process includes replicating the associated still image a sufficient number of times to create a video stream that can be played through the playback system for a desired period of time. The number of video frame images generated during the conversion of the still image is a function of the frame rate and the time that the still image can be displayed on the display. For example, if the frame rate is 30 frames / second and the creator of the slide show wants to display a particular still image for 5 seconds, the conversion process of operation 74 requires that the still image be replicated 149 times. Yes, thereby creating 150 identical frames of the still image. The result of operation 74 is shown at 109 in FIG. As shown, the still image 100 is duplicated as video frames 110-118. The still image 102 is duplicated as video frames 120-128. The still image 104 is duplicated as video frames 130-138. Still image 106 is duplicated as video frames 140-150, and still image 108 is duplicated as video frames 152-156. Of course, the number of duplicate frames may differ from that shown in FIG. 4 and generally depends on the frame rate as described above.

  In 76 of FIG. 3, method 70 includes performing a special effect on one or more of the duplicate video frames. Special effects may include any effects that are currently known or later developed, such as region scrolling, zoom in / out, wipe, fade in / out, etc. At 119, FIG. 4 shows a fade-in to the next still image. For example, video frames 118-122 include varying degrees of change to fade into target still image 102 as shown in frames 124 and 126. Further, the same fade-in process is executed for the frames 128 to 130, the frames 138 to 142, and the frames 148 to 150. The type of special effect is selected by the creator of the slide show and can be changed for each still image. Furthermore, special effects are brought directly to the duplicate video frame. The generation of multiple repeated frames and the implementation of special effects on those frames can be performed in a single operation, which can simplify the implementation. A frame having a special effect may be referred to as a “special effect frame”. As such, metadata (which may be used to specify special effects in other cases) is generally unnecessary and so may not be included in at least some embodiments. Furthermore, the playback system need not be configured to interpret the metadata to implement special effects. Instead, the playback system only needs to play the video stream created according to the method 70.

  The method 70 also includes an operation 78 that includes encoding the video frame sequence to create an appropriate video stream to be provided to a playback system (eg, an optical disc). The encoding process can include compression and other suitable techniques.

  The creator of a slide show may want to play an audio clip along with the video presentation. The audio may or may not be synchronized with the video frame. Audio / video synchronization means that a specific section of audio is associated with a specific still image. Each still image of the slide show has a predetermined presentation timing in a time-based slide show. By synchronizing the audio, the user can skip back and forth between the still images, and can reproduce a desired audio segment according to the specific still image being displayed. Asynchronous audio means that the audio stream is played while the slide show is being presented, but no particular section of audio is associated with a particular still image.

  According to embodiments of the present invention, the audio can be included with the slide show in a separate file in some embodiments, and can be synchronized with the duplicate video frame as described above, or can be asynchronous. FIG. 5 shows an audio stream 190 associated with a series of duplicate video frames 110-134. If it is desired to include audio that is synchronized with the slideshow, one or more time stamps 200 and 202 are embedded in the audio stream 190 for synchronization to the video frame. In some embodiments, the audio stream 190 includes a separate time stamp associated with each duplicate video frame. In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, the time stamp is embedded in the audio stream every n video frames. At the same time as time stamp 200 is mapped to video frame 114, time stamp 202 is mapped to video frame 132. The value n can be set on demand and is 10 in the example of FIG. Based on the embedded time stamp and the frame rate associated with the video stream, an intermediate time value between the time stamps can be calculated. The special effects module 60 or encoder 62 maps the audio stream time stamps 200, 202 to various associated video frames. This mapping ensures that the playback system plays the correct audio segment while displaying the video frame. In this way, time stamps are used to associate audio segments with individual video frames as well as still images with duplicated video frames.

  In some slide shows, each still image is “browsable” in that it is displayed until the playback system user advances the slide show (eg, by activating the “next” or “back” controls). It is called a slide show. Each still image scene includes a group of frames representing one still image (eg, frames 120-128 in FIG. 4) and is referred to as a “browsing unit”. In the case of video, each “browsing unit” includes all video frames associated with the scene, including duplicate frames and special effects frames. Thus, the navigation of a browsable slide show is from one browsing unit to another browsing unit (ie, from one scene to another scene). Each browsing unit may be a separate video bitstream file, or a segment of a video stream (eg, including a plurality of consecutive browsing units). Metadata may be provided to define and describe each browsing unit. In a browsable slideshow, the audio stream does not have to be synchronized with the various slides, so that the audio is decoded and played continuously in a loop separate from the decoding and playback of the video stream if necessary.

  In a browsable slide show, each slide is displayed for an indefinite period of time. For that reason, the problem of jumping and “holding” to video frame (s) of either duplicate frames or special effects frames, sometimes in an indefinite period Occurs. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a frame for jumping when a user advances a browsable slide show is designated in advance by a position pointer or an “entry mark” indicating the start of a browsing unit. For example, if a browsable slide show is being played and currently displaying and holding frame 124 of FIG. 4 and the user proceeds with the slide show, the position pointer is used to frame 134 for the next browsing unit. Can be pointed to. The last frame of the browsing unit is held indefinitely until a “next” or “previous” control command is issued. As such, the playback system proceeds to frame 134 and decodes and displays all the frames until the last frame of the browsing unit is reached. The last frame is held until a navigation command is issued. In some embodiments, the position pointer points to a specific part of the compressed video stream. The decoder of the playback system starts decoding the compressed video stream from that point. The frame that the position pointer maps must be “independently” decodable (such as an “I frame” by the MPEP protocol). This means that the playback system must be able to decode the identified frame. Some frames (eg, P frames and B frames) may be decodable only based on decoding of previous frames. Such frames are not independently decodable.

  Another embodiment for a browsable slideshow uses a pair of pointers for each scene with or without special effects. The first pointer includes a position pointer that points to the compressed video stream from which the playback system begins decoding and playback. The second pointer includes a holding pointer that is a point where the playback system stops and holds the decoding. Referring to FIG. 4, the first pointer and the second pointer may point to duplicate frames 124 and duplicate frames 128 (or portions of the compressed video stream associated with those frames), respectively. As such, the playback system jumps to frame 124, starts decoding from that frame, and stops at frame 128. Playback keeps frame 128 until the user chooses to proceed to the next part of the slideshow. When reversing a slide show, a reciprocal pointer can be implemented. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention detect user input to advance a slide show, and use the first and second pointers to initiate decoding of the slide show in the first video frame, and the second Including holding a slideshow with multiple video frames.

  In some embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable to “shuffle” a slide show and jump from one still image to another in any order as desired by the viewer of the slide show. is there. The requirement to shuffle slideshow images is complex in systems where the slideshow is converted to a video stream with special effects frames, as described above. That is, the playback system generally begins decoding at the beginning of the video stream and continues to the end based on time or user input to advance the presentation. To perform shuffle, the playback order of browsing units or scenes can be specified on demand. One embodiment of the invention involves saving each sequence of duplicate video frames of a particular still image as a separate file. For example, in the case of FIG. 4, the duplicate frames 110 to 118 may be stored as one file. Frames 120-128 may be saved as separate files, and so on. The order of playback of various files can be specified upon request.

  In another embodiment, a pointer to a starting point for decoding each series of duplicate frames of a still image can be mapped to such a frame to provide a mechanism for shuffling. Then, the pointers may be listed in a desirable order in which shuffling is performed during playback of the slide show.

  Accordingly, at least one embodiment of the present invention generates a still image for a slide show, converts at least one of the still images into a plurality of video frame images, and converts the plurality of video frame images to A method including encoding to form a video stream representing the slide show. The method further includes performing a visual effect on at least one of the plurality of video frame images. Transforming at least one of the still images includes replicating at least one of the still images multiple times to generate a plurality of video frame images. The method further includes converting each of the still images into a plurality of video frame images. The method further includes providing a plurality of video frame images corresponding to each still image as one file separate from a file containing video frame images associated with other still images.

  A related system includes a content authoring module that creates still images for a slide show, a frame duplication module that converts each of the still images into a plurality of video frame images, and encodes the plurality of video frame images to represent the slide show. An encoder for forming a video stream. In such a system, the frame duplication module duplicates each of the still images a number of times that is a function of the frame rate associated with the playback of the slide show.

  The above description is intended to illustrate the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art who fully understand the above disclosure. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include all such variations and modifications.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows a slide show reproduction | regeneration system. FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a method. FIG. 6 illustrates the effect of an embodiment of a method on an exemplary slide show. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary relationship between an audio stream and a video stream.

Claims (10)

Generate still images for slideshow (72)
Converting (74) at least one of the still images into a plurality of video frame images, and performing a visual effect (76) on at least one of the plurality of video frame images , Method (70).   The method (70) of claim 1, wherein transforming the at least one of the still images includes generating the plurality of video frame images according to a frame rate of a video stream.   The method (70) of claim 1, further comprising associating audio (190) with the plurality of video frame images.   The method (70) of claim 1, further comprising mapping a time stamp included in the audio stream to at least one video frame image.   The method (70) of claim 1, further comprising associating a pointer used when a user manually proceeds with the slideshow with at least one video frame image. A content authoring module (56) that creates still images for slideshows,
A frame replication module (58) for converting each of the still images into a plurality of video frame images;
A system (50) comprising a special effects module (60) for performing visual effects on at least one of the plurality of video frame images.   The system (50) of claim 6, wherein the frame duplication module (58) duplicates each of the still images a number of times as a function of a frame rate associated with playback of the slideshow.   The frame duplication module (58) is configured to generate the still image for a number of times that is a function of a frame rate associated with playback of the slide show and for a number of times each still image is to be displayed during playback of the slide show. The system (50) of claim 6, wherein each of the images is duplicated.   The system (50) of claim 6, wherein a pointer is associated with at least one of the plurality of video frame images to allow viewers of the slide show to manually advance the slide show.   The system (50) of claim 6, wherein a plurality of pointers are each associated with a video frame image to allow viewers of the slide show to manually advance the slide show.

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