Futuretel, Inc.

Picostar LLC

Digital Video Chip, LLC

Eric T Brewer

Andrew Palfreyman

Thomas S Gilley

Baldo Antonio Faieta

Clifford A Grabhorn

Alan B Amron

Gregory C Ames

Greg C Ames

A memory device removably insertable into or otherwise removably connected to a plurality of host devices includes a first memory storing multimedia data. A first circuit portion of the memory device determines the host device capabilities when the memory device is connected to a host device and a second circuit portion feeds the multimedia data to the host device in a format compatible with the determined capabilities of the host device.

Universal multimedia

Disclosed is a method for copying a segment from an audiovisual file having a multiplicity of audio frames and a multiplicity of video frames. In a first step, a mark-in location in a video file is selected to correspond to a first video frame in the segment such that the first video frame has an associated start time. Next, a mark-out location in the video file is selected to correspond to a last video frame in the segment, and the last video frame having an associated end time. Once the mark-in video frame is selected, a first audio frame having a first audio frame start time that is at least as early as the first video frame start time is designated as an initial audio frame. A second audio frame having a second audio frame start time that is at least as late as the last video frame end time is designated as the last audio frame. The audiovisual file is copied to include a video portion extending from the first video frame to the last video frame and an audio portion extending from the initial audio frame to the last audio frame. In this manner, the audio portion of the segment may preferably be longer than the video portion of the copied segment.

Method and apparatus for copying an audiovisual segment

Disclosed is a stitcher implemented to join segments of video glue generated during a first pass of an editing engine. Preferably, the generated glue segments are implemented at the beginning and at the end of a clipped video segment. In the second processing pass, any glue segments generated in the first pass may be stitched to any un-processed portion of the clipped segment. Once any glue segments and unprocessed portions are stitched in a time ordered sequence, the stitched segment is output to a application.

Method and apparatus for stitching edited video segments

Disclosed is a method for clipping a segment from a video file having a multiplicity of video frames. Preferably, at least some of the frames in the video file are encoded as predicted frames. The method includes selecting a mark-in location in the video file that defines the beginning of the clipped segment. A mark-out location defining the end of the clipped segment is also selected in the video file. Once the mark-in and mark-out locations are selected, the method decodes a first frame associated with one of the mark-in location and the mark-out location. The first frame is preferably a predictive frame that has an associated first format. The first frame is then re-encoded into a second format and stored. The method then proceeds to create a clipped segment that includes the re-encoded first frame.

Method and apparatus for clipping video segments from an audiovisual file

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for stitching a first and second audiovisual segment together. By way of example, each audiovisual segment has a multiplicity of audio frames including a first audio frame, a second audio frame that sequentially follows the first audio frame and a last audio frame. The audiovisual segment further includes a multiplicity of video frames having a first video frame and a last video frame. The method includes the step of aligning an initial audio frame in the first audiovisual segment with the first video frame in the first audiovisual segment. The first audio frame from the first audiovisual segment is designated as the initial audio frame when a tab error associated with the first audio frame from the first audiovisual segment is less than about half a frame. On the other hand, the second audio frame from the first audiovisual segment is designated as the initial audio frame when a tab error associated with the first audio frame from the first audiovisual segment is greater than half a frame. Stitching the first and second audiovisual segments together.

Method and apparatus for synchronizing edited audiovisual files

A method for copying a segment from a video file having a multiplicity of video frames, where at least some of the frames are encoded as predicted frames. The method includes the steps of selecting a mark-in location in the video file such that the mark-in location defines the beginning of the copied segment. Once the mark-in location is selected, each of the frames positioned between the mark-in location and a final group frame associated with a group of frames that includes the mark-in location are decoded. Each decoded frame will have an associated first format. The decoded frames are then re-encoded into an associated second format such that the re-encoded second format of at least one of the decoded frames is different than its associated first format. The re-encoded frames are then stored. The method then generates a copied segment that includes at least the re-encoded frames.

Method and apparatus for editing video files

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for seeking within audiovisual files. A seeking engine is implemented to efficiently locate target video frames without having to laboriously decode and index each and every video frame in an audiovisual file. Further, a seeking engine is capable of frame accurately determining the number of frames in a video file by identifying the last GOP header in the video file, and then identifying a last video frame in the file. The last video frame in the file is identified by reading each video frame's picture header (i.e., within the last GOP) and determining which picture header produces a larger temporal reference number. The video frame having the largest temporal number is therefore the last video frame in the video file. In addition, the seeking engine is capable of associating an identified video frame with a closest audio frame to complete an audio-to-video seek.

Method and apparatus for seeking within audiovisual files

The use of blocks in a workspace window that depict various video elements on the user interface of a video editor for use on a digital computer having a CPU, memory and a video display. The blocks have the attributes that they attract or repel other blocks as a function of proximity to each other in order to reduce user errors and to improve user efficiency. The method of manipulating the blocks on the video display consists of the following steps: First, specify coordinates of interaction regions around a block to be dragged. Next, test the coordinates of the interaction regions against the coordinates of all other blocks on the video display. Next, repel the block to be dragged from specified surfaces of the other blocks in accordance with predetermined rules that specify which surfaces of the block to be dragged and which surfaces of the other blocks repel each other. Finally, attach the block to be dragged to the surface of blocks whose coordinates are within the interaction region in accordance with predetermined rules that specify which surfaces of the block to be dragged and which surfaces of the other blocks attract each other.

Attracting and repelling edit blocks in a user interface of a video

In a digital computer system running a windows operating system and a video editor where the video data is stored in the memory and clips of the video data consisting of sequences of video frames are represented by blocks in a workspace on the video display. A video cursor is provided to scroll through the frames. The disclosure describes a convenient method of allowing the user to control the scale of the horizontal axis and thus the number of video frames that may be symbolically viewed on the workspace window without panning. The method includes the following steps: First, determining if the video cursor is being intentionally moved vertically by a user. Next, determine the vertical distance that the video cursor is moved from a reference point. Finally, adjust the number of video frames that may be represented on the workspace in relationship to the vertical movement of the video cursor.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Eric T Brewer