Avid Technology Limited

Michel Eid

Shailendra Mathur

Thomas P Nadas

Daniel Beaudry

Raymond H Tice

Mathieu Lamarre

Michael Chilton Sheasby

Sylvain Girard

Stephen McNeill

Jean-Marc Porchet

Gilles Khouzam

Andreas Soupliotis

Ray Tice

Methods and systems for constructing media output by combining multiple input media channels corresponding to different views of a scene. The construction involves combining channels that have different spatial ranges and/or color ranges so as to produce a constructed output having a range that is a composite of input channel spatial and/or color ranges. The constructed output is generated dynamically from available input channels in response to output requirements specifying a view defined in part by spatial and/or color parameter ranges. Available input channels are represented by a single multi-channel source object comprising a hierarchy of grouped and aligned channels, with individual media essence files at the lowest level. Input channel ranges and relationships among the ranges are specified by metadata associated with each channel. During editing, input channels may be added, removed, or changed and the range and nature of the constructed media output are updated dynamically.

Multi-channel video editing

A portable development and execution framework for processing media objects. The framework involves: accepting an instruction to perform a media processing function; accepting a media object to be associated with the media processing function; wrapping the media object with an attribute that specifies a type and format of the media object, and a hardware domain associated with the media object; and causing an execution domain to perform the media processing function on the media object. The instruction to perform the media processing function is expressed in a form that is independent of the hardware domain associated with the media object, and may also be independent of the type and format of the media object. The media object may be an image, and the media processing function may include an image processing function performed on a GPU.

Framework to integrate and abstract processing of multiple hardware domains, data types and format

Image data having a bit depth of m bits, where m is not a power of two, may be divided into two parts for storage. The first part is the n most significant bits, where n is a power of two. The second part is the k least significant bits, where k=m&#x2212;n and k&#x3c;n. For example, 10-bit data may be separated into 8-bit and 2-bit parts. The 8-bit data for a given image is placed in the bitstream as a contiguous block with the end of the data aligned with a memory boundary, such as a page boundary. The 2-bit data is collected into bytes that are placed in the bitstream as a contiguous block. The block of 2-bit data is placed in the bitstream preceding and contiguous with the block of 8-bit data. Padding may be provided to align the beginning of the image data with a memory boundary. The image data for multiple images may be placed in the bitstream contiguously for storage. 10-bit data for an alpha channel, if any, also may be split into 8-bit and 2-bit parts. The 8-bit alpha data for a given image is placed in the bitstream as a contiguous block with the beginning of the data aligned with a memory boundary, such as a page boundary. The 2-bit alpha data is collected into bytes that are placed in the bitstream as a contiguous block. The block of 2-bit alpha data is placed in the bistream subsequent to and contiguous with the block of 8-bit alpha data. Padding may be provided to align the end of the alpha data with a page boundary. The alpha data for multiple images may be placed in the bitstream contiguously for storage.

Bitstream format and reading and writing methods and apparatus therefor

The present invention provides for a property editor in a graphics image system in order to specify parameter values for effects in an effect tree. A separate instance of the property editor is not invoked for each effect within the effect tree, but rather the property editor permits the modification of multiple effects from the same instance of the editor. Advantageously, the user is not required to navigate between a view of the effect tree and the property editor in order to edit effects.

Editor for effect tree parameters

A method and system for color correction in composite image. Spill in a foreground image can be keyed directly to produce a spill matte that can be displayed to a user. The user can apply suitable image processing to the spill matte to modify the eventual color correction to the composite image. The resulting spill matte is used as a template for the application of color correction in the composite image.

Growing community of inventors

Ville Mont-Royal, Canada

Michel Eid