Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Serhan Dagtas

Nevenka Dimitrova

Tomas Brodsky

Radu S Jasinschi

Srinivas Gutta

Miroslav Trajkovic

Lalitha Agnihotri

Mi-Suen Lee

Hugo Strubbe

Yun-Ting Lin

Vasanth Philomin

Thomas F McGee

Mohamed S Abdel-Mottaleb

Jan Hermanus Elenbaas

Aaron S Mendelsohn

A method of selecting, storing and delivering desired audio/data/visual information includes the steps of determining viewing preferences of a viewer and receiving a first group of audio/data/visual signals, for example, broadcast and cable television signals or internet-based signals. Based on the first group of audio/data/visual signals, a second group of audio/data/visual signals, which is a subset of the first group of audio/data/visual signals, is identified. The second group of audio/data/visual signals is selected based on the association of EPG data for each signal with the viewing preferences of the viewer. Content data is then extracted from the second group of audio/data/visual signals and compared with the viewing preferences. The content data may include, for example, closed-captioned text, EPG data, audio information, visual information and transcript information. Based on the comparison of the content data extracted from the second group of audio/data/visual signals with the viewing preferences, audio/data/visual information contained in the second group of audio/data/visual signals which is of interest to the viewer is identified and stored for review at the viewers convenience.

Method and apparatus for audio/data/visual information

A system and apparatus are disclosed for modeling patterns of behavior of humans or other animate objects and detecting a violation of a repetitive pattern of behavior. The behavior of one or more persons is observed over time and features of the behavior are recorded in a multi-dimensional space. Over time, the multi-dimensional data provides an indication of patterns of human behavior. Activities that are repetitive in terms of time, location and activity, such as sleeping and eating, would appear as a Gaussian distribution or cluster in the multi-dimensional data. Probability distribution functions can be analyzed using known Gaussian or clustering techniques to identify repetitive patterns of behavior and characteristics thereof, such as a mean and variance. Deviations from repetitive patterns of behavior can be detected and an alarm can be triggered, if appropriate.

Method and apparatus for detecting an event based on patterns of behavior

There is disclosed a video playback device for playing back a video program in fast forward mode on a display screen coupled to the video playback device. The video playback device contains an apparatus for selectively playing back portions of an audio signal associated with the video program during fast forward mode. The apparatus comprises: 1) an audio filtering processor for identifying a plurality of audio sub-segments in the audio signal and determining an importance factor associated with each of the plurality of audio sub-segments; and 2) a video processor coupled to and controlled by the audio filtering processor, wherein the audio filtering processor transmits selected ones of the plurality of audio sub-segments to the video processor and causes the video processor to play the selected audio sub-segments concurrently with a corresponding portion of a video signal from the video program during fast forward mode.

System and method for fast playback of video with selected audio

A method for detecting the occurrence of a specific event is provided. The method includes: capturing image data of a scene; detecting and tracking an object of interest in the image data; analyzing features of the object of interest; comparing the analyzed features with predetermined criteria indicative of the specific event; and determining whether the specific event has occurred based on the comparison. The method is particularly useful in the monitoring of the elderly where the specific event is selected from a list comprising a fall-down, stagger, and panic gesturing.

Video based detection of fall-down and other events

There is disclosed an apparatus for detecting program highlights in a video program. The apparatus comprises: 1) a keyword detection circuit for detecting a location of a selected keyword in an audio track of the video program; and 2) an audio signal energy level detection circuit for determining an audio signal energy level of the audio track proximate the detected location of the selected keyword and comparing the audio signal energy level to a predetermined threshold. The audio signal energy level detection circuit, in response to a determination that the audio signal energy level exceeds the predetermined threshold, identifies the detected location of the selected keyword as a program highlight.

System and method for detecting highlights in a video program using audio properties

An apparatus and method for conducting exclusive and inclusive metadata searches to identify and select multimedia programs. The apparatus of the invention including a metadata search controller that compares user specified search words with metadata words to find programs that meet user specified search criteria. The metadata search controller executes an inclusive metadata search to search for matches between a user specified search word and a metadata word that is related to the user specified search word in a word pair contained within a word pair database. The metadata search controller calculates a rank value for each program that is found by a metadata search and creates a ranked list of such programs.

Apparatus and method for program selection utilizing exclusive and inclusive metadata searches

A method and system to automatically detect and isolate segments of interest from sports programs is provided. Accordingly, the method includes the steps of: segmenting incoming video programs into a plurality of segments; detecting a slow moving object between the frames; computing the corresponding gravity level of the detected segments representing the slow moving object; and, comparing the computed gravity level to a predetermined threshold. The system includes a segmentation circuit for segmenting each frame of incoming video programs into a plurality of segments, and a motion detection circuit for detecting the slow moving object between successive frames and for determining the gravity level corresponding to the slow moving object.

Apparatus and method for detecting sports highlights in a video program

A method of limiting the number of presentations or observations of information items, such as advertising images, that are repetitively distributed among a plurality of transmitted materials is presented. In accordance with the principles of the invention, information items are compared, using identifiable properties, to similarly identified information items that have been previously received and stored in a dynamically created and updated data base of information items. When a count of number of the occurrences of a selected information item with same, or substantially similar, identifiable properties achieves a selectively set threshold value, the selected information item is precluded from being presented or observed in subsequent transmissions or broadcasts.

Method and system for limiting repetitive presentations based on content filtering

For use in a video signal processor, there is disclosed a system and method for locating program boundaries and commercial boundaries using audio categories. The system comprises an audio classifier controller that obtains information concerning the audio categories of the segments of an audio signal. Audio categories include such categories as silence, music, noise and speech. The audio classifier controller determines the rates of change of the audio categories. The audio classifier controller then compares each rate of change of the audio categories with a threshold value to locate the boundaries of the programs and commercials. The audio classifier controller is also capable of classifying at least one feature of an audio category change rate using a multifeature classifier to locate the boundaries of the programs and commercials.

System and method for locating program boundaries and commercial boundaries using audio categories

A method for placing overlay elements in images of a digital video so that desirable viewing areas of the images are not occluded by the overlay element, the method includes extracting frames from the video, each of the frames defining an image which may have one or more desirable viewing areas. For each frame, an area is selected in the image for placing an overlay element and the percentage the overlay element overlaps the desirable viewing areas is determined for the selected area. The overlay element is placed in the selected area if the percentage is below a maximum allowed predetermined percentage of overlapping. If it is not, one or more other areas in the image are selected and/or the size, shape, aspect ratio of the overlay element is changed until a position and/or size, shape, aspect ratio is found which minimizes occlusion of the desirable viewing areas in the image. Further, a device, such as a video receiver or video transmitter, for placing an overlay element in images of a digital video so that desirable viewing areas of the images are not occluded by the overlay element. In such a device, a frame extractor extracts frames from the video, each of the frames defining an image having at least one desirable viewing area. An image processor analyzes the images of the frames to identify desirable viewing areas in the images of the frames. An overlay element locator places the overlay element in the images of the frames in a manner which minimizes the occlusion of the desirable viewing areas.

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Croton-on-Hudson, NY, United States of America

Serhan Dagtas