System And Method For Transcoding A Multimedia File To Accommodate A Client Display

Abstract

A method and system are provided for tagging, indexing, searching, retrieving, manipulating, and editing video images on a wide area network such as the Internet. A first set of methods is provided for enabling users to add bookmarks to multimedia files, such as movies, and audio files, such as music. The multimedia bookmark facilitates the searching of portions or segments of multimedia files, particularly when used in conjunction with a search engine. Additional methods are provided that reformat a video image for use on a variety of devices that have a wide range of resolutions by selecting some material (in the case of smaller resolutions) or more material (in the case of larger resolutions) from the same multimedia file. Still more methods are provided for interrogating images that contain textual information (in graphical form) so that the text may be copied to a tag or bookmark that can itself be indexed and searched to facilitate later retrieval via a search engine.

1 - 45 . (canceled)  
     
     
         46 - 56 . (canceled)  
     
     
         57 . A method for transcoding an image for display at multiple resolutions, The method comprising: 
 providing a multimedia file;    designating one or more regions of the multimedia file as focus zones;    providing a vector to each of the focus zones;    reading the multimedia file with a client device, the client device having a maximum display resolution;    determining if the resolution of the multimedia file exceeds the maximum display resolution of the client device;    if the multimedia file resolution exceeds the maximum display resolution of the display device, then determining the maximum number focus zones can be displayed on the client device; and    displaying the maximum number of focus zones on the client device.    
     
     
         58 - 72 . (canceled)  
     
     
         73 . A content transcoder for modifying and forwarding multimedia content maintained in one or more multimedia content databases to a wide area network for display on a requesting client device, the content transcoder comprising: 
 a policy engine operably coupled to the multimedia content database;    a content analyzer operably coupled to the policy engine and the multimedia content database;    a content selection module operably coupled to the policy engine and the content analyzer;    a content manipulation module operably coupled to the content selection module;    a content analysis and manipulation library operably coupled to the content analyzer, the content selection module and the content manipulation module; and wherein    the policy engine is operable to receive a request for multimedia content from the requesting client device via the wide area network and to receive policy information from the multimedia content database;    the content analyzer is operable to retrieve multimedia content from the multimedia content database and to forward the multimedia content to the content selection module;    the content selection module is operable to select portions of the multimedia content based on the policy information and information from the content analysis and manipulation library and to forward the selected portions of multimedia content to the content manipulation module;    the content manipulation module is operable to modify the multimedia content for display on a requesting client device prior to transmitting the modified multimedia content over the wide area network to the requesting client device.    
     
     
         74 . The content transcoder of  claim 73  further comprising the requesting client device including a personal digital assistant (PDA).  
     
     
         75 . The content transcoder of  claim 73  further comprising the requesting client device including a laptop computer.  
     
     
         76 . The content transcoder of  claim 73  further comprising the requesting client device including a television.  
     
     
         77 . The content transcoder of  claim 73  further comprising the requesting client device including a personal computer.  
     
     
         78 . The content transcoder of  claim 73  further comprising the requesting client device including a personal data appliance.  
     
     
         79 . The content transcoder of  claim 73  further comprising the requesting client device including a mobile telephone.  
     
     
         80 - 83 . (canceled)