Method and Interface for Indexing Related Media From Multiple Sources

Abstract

The invention relates generally to the field of digital image processing, and in particular to a method for associating and viewing related video and still images. In particular, the present invention is directed to methods for associating and/or viewing digital content records comprising ordering a first set of digital content records and the second set of digital content records based upon information associated with each of the digital content records.

1 . A method implemented at least in part by a data processing system, the method for organizing digital content records, and the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a first set of digital content records captured from a first digital-content capture device, each digital content record in the first set having associated therewith time/date of capture information defining when the associated digital content record was captured, wherein the capture information associated with a particular digital content record from the first set defines that its associated digital content record was captured over a contiguous span of time;   receiving a second set of digital content records captured from a second digital-content capture device, each digital content record in the second set having associated therewith time/date of capture information defining when the associated digital content record was captured;   ordering the first set of digital content records and the second set of digital content records along a common capture timeline based at least upon the time/date of capture information, or a derivative thereof, associated with each of the digital content records in the first and second sets, wherein the ordering step causes the particular digital content record and at least one other digital content record to be associated with a same time/date within the span of time in the capture timeline; and   storing results of the ordering step in a processor-accessible memory system.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of modifying the time/date of capture information for both sets of digital content records to accord with each other, wherein the ordering step orders the digital content records based at least upon the modified time/date of capture information. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the digital content records include digital video records, digital audio records, digital still image records. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ordering step orders the digital content records along the common timeline also based upon (a) objects identified in, (b) scenery identified in, (c) events associated with, or (d) locations associated with the digital content records. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of associating user-provided annotations at user-defined points along the common timeline. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the user-provided annotations include text data, audio data, video data, or graphical data. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the user-provided annotations include text data, and wherein the text data includes text messages, web links, or web logs. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing the time/date of capture information for at least some of the digital content records in the first set or the second set. 
   
   
       9 . A method implemented at least in part by a data processing system, the method for displaying digital content records, and the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a set of digital content records organized along a timeline, each digital content record being associated with a point on or segment of the timeline based at least upon its time/date of capture and, optionally, span of capture, at least two digital content records being associated with at least a same point on the timeline; identifying a current point on the timeline;   displaying a digital content record of the set of digital content records as a focus record, the focus record associated with the current point on the timeline and being displayed prominently on a display;   displaying first other digital content records of the set of digital content records on the display, the first other digital content records having time/dates of capture or spans of capture temporally adjacent to the current point on the timeline and being displayed less prominently than the focus record on the display; and   displaying second other digital content records of the set of digital content records on the display, the second other digital content records having a time/date of capture or a span of capture equal to or including the current point on the timeline.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first other digital content records are displayed in a first region of the display that does not overlap with a second region of the display in which the second other digital content records are displayed. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the focus record is displayed in a main region of the display that does not overlap with the first region or the second region. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of receiving a selection of the focus record, wherein the identifying step identifies the current point on the timeline based upon the time/date of capture of the focus record. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein one of the second other digital content records is displayed in a manner overlapping only a portion of the focus record. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the focus record is a video, and wherein at least one of the first other digital content records or the second other digital content records is a still image. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of displaying on the display a user-selectable visual representation configured to cause, when selected, display of text or audio comments associated with the focus record and the current point on the timeline. 
   
   
       16 . A method implemented at least in part by a data processing system, the method for presenting digital content records, and the method comprising the steps of:
 instructing presentation of a first digital content record on an output device, wherein the first digital content record is a video or audio digital content record; identifying a second digital content record having an association with the first digital content record, wherein the association is based at least upon adjacency in time, a common object represented therein, a common event during which the first and second digital content records were captured, or a common location at which the digital content records were captured; and   instructing presentation of the second digital content record on the output device while the first digital content record is being presented.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first digital content record and the second digital content record are presented in a picture-in-picture manner. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the first digital content record is instructed to be presented in a more prominent manner than the second digital content record, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:   receiving user-input pertaining to the second digital content record;   in response to the received user-input, instructing presentation of the second digital content record in a more prominent manner than the first digital content record.   
   
   
       19 . A method for organizing digital content records comprising the steps of:
 receiving a first set of digital content records captured from a first digital-content capture device;   receiving a second set of digital content records captured from a second digital-content capture device;   ordering the first set of digital content records and the second set of digital content records along a common capture timeline; and storing results of the ordering step in a processor-accessible memory system.   
   
   
       20 . A system for indexing media from different sources comprising:
 a means for receiving a first set of digital content records captured from a first digital-content capture device;   a means for receiving a second set of digital content records captured from a second digital-content capture device; a means for ordering the first set of digital content records and the second set of digital content records along a common capture timeline; and   a means for storing results of the ordering step in a processor-accessible memory system.