Using metadata tags in video recordings produced by portable terminals

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating the video information search and users' navigation through multiple video image or video stream files, as well as reducing the amount of data transferred between a video content management server and a video playback client, by employing metadata tags inserted into the video recordings automatically or by an operator of an encoded information reading terminal.

1 . A portable terminal, said terminal comprising:
 a central processing unit (CPU);   a memory;   a two-dimensional image sensor and a lens assembly focusing an image onto said two-dimensional image sensor;   a hand held housing;   at least one communication interface;   wherein said terminal is configured to capture one or more video frames, store said captured one or more video frames in said memory, transform one or more of said captured video frames into a video file, and create one or more metadata tags, at least one of said one or more metadata tags containing information other than information determined by processing of said one or more video frames, said video file selected from the group consisting of: a video image file, a video stream file;   wherein said one or more metadata tags includes a metadata tag selected from the group consisting of: (a) an imaging parameter, (b) a text string representing a voice command issued by an operator of the terminal, (c) information output by a voice recognition module, (d) information output by an ambient light sensor; (e) information output by a biometric input device.   
     
     
         2 . The portable EIR terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said video file is provided by a video stream file having a format selected from the group consisting of: MJPEG, MPREG-4, RealVideo, and WMV. 
     
     
         3 . The portable EIR terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said video file is provided by a video image file having a format selected from the group consisting of: JPEG, GIF, TIFF, and PNG. 
     
     
         4 . The portable EIR terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags are stored in one of: said video file, a data file different from said video file. 
     
     
         5 . The portable terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags include said decoded message data. 
     
     
         6 . The portable terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags include GPS coordinates of said EIR terminal. 
     
     
         7 . The portable terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags include a street address derived from GPS coordinates of said EIR terminal. 
     
     
         8 . The portable terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags include a text string representing a voice command, said voice command being issued by an operator of said terminal. 
     
     
         9 . The portable terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags include a time stamp outputted by said real-time clock. 
     
     
         10 . The portable terminal of  claim 1  further including a user interface, said user interface allowing an operator of said terminal to enter at least one text string, wherein said one or more metadata tags include said at least one text string. 
     
     
         11 . The portable terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags include at least one imaging parameter. 
     
     
         12 . The portable terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags include an imaging parameter, said at least one imaging parameter selected from the group consisting of: an exposure level, a depth of field, a frame rate. 
     
     
         13 . The portable terminal of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more metadata tags further comprise at least one metadata tag containing a text string, said text string selected from the group consisting of: a text string entered by an operator of said EIR terminal; a text string representing a voice command, said voice command being issued by an operator of said terminal. 
     
     
         14 . The portable terminal of  claim 1  further including an information input device selected from the group consisting of: a Global Positioning System (GPS) module, a voice recognition module, an ambient light luminous intensity sensor, a real-time clock, and a biometric information input device; and wherein said metadata tags include information outputted by said information input device. 
     
     
         15 . The portable terminal of  claim 1  operating in a data collection system including a video content management server; wherein said terminal is further configured to transmit at least a portion of said video file to said video content management server via said at least one communication interface. 
     
     
         16 . The portable terminal of  claim 1  operating in a data collection system including a video content management server and a database; wherein said terminal is further configured, responsively to a user interface action specifying one or more video file search conditions, to transmit a video file search request to said video content management server. 
     
     
         17 . The portable terminal of  claim 1  operating in a data collection system including a video content management server and a database; wherein said terminal is further configured to transmit, in a fully automated mode, a video file search request to said video content management server. 
     
     
         18 . The portable terminal of  claim 1  operating in a data collection system including a video content management server and a database;
 wherein said terminal is further configured to transmit a video file search request to said video content management server; and 
 wherein said terminal is further configured, responsively to receiving a response from said server, to display a list of video files satisfying said one or more video file search conditions. 
 
     
     
         19 . The portable terminal of  claim 1  operating in a data collection system including a video content management server and a database;
 wherein said terminal is further configured to transmit a video file search request to said video content management server; and 
 wherein at least one of said one or more video file search conditions include a parameter and a value of said parameter, at least one said parameter value determined utilizing output of an information input device of said terminal. 
 
     
     
         20 . The portable EIR terminal of  claim 1  operating in a data collection system including a video content management server and a database;
 wherein said EIR terminal is further configured to transmit a video file search request to said video content management server; and 
 wherein at least one of said one or more video file search conditions include a parameter and a value of said parameter, at least one said parameter value provided by an imaging parameter, said imaging parameter selected from the group consisting of: an exposure level, a depth of field, a frame rate. 
 
     
     
         21 . A data collection system comprising:
 at least one portable EIR terminal, said at least one terminal including a central processing unit (CPU); a memory; an imaging module having a two-dimensional image sensor and a lens assembly focusing an image onto said two-dimensional image sensor; an EIR device selected from the group consisting of: a bar code reading device employing said imaging module, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform one of: outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; a hand held housing incorporating said EIR device, said image sensor, and said lens assembly; at least one communication interface;   at least one video content management server communicatively coupled to said at least one EIR terminal;   wherein said at least one EIR terminal is configured to capture one or more video frames, store said captured one or more video frames in said memory, transform one or more said captured video frames into a video file, and insert one or more metadata tags into said video file, said video file selected from the group consisting of a video image file, a video stream file;   wherein said one or more metadata tags include at least one imaging parameter; and   wherein said at least one EIR terminal is further configured to transmit at least a portion of said video file to said at least one video content management server via said at least one communication interface.   
     
     
         22 . The data collection system of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one imaging parameter is selected from the group consisting of: an exposure level, a depth of field, a frame rate.