Streaming video navigation systems and methods

Abstract

The multimedia systems and methods disclosed herein permit rapid switching from one video stream to another in order to present similar images at different camera angles. The systems and methods further describe a virtual joystick and a moviola system. The virtual joystick allows a viewer to select for viewing in a main portion of a display, a sequence of images at a different camera angle than what was previously rendered on the main portion. The different camera angle is intuitively obvious based on a spatial relationship between two or more thumbnail display windows displayed in the virtual joystick. The moviola system allows rapid backwards navigation of a video stream that has already been received in a video receiver, and also allows slow motion backwards/forwards viewing starting from a paused image.

1 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A system comprising:
 a display; and   a processing circuit comprising a processor, the processing circuit configured to provide on the display, a virtual joystick comprising a first thumbnail display window and a second thumbnail display window,   the first thumbnail display window configured to display a first sequence of moving images of a scene as viewed at a first video camera angle,   the second thumbnail display window configured to display a second sequence of moving images of the scene as viewed at a second video camera angle, and   wherein each of the first and the second video camera angles displayed in the respective first and second thumbnail display windows is rendered intuitively obvious as a result of a first spatial relationship between the first and the second thumbnail display windows in the virtual joystick.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
 reproduce through a sound reproduction unit of the system, an audio track synchronized to the first sequence of moving images displayed in the first thumbnail display window;   detect a request at an arbitrary instant in time to replace a third sequence of moving images displayed in a main portion of the display with the first sequence of images displayed in the first thumbnail display window; and   fulfill the request by: a) executing a seek upon the first sequence of images, the seek comprising a backwards seek procedure performed on a first video buffer, followed by a forward seek procedure of the first video buffer for locating an image frame that coincides with the arbitrary instant in time, b) replacing the first sequence of images in the first thumbnail display window with the third sequence of moving images, and c) displaying in the main portion of the display, the first sequence of images, starting at the image frame that coincides with the arbitrary instant in time.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein fulfilling the request further comprises:
 continuing to reproduce the audio track being reproduced in the sound reproduction unit without rewinding or interruption.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein fulfilling the request further comprises:
 automatically moving the first thumbnail display window to a new location inside the virtual joystick, the new location indicative of a third camera viewing angle associated with the third sequence of moving images that was previously displayed in the main portion of the display.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the display is a touchscreen display and wherein the request is initiated by touching the first thumbnail display window displayed on the touchscreen display. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein touching the first thumbnail display window comprises at least one of a swiping, a pinching, or an expanding action. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein touching the second thumbnail display window comprises a swiping action oriented in a direction extending from the virtual joystick towards the main portion of the display. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second thumbnail display windows are arranged in a side-by-side arrangement in the virtual joystick. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the virtual joystick is repositionable from one location to another location in the display. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the virtual joystick further comprises:
 a third thumbnail display window configured to display a third sequence of moving images of the scene as viewed at a third video camera angle;   a fourth thumbnail display window configured to display a fourth sequence of moving images of the scene as viewed at a fourth video camera angle;   wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth video camera angles is rendered intuitively obvious as a result of a second spatial relationship between the first, second, third, and fourth thumbnail display windows inside the virtual joystick.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the second spatial relationship comprises a plus-shaped arrangement with a central area that is made available for displaying an auxiliary image. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the auxiliary image comprises a logo. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the second spatial relationship is a dynamically configurable positional relationship directed at rendering intuitively obvious each of the first, second, third, and fourth video camera angles after replacing any one of the first, second, third, and fourth thumbnail display windows displayed in the virtual joystick with a third sequence of moving images displayed in a main portion of the display. 
     
     
         35 .- 40 . (canceled)