Embedding content-based searchable indexes in multimedia files

1. A system for indexing multimedia content, comprising:

a rendering engine configured to receive multimedia source tracks and generate rendered source streams;

a content analysis engine configured to receive the source tracks and generate a content-based index stream based on the source tracks;

a set of encoders coupled to the rendering component and configured to encode the rendered-source streams and the content-based index stream into encoded multimedia streams and an encoded content-based index stream; and

a multimedia file writer component configured to receive the encoded multimedia streams and the encoded content-based index stream and to write the encoded multimedia streams to a first multimedia file with the encoded content-based index stream associated with the first multimedia file.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the multimedia file writer is configured to write the first multimedia file to include the content-based index stream within it.

3. The system of claim 1 and further comprising:

an indexing component configured to receive the first multimedia file and associated content-based index stream and generate a content-based searchable index from the content-based index stream.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the indexing component is configured to embed the content-based searchable index into the first multimedia file.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the content analysis engine is configured to receive a second multimedia file that includes the first multimedia file and to identify a portion of the second multimedia file that does not have a content-based index stream generated therefore.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the content analysis engine is configured to generate a second content-based index stream for only that portion of the second multimedia file identified.

7. The system of claim 6 and further comprising an indexing component configured to receive the second multimedia file and generate a content-based searchable index for only the second content-based index stream.

8. A method of generating a multimedia file, comprising:

receiving a plurality of source tracks;

rendering the source tracks to obtain a plurality of multimedia streams;

generating a content-based index stream based on the source tracks;

after generating the content-based index stream, encoding the multimedia streams; and

writing the encoded multimedia streams to a multimedia file and associating the content-based index stream with the multimedia file.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein associating the content-based index stream with the multimedia file comprises:

writing the content-based index stream to the multimedia file.

10. The method of claim 8 and further comprising:

generating a content-based searchable index for the multimedia file based on the content-based index stream.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein generating a content-based index stream comprises:

analyzing content of the source tracks to obtain content-based index information used to perform content-based retrieval of the multimedia file; and

generating a time-based stream including the content-based index information.

12. The method of claim 8 and further comprising:

receiving the multimedia file with incorporated multimedia content that has no content-based index stream associated therewith; and

generating a content-based index stream for only the incorporated multimedia content.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein generating a content-based index stream comprises:

generating the content-based index stream based on speech content in the source tracks.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein generating a content-based index stream comprises:

generating the content-based index stream based on non-speech audio content in the source tracks.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein generating a content-based index stream comprises:

generating the content-based index stream based on video content in the source tracks.