System and method for representing long video sequences

1. A method comprising:

receiving video comprised of a plurality of frames, each frame comprised of a plurality of pixels arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns;

for each frame, creating a first representation, reduced in a first dimension, wherein a visual property of each pixel of the first representation is assigned by aggregating a visual property of a plurality of pixels of the frame having a corresponding position in the unreduced dimension, wherein the first dimension comprises at least one of the horizontal rows and the vertical columns;

appending metadata to each first representation comprising representative parameters corresponding to the frame from which each first representation was created, wherein the metadata comprises an average color of the pixels in the frame from which the first representation was created;

forming a condensed visual representation comprising the first representation of each frame aligned along the first dimension according to an order of the plurality of frames in the video;

reducing, for each frame in the condensed visual representation, the first representation of each frame in a second dimension by grouping the pixels of each first representation into a predetermined number of blocks along the second dimension and replacing the pixels of each block with a pixel assigned by aggregating the visual property of each pixel in the block, wherein the second dimension comprises a different dimension than the first dimension;

detecting, based on the reduced condensed visual representation and metadata, at least one unexpected change in the video; and

inserting a flag marking the at least one unexpected change.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of blocks is determined based on one of a dimension of the frames, an amount of visual information contained in each frame, and a visual characteristic of the video.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an equal number of pixels is grouped into each block.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein an unequal number of pixels is grouped into each block.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein blocks containing pixels from a center of each first representation contain fewer pixels than blocks containing pixels from an outside of each first representation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein aggregating the visual property of each pixel in the block comprises averaging a color of each pixel in the block.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dimension is a horizontal dimension.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second dimension is a vertical dimension.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each first representation is one pixel wide in the reduced dimension.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each first representation is created for a group of two or more frames.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises at least one of a standard deviation of a color of the pixels in the frame from which the first representation was created from the average color and a time stamp associated with the frame from which the first representation was created.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a tag is automatically generated identifying a first representation having a tagged property.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein aggregating a visual property of the plurality of pixels of the frame comprises averaging a color of each pixel.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of blocks is received as a user selection.

15. A system comprising:

a processor;

an input device in communication with the processor, the input device configured to receive video comprised of a plurality of frames, each frame comprised of a plurality of pixels arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns; and

an output device in communication with the processor, the output device configured to output a condensed visual representation;

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium in operable communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

create a first representation reduced in a first dimension, for each frame in the video, wherein a visual property of each pixel of the first representation is assigned by aggregating a visual property of a plurality of pixels of the frame having a corresponding position in the unreduced dimension, wherein the first dimension comprises at least one of the horizontal rows and the vertical columns;

append metadata to each first representation comprising representative parameters corresponding to the frame from which each first representation was created, wherein the metadata comprises an average color of the pixels in the frame from which the first representation was created;

align the first representation of each frame along the first dimension according to an order of the plurality of frames in the video to form the condensed visual representation;

reduce, for each frame in the condensed visual representation, the first representation of each frame in a second dimension by grouping the pixels of each first representation into a predetermined number of blocks along the second dimension and replacing the pixels of each block with a pixel assigned by aggregating the visual property of each pixel in the block, wherein the second dimension comprises a different dimension than the first dimension;

detect, based on the reduced condensed visual representation and metadata, at least one unexpected change in the video; and

insert a flag marking the at least one unexpected change.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains further one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to determine the predetermined number of blocks based on one of a dimension of the frames, an amount of visual information contained in each frame, a visual characteristic of the video.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains further one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to group an equal number of pixels into each block.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains further one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to group an unequal number of pixels into each block.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein blocks containing pixels from a center of each first representation contain fewer pixels than blocks containing pixels from an outside of each first representation.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein aggregating the visual property of each pixel in the block comprises averaging a color of each pixel in the block.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first dimension is a horizontal dimension.

22. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second dimension is a vertical dimension.

23. The system of claim 15 , wherein each first representation is one pixel side in the reduced dimension.

24. The system of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains further one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to create each first representation for a group of two or more frames.

25. The system of claim 15 , wherein the metadata comprises at least one of a standard deviation of a color of the pixels in the frame from which the first representation was created from the average color and a time stamp associated with the frame from which the first representation was created.

26. The system of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains further one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to generate a tag identifying a first representation having a tagged property.

27. The system of claim 15 , wherein aggregating a visual property of the plurality of pixels of the frame comprises averaging a color of each pixel.

28. The system of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains further one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to receive a user selection indicating the predetermined number of blocks.

29. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium containing a plurality of machine-executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer, are configured to cause the computer to:

receive video comprised of a plurality of frames, each frame comprised of a plurality of pixels arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns;

for each frame, create a first representation, reduced in a first dimension, wherein a visual property of each pixel of the first representation is assigned by aggregating a visual property of a plurality of pixels of the frame having a corresponding position in the unreduced dimension, wherein the first dimension comprises at least one of the horizontal rows and the vertical columns;

append metadata to each first representation comprising representative parameters corresponding to the frame from which each first representation was created, wherein the metadata comprises an average color of the pixels in the frame from which the first representation was created;

form a condensed visual representation comprising the first representation of each frame aligned along the first dimension according to an order of the plurality of frames in the video;

reduce, for each frame in the condensed visual representation, the first representation of each frame in a second dimension by grouping the pixels of each first representation into a predetermined number of blocks along the second dimension and replacing the pixels of each block with a pixel assigned by aggregating the visual property of each pixel in the block, wherein the second dimension comprises a different dimension than the first dimension;

detect, based on the reduced condensed visual representation and metadata, at least one unexpected change in the video; and

insert a flag marking the at least one unexpected change.

30. A system comprising:

means for receiving video comprised of a plurality of frames, each frame comprised of a plurality of pixels arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns;

means for creating a first representation reduced in a first dimension, for each frame in the video, wherein a visual property of each pixel of the first representation is assigned by aggregating a visual property of a plurality of pixels of the frame having a corresponding position in the unreduced dimension, wherein the first dimension comprises at least one of the horizontal rows and the vertical columns;

means for appending metadata to each first representation comprising representative parameters corresponding to the frame from which each first representation was created, wherein the metadata comprises an average color of the pixels in the frame from which the first representation was created;

means for aligning the first representation of each frame along the first dimension according to an order of the plurality of frames in the video to form the condensed visual representation;

means for reducing, for each frame in the condensed visual representation, the first representation of each frame in a second dimension by grouping the pixels of each first representation into a predetermined number of blocks along the second dimension and replacing the pixels of each block with a pixel assigned by aggregating the visual property of each pixel in the block, wherein the second dimension comprises a different dimension than the first dimension;

means for outputting the condensed visual representation;

means for detecting, based on the reduced condensed visual representation and metadata, at least one unexpected change in the video; and

means for inserting a flag marking the at least one unexpected change.