IP Library Granted Patent US 10,720,188
Granted Patent B2
US 10,720,188 · App. 16/136,594 · Granted Jul 21, 2020

Systems and methods of thumbnail generation

Inventor: Robert Elsner (Pine, CO)
Assignee: WOWZA MEDIA SYSTEMS, LLC
G11B27/34G11B27/102H04L65/604H04L67/10H04N19/136H04N19/46
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,720,188
App. No.
16/136,594
Filed
Sep 20, 2018
Granted
Jul 21, 2020
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2481
USPC
386/241
Abstract

A method includes receiving a plurality of images at an encoder device. The plurality of images is encoded by the encoder device to generate an output video stream. The output video stream includes a plurality of encoded video frames corresponding to the plurality of images. While receiving the plurality of images and while generating the output video stream, the encoder device receives a notification that a particular image of the plurality of images satisfies a thumbnail generation condition based on stream analysis of one or more of the plurality of images. The output video stream is sent concurrently with a supplemental data package to a media server. The supplemental data package comprises a thumbnail and metadata associated with the thumbnail, the thumbnail generated from the particular image responsive to receiving the notification.

Claims (41)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an encoder device, data of an image of a plurality of images;

performing, by the encoder device, processing to generate an output video stream, the output video stream associated with at least one encoded video frame corresponding to at least one of the plurality of images; and

during or in parallel with one or both of the receiving and the performing:

detecting, at the encoder device, that a metric associated with the image satisfies a metric threshold value associated with media activity related to the plurality of images and detected during the processing; and

initiating sending of a supplemental data package to a media server, wherein the supplemental data package includes:

a thumbnail generated from the image; and

metadata associated with the thumbnail.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the processing includes encoding the data,

the detecting includes receiving a notification that the metric satisfies the metric threshold value, and

the at least one encoded video frame includes one or more intra-coded frames (i-frames), one or more predicted frames (p-frames), one or more bidirectionally predicted frames (b-frames), or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata includes an indicator associated with a type of a device used to capture the plurality of images, and further comprising sending, from the encoder device to the media server during the receiving and the performing, the output video stream concurrently with a particular supplemental data package, the particular supplemental data package including the thumbnail and the indicator.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata further comprises a timestamp, and wherein the timestamp corresponds to a playback time of an encoded video frame, the encoded video frame corresponding to the image from which the thumbnail is generated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting includes receiving, from a device external to the encoder device, a notification that the metric satisfies the metric threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, at the encoder device, a notification that the metric satisfies the metric threshold value, wherein the detecting includes receiving the notification.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metric is satisfied in response to a first determination that an object is in the image.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of images is associated with an event, and wherein the metric threshold value is further associated with a number of posts uploaded onto at least one social networking website.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of images is received from a capture device, via a high-definition serial digital interface (HD-SDI), via a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), via a Thunderbolt interface, via an uncompressed video transmission protocol, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the thumbnail and the metadata based on the image, the image comprising a b-frame or a p-frame but not an i-frame.

11. A media server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of images;

encoding the plurality of images to generate an output video stream, the output video stream including a plurality of encoded video frames corresponding to the plurality of images; and

while receiving the plurality of images and generating the output video stream:

receiving a notification that an image of the plurality of images satisfies a thumbnail generation condition based on stream analysis of one or more of the plurality of images, wherein the image satisfying the thumbnail generation condition corresponds to a metric associated with the image satisfying a metric threshold value, wherein the metric threshold value is associated with Internet or media activity related to a live event; and

sending the output video stream concurrently with a supplemental data package to a device, wherein the supplemental data package includes a thumbnail and metadata associated with the thumbnail, the thumbnail generated from the image responsive to receiving the notification.

12. The media server of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of encoded video frames comprises one or more intra-coded frames (i-frames), one or more predicted frames (p-frames), one or more bidirectionally predicted frames (b-frames), or any combination thereof.

13. The media server of claim 11 , wherein the metadata comprises an indicator associated with a type of a device used to capture the plurality of images.

14. The media server of claim 11 , wherein the metadata further comprises a timestamp, and wherein the timestamp corresponds to a playback time of an encoded video frame, the encoded video frame corresponding to the image from which the thumbnail is generated.

15. The media server of claim 11 , wherein the notification is received from a device external to the processor.

16. The media server of claim 11 , wherein the notification is generated at the processor.

17. The media server of claim 16 , wherein the metric is satisfied in response to a first determination that an object is in the image.

18. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of images;

encoding the plurality of images to generate an output video stream, the output video stream including a plurality of encoded video frames corresponding to the plurality of images; and

while receiving the plurality of images and generating the output video stream:

receiving a notification that an image of the plurality of images satisfies a thumbnail generation condition based on stream analysis of one or more of the plurality of images, wherein the image satisfying the thumbnail generation condition corresponds to a metric associated with the image satisfying a metric threshold value, and wherein the thumbnail generation condition is associated with a number of posts uploaded onto at least one social networking website; and

sending the output video stream concurrently with a supplemental data package to a media server, wherein the supplemental data package comprises a thumbnail and metadata associated with the thumbnail, the thumbnail generated from the image responsive to receiving the notification.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 , wherein the stream analysis of one or more of the plurality of images comprises analysis of motion of one or more objects depicted within the one or more of the plurality of images.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2021
From: WOWZA MEDIA SYSTEMS, LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 056422/0263 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2018
From: ELSNER, ROBERT
To: WOWZA MEDIA SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 046924/0414 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14695297 · Apr 24, 2015
Related Publication 20190019535A1 · Jan 17, 2019
Cited By (3)
US 12,323,744 US 12,361,805 US 12,720,162