Universal Lookup of Video-Related Data

Abstract

A universal video-related lookup system and method receives a request for information associated with specific video content from a requesting device. The system and method identify a first video content identifier associated with the specific video content and retrieves first metadata associated with the specific video content based on the first video content identifier. Next, the system and method translate the first video content identifier into a second video content identifier associated with the specific video content and retrieves second metadata based on the second video content identifier. The first metadata and the second metadata are then provided to the requesting device.

1 . A method comprising:
 identifying a first video sequence associated with a video program;   identifying a second video sequence associated with the video program;   calculating a correspondence between the first video sequence and the second video sequence;   determining an alignment of the first video sequence and the second video sequence;   storing the calculated correspondence between the first video sequence and the second video sequence; and   storing information regarding the alignment of the first video sequence and the second video sequence.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating a correspondence between the first video sequence and the second video sequence includes calculating a spatial correspondence between the first video sequence and the second video sequence. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating a correspondence between the first video sequence and the second video sequence includes calculating a temporal correspondence between the first video sequence and the second video sequence. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating a correspondence between the first video sequence and the second video sequence includes calculating a spatio-temporal correspondence between the first video sequence and the second video sequence. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining an alignment of the first video sequence and the second video sequence includes calculating a plurality of video-based descriptors associated with the first video sequence and the second video sequence. 
     
     
         6 . A method comprising:
 inputting a first video identifier, wherein the first video identifier includes a content identifier and a first set of coordinates in a first video content;   identifying a set of second video identifiers associated with a second video content, wherein the second video content is similar to the first video content;   for each video identifier in the set of second video identifiers:   identifying a set of coordinates in the second video content;   and outputting the identified set of coordinates in the second video content to request metadata associated with the first video content.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first set of coordinates is a set of time points in a timeline associated with the first video content. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first set of coordinates is a set of time intervals in the timeline of the first video content. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first set of coordinates is a set of spatial coordinates associated with an object in the first video content. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the set of spatial coordinates identify diagonal corners of a bounding box. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first set of coordinates is a set of spatio-temporal coordinates associated with an object in the first video content. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the spatio-temporal coordinates are represented as a set of temporal intervals, wherein spatial coordinates associated with the object are provided for each temporal interval. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein identifying a set of second video identifiers includes retrieving the second video identifiers from a table including a first column of video identifiers and a second column of video identifiers associated with video content similar to video content associated with the video identifiers in the first column. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the table is pre-computed. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the table is a correspondence table. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the table is computed by calculating a video content-based descriptor from the first video content and identifying other video content similar to the first video content by comparing the content-based descriptors to a database of content-based descriptors. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the content-based descriptor is a visual nucleotide. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus comprising:
 a communication module configured to receive a first video identifier, wherein the first video identifier includes a content identifier and a first set of coordinates in a first video content, the communication module further configured to send a second video identifier and a corresponding second set of coordinates in a second video content; and   a processor coupled to the communication module and configured to identify the second video identifier by retrieving the second video identifier from a table that includes a first column of video identifiers and a second column of video identifiers associated with video content similar to video content associated with the video identifiers in the first column.