Pattern based video frame navigation aid

Abstract

Recommending and graphically displaying viewed video data sensitive to the viewing pattern of a user. Responsive to viewing a plurality of video frames of a video file, a navigation profile is captured to document the viewing pattern of the video frames. Specifically, attributes of the video frames are documented such as the frequency of plays of the video frames. Where multiple navigation profiles are captured, the navigation profiles are stored, aggregated, and represented graphically on a display. Additional video may be recommended based on the aggregated data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor to:
 capture a first and second set of data associated with a data file, wherein the first set comprises data corresponding to a first viewed portion of the data file by a first entity, and the second set comprises data corresponding to a second viewed portion of the data file by a second entity;   form a first navigation profile from the first set of data and a second navigation profile from the second set of data;   store and aggregate the formed navigation profiles;   identify a combined viewing pattern from the aggregation;   recommend a portion of the data file for a second viewing based on the combined viewing pattern;   display the recommended portion of the data file on a visual display; and   the visual display to support gestural navigation within at least two categories of navigation profile metadata, wherein the gestural navigation supports expansion of the recommended portion of the data file and comprises navigating between a first graphical representation of:
 a first category with respect to a second category; and 
 a second graphical representation of a third category with respect to the second category. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , further comprising program code to select a subset of the data file for viewing in response to the aggregation of the navigation profiles. 
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , further comprising program code to graphically represent the aggregation of navigation profiles, including code to capture a viewing frequency of data within the data file based upon the aggregation of captured viewed portions of the data file. 
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 3 , further comprising program code to respond to a gestural selection of at least one subset within the data file from the graphical representation. 
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 4 , wherein the gestural selection is selected from the group consisting of: physical contact between the user and the visual display, and physical contact between a stylus and the visual display. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , further comprising program code to maintain a view profile of one or more viewing preferences based on a view characteristic, and recommend at least one portion of the data file for viewing based on a common characteristic. 
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the gestural navigation further comprises program code to select separate portions within the recommended portion of the data file. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the gestural navigation further comprises program code to select separate attributes associated with the recommended portion of the data file. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the data file is a video file and the navigation profile includes data selected from the group consisting of: a skipped portion, a fast-forwarded portion, a re-played portion, a volume increase, a volume decrease, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the formed first navigation profile comprises a viewing pattern of viewed portions of the first set of data and at least one portion omitted from viewing, and the formed second navigation profile comprises a pattern of viewed portions of the second set of data and at least one portion omitted from viewing. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 a processing unit in communication with memory;   a functional unit in communication with the processing unit, the functional unit having tools to support file navigation, the tools comprising:
 a profile manager to capture a first and second set of data associated with a data file, wherein the first set comprises data corresponding to a first viewed portion of a data file by a first entity, and the second set comprises data corresponding to a second viewed portion of the data file by a second entity; 
 the profile manager to form a first navigation profile from the first set and a second navigation profile from the second set; 
 a storage manager in communication with the profile manager, the storage manager to store and aggregate the formed navigation profiles; 
 the profile manager to identify a combined view pattern from the aggregation; 
 a recommendation manager in communication with the storage manager, the recommendation manager to recommend a portion of the data file for a second viewing based on the combined viewing pattern; 
 a graphics manager to display the recommended portion of the data file on a visual display, the visual display to support gestural navigation within at least two categories of navigation profile metadata, wherein the gestural navigation supports expansion of the recommended portion of the data file and comprises navigating between a first graphical representation of:
 a first category with respect to a second category; and 
 a second graphical representation of a third category with respect to the second category. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising the recommendation manager to select a subset of the file for viewing in response to the aggregation of the navigation profiles. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising the graphics manager to graphically represent the aggregation of navigation profiles, including the graphics manager to capture a viewing frequency of data within the data file based upon the aggregation of captured viewed portions of the data file. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising the graphics manager to respond to a gestural selection of at least one subset within the data file from the graphical representation. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the gestural selection is selected from the group consisting of: physical contact between the user and the visual display, and physical contact between a stylus and the visual display. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising the profile manager to maintain a view profile of one or more viewing preferences based on a view characteristic, and to recommend at least one portion of the data file for viewing based on a common characteristic. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the data file is a video file and the navigation profile includes data selected from the group consisting of: a skipped portion, a fast-forwarded portion, a re-played portion, a volume increase, a volume decrease, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the gestural navigation further comprises selection of separate portions of the recommended portion of the data file. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the gestural navigation further comprises selection of separate attributes associated with the recommended portion of the data file. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the formed first navigation profile comprises a viewing pattern of viewed portions of the first set of data and at least one portion omitted from viewing, and the formed second navigation profile comprises a pattern of viewed portions of the second set of data and at least one portion omitted from viewing.