Method and device for compressed-domain video editing

Abstract

A method and device for editing a media file comprising input video frames. The editing device comprises a frame analyzer to determine whether the input video frames have the frame characteristics suitable for compressed domain editing or spatial domain editing. For those frames suitable for compressed domain editing, the frame analyzer provides frame data to a compressed domain processor so that video frame data can be modified in the compressed domain. For those frames only suitable for spatial domain editing, the frame analyzer provides frame data to a decoder and then to a spatial domain processor for frame data modification. The modified data at different domains are combined and converted to file format by a file format composer. Moreover, a file format parser is used to separate audio data from video data so that audio data can also be modified, if so desired.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for modifying an input bitstream, comprising:
 separating the input bitstream into a video bitstream and an audio bitstream, the video bitstream comprising a plurality of input video frames comprising video frame data;   identifying frame characteristics of at least one input video frame;   modifying the video frame data in the video bitstream in the compressed domain based on the frame characteristics for providing a modified video bitstream, the modified video bitstream comprising edited frame data for achieving an effect selected from the group consisting of a frame transitional effect and a color changing effect; and   combining the modified video bitstream with the audio bitstream.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 editing the audio bitstream to achieve one or more editing audio effects.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said one or more editing audio effects comprise a muting audio effect. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said one or more editing audio effects comprise replacing part of original audio with different audio. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video frame data are coded with a variable-length code (VLC), said method further comprising:
 converting the VLC coded video data into a binary form prior to said modifying.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 inversely quantizing the VLC coded video data prior to said converting.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 processing the VLC coded video data in an inverse cosine transform operation prior to said converting.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying one or more further video frames in the input video bitstream in a different domain different from the compressed domain for providing a further modified video bitstream.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 combining at least a part of the further modified video bitstream with at least a part of the modified video bitstream.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said different domain comprises a spatial domain. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said different domain comprises a file format domain. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 converting the edited frame data into an edited media file.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the edited frame data is converted based on format information indicative of editing properties of the edited frame data. 
     
     
         14 . A method of editing one or more input video frames in a bitstream for providing one or more edited video frames, the edited video frames including at least one editing effect specified by one or more editing parameters, wherein the input video frames comprise video data and the bitstream further comprises audio data separable from the video data in the input video frames, said method comprising:
 identifying frame characteristics of at least one input video frame in the bitstream;   modifying the bitstream in the compressed domain based on the frame characteristics of said at least one frame and the specified editing parameters for providing a modified bitstream indicative of said edited video frames having edited frame data, wherein the edited frame data is indicative of an effect selected from the group consisting of a frame transitional effect and a color changing effect;   combining the audio data with the edited frame data; and   converting the edited frame data into an edited media file for use in a media player.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said modifying is also based on user's chosen editing preferences. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a frame analyzer module, responsive to signals indicative of video frame data in a video bitstream comprising a plurality of input video frames, for identifying frame characteristics of at least one input video frame; and   a compressed domain processing module for modifying the video frame data based on the frame characteristics for providing modified video bitstream, the modified video bitstream comprising editing frame data for achieving an effect selected from the group consisting of a frame transitional effect and a color changing effect.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a spatial domain processing module for modifying video frame data in the one or more further video frames for providing further modified video data, wherein at least a part of the further modified video data is combined with the modified video bitstream.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising
 a parsing module for separating an input bitstream into the video bitstream and an audio bitstream comprising audio data; and   an audio processing module for modifying the audio data for providing modified audio data.   
     
     
         19 . A method of editing one or more input video frames in a bitstream for providing one or more edited video frames, the edited video frames including at least one editing effect specified by one or more editing parameters, said method comprising:
 identifying frame characteristics of at least one input video frame in the bitstream;   modifying the bitstream in the compressed domain based on the frame characteristics of said at least one frame and the specified editing parameters for providing a modified bitstream indicative of said edited video frames, wherein said at least one editing effect is selected from the group consisting of a frame transitional effect and a color changing effect; and   combining the modified bitstream with audio frames in a media file format.