Video image bank for storing and retrieving video image sequences

A video image bank system for preparing an edit tape and associated edit list from a library of stock video image sequences uses a set of video disks with an associated library index. A microprocessor or personal computer is loaded with the library index, and an operator selects an initial set of image sequences from a menu or by using key words, specifically or highlighted in a word processor text file, for a desired effect. Groups of still frames, one from each identified image sequence, are displayed and the operator selects any one of the represented image sequences for addition to the edit tape and the associated edit list. Once all the desired stock video image sequences have been selected from the library and transferred to the edit tape and associated edit list, these sequences may readily be added to a production video sequence using normal editing procedures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to video production, and more particularly to 
a video image bank that provides thousands of stock footage image 
sequences for immediate use by the producer of a video tape in preparing a 
story board and/or edit tape. 
Television is a commonplace part of people's lives, and unless the video 
viewed is exciting people become bored. They expect all video to be up to 
the quality of normal broadcast programming. The cost of producing 
broadcast quality programming for a small producer, such as for industrial 
and training tapes, is quite high. Even attempts to highlight industrial 
productions by interjecting exciting stock footage are insufficient 
because the time and cost involved limits the use. Further the cost of 
just maintaining a library of such stock footage is in itself quite 
expensive for a small producer, as it requires many different reels of 
video tape to be maintained. These tapes are difficult and time consuming 
to use since, even if indexed, the tapes have to be searched for the 
desired footage before that footage can be edited into a production tape. 
As the video market continues to grow the need for inexpensive means of 
production continues to expand. The standard way of cutting production 
costs has been the use of stock footage, but the cost and time involved in 
locating and acquiring stock footage is a major problem for the small 
producer. 
A related problem for the small producer, especially in the industrial 
production area, is that the producer is used to writing out copy, but is 
unfamiliar or uncomfortable with video concepts. Therefore such 
productions based upon such written copy tend to be stilted with all the 
drawbacks of non-broadcast quality video. 
Therefore, what is desired is an apparatus for storing stock video footage 
in a compact, random access manner so that any footage desired may be 
retrieved virtually instantaneously to reduce the expense of storing the 
footage and the expense of producing video tapes that are interjected with 
such stock footages, including the ability to use written copy as an index 
into the stored stock video footage. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly the present invention provides a video image bank in the form 
of a visual effects library for video production that puts thousands of 
exciting stock image sequences at the fingertips of a video producer. The 
library is stored on video disk and indexed on computer disks, and 
includes appropriate audio sound effects to provide a complete system. The 
computer index is cross referenced to allow the user to find appropriate 
audio and video sequences by key word search of a written production 
script. The system accepts standard text formats so that scripts can be 
run through, and is compatible with personal computers so that lower 
priced versions take advantage of equipment already owned by the user. The 
library may reside in an automated disk changer to reduce access time. The 
hardware includes a set of video disks with optional changing mechanisms, 
a microprocessor controller and a disk player as well as a computer 
display. The software for the controller includes a program to index the 
visual information of the disks, the program being menu driven and 
allowing for the cross referencing of image sequences under a number of 
headings, and also allows for a number of still frames from the image 
sequences to be displayed. The program may access highlighted words from 
the written production script for use as key words to access the index and 
identify potential image sequences. 
The objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention are 
apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction 
with the appended claims and attached drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to FIG. 1 a video image bank system 10 is shown based upon a 
personal computer 12 having a keyboard 14, a display device 16 and a 
microprocessor 18. The microprocessor 18 includes a hard disk drive 20 as 
well as floppy disk drives 22. A library 24 of video disks stores many 
motion picture image sequences by means of video technology. A video 
library index is loaded via the floppy disk drives 22 onto the hard disk 
drive 20. The supporting software also is loaded onto the hard disk drive. 
Using the keyboard and appropriate menus displayed on the display device 
16 a particular video disk and track(s) are identified that have video 
image sequences corresponding to a desired selected menu item or 
highlighted key word in a word processor text file. The appropriate video 
disk from the library 24 is manually loaded into a video disk player 26 
and a still frame from each appropriate track of the disk is displayed 
automatically on the display device 16 under control of the microprocessor 
18. From the still frames one image sequence is selected by the user for 
viewing and, if acceptable, for storing as part of an edit list 28 or part 
of the word processor text file to create a story board, and/or the image 
sequence is recorded on a video cassette 30. 
A producer with no familiarity with television productions may write a 
script, highlighting key words where stock footage material is desired. 
The program in the microprocessor uses the key words as indices to the 
library index, and identifies various stock footages that exemplify the 
highlighted key words. The producer then may display from the identified 
library disks a still frame for each of the identified stock footages on 
that disk. For example if the key word is "crash", then the program 
identifies all stock footages that involve crashes--airplane, car, train, 
boat, etc. Stills from each identified stock footage that is on a 
particular disk mounted for play back are displayed and the producer 
selects which one(s) are desired for further review. The selected footages 
may be played back in full from the disk so the producer can see whether 
that particular footage is appropriate. When the producer finally selects 
a particular stock footage for that key word, then the identification of 
the stock footage is inserted into the written script, or word processor 
text file, to form a story board. Further the program acts heuristically 
by associating the key word and the selected footage with each other and 
with the producer so that when the producer again highlights as a key word 
"crash", the program first calls up what the producer previously selected 
for that key word together with closely related alternatives. Thus if the 
producer selected a particular car crash, the next time the producer uses 
that key word, that previously selected car crash footage and other car 
crash footages will be selected for display by the program, ignoring boat, 
airplane and train crashes. 
FIG. 2 shows a more expensive version of the video image bank 10' that uses 
a dedicated microprocessor 32 together with an appropriate keyboard 34 and 
monitor 36. The microprocessor 32 controls the disk player 26 as well as a 
video disk changer 38 that contains a limited version of the video disk 
library. Again as in the personal computer version, the software operates 
in the same manner, using the loaded video index 20 to identify the 
particular disk(s) and track(s) that contain desired motion picture image 
sequences selected from a menu or highlighted key words displayed on the 
monitor 36. A still frame from each selected image sequence (up to, for 
example, eight) automatically is displayed on the monitor 36, and the 
operator selects any still frame. The selected footage is run from the 
disk player 26 and, if the image sequence is acceptable, then it is added 
to the edit list 28 or inserted into a story board, and the sequence may 
be stored on a broadcast quality tape 40. 
The final version of the video image bank system 10", shown in FIG. 3, uses 
a changer 38' that has an increased disk storage capability together with 
two video disk players 26 to decrease access speed to the motion picture 
image sequences. Such a video changer that includes the video disk players 
is the VIDEOBOX digital video music system by Videobox Networks Inc. of 
New York City, N.Y. that permits storage and retrieval of thirty two-sided 
laser disks. Again the software operation is the same as for the other 
versions. 
The edit lists 28 or story boards and video tapes 30, 40 generated by this 
system are then used with a regular edit system to generate the desired 
final video product. The microprocessor/personal computer 32, 12 may also 
be used to add scripts or compatible text editing to the image sequences. 
Searching may also be done on key words contained in the data index 20, 
which key words may be expanded by the user. In this manner a user may 
search and easily extract from a video library image sequences that are 
desired for use in a final video product, and transfer those desired 
sequences to an edit tape together with an associated edit list. Then 
these sequences may readily be interjected into the final video product 
using normal video editing techniques. 
As shown in FIG. 4 the video image bank system is initialized with the 
library index for the set of video disks provided to the user, the library 
index also including a key word index. The operator selects from a menu or 
via key words a plurality of image sequences as an initial selection. 
These image sequences basically include material that is in the public 
domain, such as material from government sources and film libraries, as 
well as separately purchased specialized material. The image sequences are 
cross referenced so that, for example, a nuclear explosion may be accessed 
under explosion, atomic energy and destruction. Once the image sequences 
are identified, then the appropriate disk(s) is transferred to the disk 
player 26, either manually or via the automatic changer 36, 36'. A still 
frame from each identified image sequence is displayed on the monitor in 
groups of, for example, eight, and the operator may select any one for 
running to observe whether it is suitable for the particular purpose the 
operator may have. Once one of the image sequences is accepted, the image 
sequence is transferred to an output video tape and an edit list for that 
tape is prepared. For each acceptable image sequence the corresponding 
video is transferred to the tape and the edit list is updated. After all 
the desired standard video stock footages are transferred from the library 
to the output tape, the output tape and associated edit list may be used 
by a standard editing system to interject the selected image sequences 
into the appropriate locations in the final video product. 
Thus the present invention provides a video image bank system that allows 
an operator to readily select a desired video image sequence from a 
library of image sequences and transfer it to an edit tape together with 
an edit list so that final editing of a video product may be performed 
quickly and efficiently.