Patent ID: 7804506

Claim:
An image processing system for processing video content in a sequence of video frames and linking a pixel object embedded in said video content to data corresponding to the pixel object, the image processing system comprising: a video capture system for capturing a frame of said sequence of video frames; a user interface for enabling a user to select the pixel object in said captured frame, said video capture system determining a range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object; a pixel object tracking system configured to track the selected pixel object through a plurality of the sequence of video frames based on the determined range of color values; a video linking system which generates a linked video file that is separate from and not embedded in said sequence of video frames, said linked video file comprising (i) a pixel object file identifying the selected pixel object by frame number and location within the captured video frame and at least one subsequent video frame, and (ii) a separate data object file that includes information related to the object that corresponds to the selected pixel object, the data object file being linked to the corresponding pixel object file, wherein said linked video file is configured to be exportable to a media player so that a location in said sequence of video frames selected by a pointing device during playback of the video frames can be linked with the data object when said selected location corresponds to the selected pixel object; wherein said video linking system samples said video content at a sample rate which is a divisor of plural standard playback rates; and wherein said video capture system determines the range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object by: (i) determining a value of at least one of (ia) a hue, and (ib) a color variable, of at least one pixel of the selected pixel object, (ii) applying a predetermined value range to the determined value, (iii) analyzing pixels that (iiia) fall within a predetermined distance of said at least one pixel of the selected pixel object, and (iiib) fall within the applied value range, (iv) determining a further range of values based on the analyzed pixels, and (v) using the determined range of further values as said range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object.