Patent ID: 8380045

Claim:
A method for generating unique signatures for digital video files for use in locating video sequences within a digital video file, the method comprising the steps of: receiving video files at a video preprocessor; calculating a first video frame signature in the video preprocessor for each frame of a first video file; for a second video file: (a) setting an initial start frame to correspond to a first frame of the second video file; (b) from the initial start frame, calculating a second video frame signature for each frame of the second video file for which a corresponding first video frame signature is present; (c) calculating a frame distance between each second video frame signature and each corresponding first video frame signature; (d) determining video signature similarity between the second video file and the first video file; (e) incrementing the initial start frame to a next successive frame within the second video file; and (f) if total frame count of the first video file does not exceed a frame count from the initial start frame to a last frame of the second video file, continuing with step (b); and searching within a video signature similarity curve that includes each video signature similarity determination to determine one or more maximum video signature peak similarities; computing the area from the next least local minimum to the next greatest local minimum under each maximum video signature peak similarity as the video signature similarity curve area for each maximum video signature peak similarity; and selecting the maximum video signature peak similarity associated with the largest video signature similarity curve area as corresponding to the first video file within the second video file.