Description schemes for video programs, users and devices

Abstract

This paper presents a set of description schemes (DS) dealing with video programs, users and devices. Following MPEG-7 terminology, a description of an AV document includes descriptors (termed Ds), which specify the syntax and semantics of a representation entity for a feature of the AV data, and description schemes (termed DSs) which specify the structure and semantics of a set of Ds and DSs. The Program DS is used to describe the physical structure as well as the semantic content of a video program. It focuses on the visual information only. The physical structure is described by the temporal organization of the sequence (segments), the spatial organization of images (regions) as well as the spatio-temporal structure of the video (regions with motion). The semantic description is built around objects and events. Finally, the physical and semantic descriptions are related by a set of links defining where or when instances of specific semantic notions can be found. The User DS is used to describe the personal preferences and usage patterns of a user. It facilitates a smart personalizable device that records and presents to the user audio and video information based upon the user's preferences, prior viewing and listening habits, as well as personal characteristics. Finally, the Device DS keeps a record of the users of the device, available programs, and a description of device capabilities. It allows a device to prepare itself based on the existing users, profiles and available programs. These three types of DSs and the common set of descriptors that they share are designed to support personalization, efficient management of AV information and the expected variability in the capabilities of AV information access devices.