Motion-Based Thumbnail Selection for Security Video Frames

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing video capture systems, such as home-security systems, select representative images for video portions without considering the underlying content, leading to inefficient user interaction.

Innovation Solution

A camera captures video data and generates motion metadata, which is used by a server to select an image with the highest degree of motion as a thumbnail, allowing for user selection and transmission of corresponding video data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the first frame is always selected as the thumbnail, then the selection process is simple, but the representative value of the thumbnail is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of thumbnail selectionVSAvoidrepresentative value of thumbnail

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the selection parameter from a fixed position (first frame) to a dynamic parameter (frame with maximum motion metadata value). This allows the system to select thumbnails based on actual content characteristics rather than arbitrary position, improving representativeness while maintaining computational efficiency through predefined motion metadata analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If motion metadata analysis is performed to select thumbnails, then the representative value of thumbnails is improved, but the processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverepresentative value of thumbnailVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs motion metadata analysis during video encoding or preprocessing, before thumbnail selection is needed. This preliminary action creates a ready-to-use motion profile that simplifies the actual thumbnail selection process to merely identifying the frame with maximum motion value, thereby improving representativeness without significantly increasing real-time processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If detailed motion metadata is calculated for every frame, then the accuracy of thumbnail selection is improved, but the computational load increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of motion detectionVSAvoidcomputational load

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex per-frame motion analysis with a more efficient metadata-driven approach. Motion metadata is calculated at key intervals or during encoding, and this condensed information substitutes for detailed per-frame analysis, maintaining sufficient accuracy for thumbnail selection while dramatically reducing computational load during the selection process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12574588B2Image selection using motion data

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 COMCAST CABLE COMM LLC

AI summary

Disclosed are systems and methods for selecting images using motion data. Video data and motion metadata can be received from a camera. A frame in the video data can be selected using the motion metadata. An image can be generated using the selected frame. A user interface comprising an element based on the image can be generated.