Unified Media Timeline for Object Editing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in intuitively locating and editing inserted objects within media content on electronic devices due to limited display space, leading to inconvenient timeline navigation and limited insertable objects.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a processor that displays media content in a first area, highlights frame segments corresponding to selected objects, and provides a user interface for object manipulation, allowing intuitive object insertion and editing without separate timelines for each object.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If separate timelines are displayed for each inserted object, then object location information is provided, but the number of insertable objects is limited due to display space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate object timelines into a single unified timeline display. Instead of allocating separate display areas for each object's timeline, the system combines them into one shared timeline that shows all objects and their positions within the media content. This consolidation eliminates display space constraints while preserving complete object location information, allowing users to insert and manage multiple objects without being limited by screen real estate.
2Ease of operation
If the timeline is displayed separately for editing objects, then object editing is enabled, but users must randomly move the content timeline to find object locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the content timeline and object timelines into a single synchronized display where all objects are shown at their correct temporal positions within the media content. This unified timeline allows users to locate any object by simply scrolling through the content timeline in chronological order, eliminating the need to randomly jump between separate timeline views. The merged display maintains object editing capabilities while significantly reducing the time required to find and edit objects.
3Loss of information
If multiple separate timelines are displayed to show all objects, then complete object information is visible, but the display space is insufficient for many objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the timeline display into hierarchical levels, with the main content timeline showing all objects in chronological order, and optional expanded views that can be activated for specific time ranges or object groups. This segmentation allows the system to display complete object information for the entire media content in a compact single timeline, while providing detailed views of specific segments when needed. The segmented approach efficiently utilizes display space by showing only relevant information at each zoom level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporal zooming and scrolling dimensions to the timeline display, allowing users to navigate through large numbers of objects by scrolling through time rather than requiring horizontal or vertical space for each object. The system transforms the display from a spatial arrangement where each object needs dedicated screen real estate to a temporal navigation system where objects are accessed by scrolling through the media content's time axis. This dimensional change enables the display of complete object information for many objects within limited display space.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device according to various embodiments includes: a display; a memory; and a processor. The processor is configured to execute instructions to perform operations including: display a preview of media content in a first area of the display, display at least one frame corresponding to the media content in a second area of the display, select at least one object contained within the first area, determine a frame segment corresponding to the object in response to the selection, and display the frame segment visually distinct from other segments.