Digital video system with intelligent video selection timeline

摘要

A digital video system comprises a plurality of recorders and a client device. The recorders store digital video from a common source. The client device comprises a screen, an input device, and a processor configured to run a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI comprises a timeline, a selection indicator, availability indicators, and event tags. The timeline is adjustable by user input. The selection indicator is movable on the timeline by user input, and designates a time of interest. The availability indicators indicate aggregate availability statuses of video at each time on the timeline, from the plurality of recorders. The event tags indicate types and times or time ranges of events on the timeline. The client device is configured to receive video availability information from the plurality of recorders, and the processor is configured to update the GUI as the aggregate availability status of video changes.

主权项

1. A method of operating a client device in a digital video system, the method comprising:
receiving a user request for video availability information, the request including a time of interest and a video source; retrieving, for a first time period near the time of interest, a first availability message indicating an aggregate availability of video from the video source, the aggregate availability comprising an availability status of video from among a plurality of recorders configured to record video from the video source, at each time within the first time period; rendering a timeline on a screen in a graphical user interface (GUI), the timeline comprising:
a selection indicator designating the time of interest; andan availability indicator indicating the availability status of video from any of the plurality of recorders, for each time within the time of interest, the availability indicator being positioned in the timeline, the availability status distinguishing between available video and unavailable video; retrieving additional availability messages for successively wider time periods near the time of interest; andupdating the rendered timeline according to the additional availability messages.