METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING AN OPTIMAL TRANSITION EFFECT BETWEEN A PAIR OF DISPLAY IMAGES BASED ON USER PREFERENCE STATISTICS

FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of image processing,
and more particularly it relates to the field of a method and system for determining an
optimal transition effect between a pair of display images based on user preference
statistics.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In the field of image processing spatial transition from one image to another is
used in a variety of communication tools to control visual presentation of data. The
communication tools exist in various applications, including multimedia slideshow
presentations, videoconferences, video phone calls, etc. One of the drawbacks of the
currently available technology in this field is the skill set required to create high-quality
presentations. In professional data presentations highly skilled, trained directors are
required to determine and implement the appropriate transition effects displayed to a
viewer when the presentation transitions from one view to another. Examples of
available transition effects include wipes, dissolves, fades, focuses, flying planes,
pushes, pulls, cuts, etc. An improper selection of the type and timing of the transition
effect to be used during a given transition leads to an amateurish presentation.
Therefore, it is important that appropriate transition effects be selected. A person
untrained in the art of directing data presentation is generally devoid of sufficient
3/16
discretion so as to make appropriate decisions required to properly implement transition
effects. To ensure that the audience focuses on the message of the presentation and
not on its production quality, and to possibly even impress the audience with a highly
professional production quality, it is important that untrained users have access to a
presentation tool providing the functionality of a trained and intelligent director.
In light of the foregoing discussion there is a need for a method and a system for
determining an optimal transition effects between a pair of display images.
SUMMARY
[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure described herein provide a method
and a system for determining an optimal transition effect between a pair of display
images based on user preference statistics.
[0004] An example of a method for determining an optimal transition effect between
a pair of display images based on user preference statistics includes introducing a
transition effect to a first display image to obtain a second display image, receiving
multiple inputs indicative of multiple ratings provided by multiple users for the applied
transition effect, saving the ratings provided by the users, and computing the optimal
transition effect based on the user preference statistics. The user preference statistics
are derived from at least one of the ratings.
[0005] An example of system for determining optimal transition effect between a first
display image and a second display image includes a transition unit for introducing a
transition effect on the first image. The transition unit applies the transition effect in the
4/16
first display image to obtain the second display image. The system also includes a
display unit for displaying the first image and the second image influenced by the
transition effect to one or more users. Further, the system includes a user interface for
receiving ratings for the applied transition effect. Furthermore, the system includes a
comparison unit for comparing the first display image with the second display image
based on multiple parameters. The comparison unit compares the display images using
multiple image comparison techniques. Furthermore, the system includes a correlation
unit operatively coupled to the comparison unit. The correlation unit correlates the
applied transition effects and the obtained image comparison values.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0006] The accompanying figures, similar reference numerals may refer to identical
or functionally similar elements. These reference numerals are used in the detailed
description to illustrate various embodiments and to explain various aspects and
advantages of the present disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for determining an optimal transition
effect between a pair of display images based on user preference statistics, in
accordance with one embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for determining optimal transition
effect between a pair of display images based on user preference statistics, in
accordance with one embodiment.
5/16
[0009] Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are
illustrated for simplicity and clarity and may have not been drawn to scale. For example,
the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to
other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] It should be observed that method steps and system components have been
represented by conventional symbols in the figures, showing only specific details that
are relevant for an understanding of the present disclosure. Further, details that may be
readily apparent to person ordinarily skilled in the art may not have been disclosed. In
the present disclosure, relational terms such as primary and secondary, first and
second, and the like, may be used to distinguish one entity from another entity, without
necessarily implying any actual relationship or order between such entities.
[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure described herein provide a method
and a system for determining an optimal transition effect between a pair of display
images based on user preference statistics.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multimedia electronic device 105 including
various units for determining an optimal transition effect between a pair of display
images based on user preference statistics. The multimedia electronic device 105
includes a processor 115 operatively coupled with a bus 145. The processor 115
controls and processes various functionalities of the multimedia electronic device 105.
6/16
The multimedia electronic device 105 also includes a memory 120 such as a random
access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus 145 for
storing information which can be used by the processor 115. The memory 120 can be
used for storing any temporary information required. The multimedia electronic device
105 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 125 or other static storage device
coupled to the bus 145 for storing static information for the processor 115. A storage
unit 130, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to the bus 145
for storing information.
[0013] The multimedia electronic device 105 can be coupled via the bus 145 to a
display unit 150, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a
light emitting diode (LED) display, for rendering the display images to one or more
users. An input device 155 including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to the bus
145 for communicating an input to the processor 115. The input device 155 can be
included in the multimedia electronic device 105. Another type of user input device 155
is a cursor control, such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for
communicating the input to the processor 115 and for controlling cursor movement on
the display unit 150. The input device 155 can also be included in the display unit 150,
for example a touch screen.
[0014] Various embodiments are related to the use of the multimedia electronic
device 105 for implementing the techniques described herein. In one embodiment, the
techniques are performed by the processor 115 using information included in the
7/16
memory 120. The information can be read into the memory 120 from another machinereadable
medium, such as the storage unit 130.
[0015] The term “machine-readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium
that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific
fashion. In an embodiment implemented using the multimedia electronic device 105,
various machine-readable medium are involved, for example, in providing information to
the processor 115. The machine-readable medium can be a storage media. Storage
media includes both non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media includes,
for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as the storage unit 130. Volatile media
includes dynamic memory, such as the memory 120. All such media must be tangible to
enable the information carried by the media to be detected by a physical mechanism
that reads the information into a machine.
[0016] Common forms of machine-readable medium include, for example, a floppy
disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CDROM,
any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium
with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other
memory chip or cartridge.
[0017] In another embodiment, the machine-readable medium can be a transmission
media including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that
include the bus 145. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light
waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications.
8/16
[0018] In some embodiments, the multimedia electronic device 105 is connected to a
storage device 165 for storing or fetching information. Examples of the storage device
165 includes, but are not limited to, a flash drive, a pen drive, a hard disk or any other
storage media. The storage device 165 is used to store one or more reference images,
one or more desired images, etc.
[0019] Further, the multimedia electronic device 105 includes a transition unit 110.
The transition unit 110 randomly applies a transition effect to the first display image for
obtaining the second display image. Furthermore, the multimedia electronic device 105
includes a user interface 160. The user interface 160 accepts ratings for the applied
transition effect from the users. Furthermore, the multimedia electronic device 105
includes a comparison unit 140 for automatically comparing the display images based
on multiple parameters using multiple image comparison techniques. Furthermore, the
multimedia electronic device 105 includes a correlation unit 135 operatively coupled to
the comparison unit 140. The correlation unit 130 correlates the applied transition
effects with the obtained image comparison values.
[0020] FIG.2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for computing an optimal transition
effect between a pair of display images.
[0021] The method starts at step 205.
[0022] At step 210 a transition effect is applied to a first display image for obtaining a
second display image. As used herein the term “transition effect” refers to a graphical
technique for visually depicting the transition from an image to another, and is
9/16
preferably defined by a subroutine or set of parameters stored in conjunction with the
previewing program that specifies how the transition effect is to be performed.
Transition effect is, for example, morphing, reveal, wipes, dissolves, fades, focuses,
flying planes, pushes, pulls, cuts, etc. However, this list is by no means exhaustive as a
person having ordinary skill in the art could readily devise a wide variety of additional
transition effects.
[0023] At step 215 the users provide multiple ratings for the applied transition effect.
The ratings are received.
[0024] At step 220 the received ratings are saved in the storage unit 130.
[0025] At step 225 the saved ratings are used to determine the optimal transition
effect based on the user preference statistics. As used herein, the term “user preference
statistics” refers to an understanding developed based on identification of relationships
and behaviors derived from at least one of the ratings. For determining the optimal
transition effect, multiple cumulative transition ratings are obtained by computing the
arithmetic sum of the saved ratings. Each of the cumulative transition ratings
corresponds to one of the image comparison techniques. Further, determining the
optimal transition effect includes comparing the display images based on multiple
parameters using multiple image comparison techniques. The parameters include, for
example, image size, brightness, distribution of pixels, degree of resemblance, signal to
noise brightness, mean square error, etc. The display images are compared using
multiple image comparison techniques to obtain multiple image comparison values. The
image comparison techniques include, for example, root mean square technique, signal
10/16
to noise brightness calculation technique, Hausdorff distance calculation, average
threshold calculation, image size comparison, mean square error calculation, etc The
image comparison values are determined based on at least one difference in
parameters between the display images.
[0026] Furthermore, determining the optimal transition effect includes correlating the
applied transition effects and the obtained image comparison values for retaining or
discarding one or more of the image comparison techniques. Performing correlation
includes correlating average values of the ratings with the image comparison values. In
an embodiment, on obtaining a low correlation value as an end result of the performed
correlation, the corresponding image comparison technique is retained. In this
embodiment, on obtaining a high comparison value, the corresponding image
comparison technique is discarded. For each of the retained image comparison
techniques, the corresponding transition effect and the cumulative ratings are recorded
in an orderly manner. The ratings for the recorded transition effects for the retained
image comparison techniques are added to obtain multiple net ratings. One of the
transition effects bearing a maximum value from among the net ratings is selected as
the optimal transition effect.
[0027] The method stops at 230.
[0028] In the preceding specification, the present disclosure and its advantages have
been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, it will be apparent to
a person of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and changes can be made,
without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as set forth in the claims
11/16
below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded as illustrative
examples of the present disclosure, rather than in restrictive sense. All such possible
modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present disclosure.
12/16
I/We claim:
1. A method determining an optimal transition effect between a pair of display images
based on user preference statistics, comprising:
applying a transition effect to a first display image to obtain a second display
image;
receiving a plurality of inputs indicative of a plurality of ratings provided by a
plurality of users for the applied transition effect;
saving the ratings provided by the users; and
determining the optimal transition effect based on the user preference statistics,
wherein the user preference statistics are derived from at least one of the ratings.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:
obtaining cumulative transition ratings based on saved ratings;
13/16
comparing the display images based on a plurality of parameters using a plurality
of image comparison techniques to obtain a plurality of image comparison
values; and
correlating the applied transition effects and the obtained image comparison
values for one of retaining and discarding one or more of the image comparison
techniques.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cumulative transition ratings is the sum of
ratings of each of the transition effect, wherein each of the cumulative transition
ratings corresponds to one of the image comparison techniques.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of correlating comprises correlating
average values of the ratings and the image comparison values.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the image comparison values are determined
based on at least one difference between the display images.
6. A system for determining an optimal transition effect between a pair of display
images comprising a first display image and a second display image based on user
preference statistics, comprising:
14/16
a transition unit for randomly applying a transition effect to the first display image
for obtaining the second display image;
a display unit for rendering the display images to one or more users;
a user interface for accepting ratings for the applied transition effect from the
users;
a comparison unit for automatically comparing the display images based on a
plurality of parameters using a plurality of image comparison techniques; and
a correlation unit operatively coupled to the comparison unit for correlating the
applied transition effects and the obtained image comparison values.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is implementable in a plurality of
multimedia electronic devices.
8. A system for performing a method, the method as described herein and in
accompanying figures.
15/16
9. A multimedia electronic device for determining an optimal transition effect between a
pair of display images based on user preference statistics, the optimal transition
effect as described herein and in accompanying figures.