FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of video and audio processing and, more particularly, to automatic object-aware video and audio editing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Prior to the background of the invention being set forth, it may be helpful to provide definitions of certain terms that will be used hereinafter.

The term “video redaction” and “audio redaction” as used herein is as the removal of at least some of the content of a video or audio respectively, usually but not necessarily, due to privacy reasons.

The term “object” as used herein is defined either as visual or acoustic appearance of a real-life object in a video, or as any descriptor of the object such as attributes or features associated with it. Thus, in the context discussed herein, while “object” is confined to the content of a video and sound, it may include both the data itself and the meta data describing it.

The term “similarity” or “similar” as used herein in the context of objects is defined as a level of similarity between two objects. Usually, but not necessarily, such measures are in some sense the inverse of distance metrics: they take on large values for similar objects and either zero or a negative value for very dissimilar objects.

Video cameras play an important role in keeping our daily lives safe. However, there are situations where cameras are not used due to resistance by people who do not want some people or objects to be recorded. For example, consider a kindergarten where most parents would like to install cameras to watch over their children, but a minority of parents do not approve of these cameras. The ability to create a redacted video, where the children of those disapproving parents are removed, could resolve this issue. In this context, redaction can mean the removal of selected objects that were recorded in the video, removal of sounds related to these objects, or removal of references to these objects from any meta-data related to this video, or to change the video and the sound such that the identity of objects cannot be recovered. The ability to create a redacted video as above could satisfy both those that want to install the cameras and those who do not want their children to be recorded in the video. In another example, cameras installed at homes may exclude from the recorded video the residents of this home. This will allow only recording of intruders and guests, while giving the home residents the privacy they want. In other examples, the redacted video may exclude people in indecent situations, exclude children, and the like.

In addition to removing objects from the original video, when cameras record also sound, it may also be desirable to remove specific sounds. One example is to remove the sounds associated with the removed objects. Another example is to remove human speech from the soundtrack of the video, while keeping other sounds, in order to avoid eavesdropping and wiretapping concerns. However, there may be other sounds that may be removed for different purposes. In some cases, it may be desirable to remove normal background sounds, like traffic or machinery sounds, in order to better hear the foreground sounds. In other cases, it may be required to remove only voices of children.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method of automatic video redaction is provided herein. The method may include the following steps: obtaining an input video; obtaining at least one prespecified object, being a visual or an acoustic object or a descriptor thereof; analyzing the input video, to detect a matched object, being an object having descriptors similar to the descriptors of the at least one prespecified object; and generating a redacted video, comprising the input video, by removing or replacing the matched objects therefrom.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, a system for automatic video redaction is provided herein, the system may include: a computer memory configured to: obtain an input video; obtain at least one prespecified object, being a visual or an acoustic object or a descriptor thereof; and a computer processor configured to: analyze the input video, to detect a matched object, being an object having descriptors similar to the descriptors of the at least one prespecified object; and generate a redacted video, comprising the input video, by removing or replacing the matched objects therefrom.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, a non-transitory computer readable medium for automatic video redaction, the computer readable medium may include a set of instructions that, when executed, cause at least one computer processor to: obtain an input video; obtain at least one prespecified object, being a visual or an acoustic object or a descriptor thereof; analyze the input video, to detect a matched object, being an object having descriptors similar to the descriptors of the at least one prespecified object; and generate a redacted video, comprising the input video, by removing or replacing the matched objects therefrom.

