Adaptive fast playback-based video skimming using a compressed-domain visual complexity measure

We present a novel compressed domain measure of spatio-temporal activity or visual complexity of a video segment. The visual complexity measure indicates how fast a video segment can be played within human perceptual limits. We present an adaptive "smart fast-forward" based video skimming method where the playback speed is varied based on the visual complexity. Alternatively, spatio-temporal smoothing is used to reduce visual complexity for an acceptable playback at a given playback speed. The complexity measure and the skimming method are based on early vision principles, thus they are applicable across a wide range of content type and applications. It is best suited for low temporal compression instant skims. It preserves the temporal continuity and eliminates the risk of missing an important event. It can be extended to include semantic inputs such as face or event detection, or can be a presentation end to semantic summarization.