A multi-level Video Annotation Tool based on XML-dictionaries

Recent advances in digital video technology have resulted in an explosion of digital video data which are available through the Web or in private repositories. Efficient searching in these repositories created the need of semantic labeling of video data at various levels of granularity, i.e., movie, scene, shot, keyframe, video object, etc. Through Multilevel labeling video content is appropriately indexed, allowing access from various modalities and for a variety of applications. However, despite the huge efforts for automatic video annotation human intervention is the only way for reliable semantic video annotation. Manual video annotation is an extremely laborious process and efficient tools developed for this purpose can make, in many cases, the true difference. In this paper we present a video annotation tool, which uses structured knowledge, in the form of XML dictionaries, for semantic labeling, and an efficient shot detection algorithm for automatic video segmentation. Furthermore, it allows hierarchical semantic annotation from the highest to the lowest level of granularity through a properly designed graphical user interface. Finally, XML dictionary creation and editing tools are available during annotation allowing the user to always use the semantic label she/he wishes.