DETECTION OF TRANSITIONS IN VIDEO SEQUENCES

Frame dissimilarity measure (FDM) values are generated for pairs of frames in a video sequence that are separated by a specified timing window size, where each FDM value is the ratio of a net dissimilarity measure and a cumulative dissimilarity measure. In one embodiment, a first threshold condition is applied to identify peaks in the FDM data that could correspond to transitions between shots in a video sequence. A second threshold condition is applied to the FDM data adjacent to the detected peaks to identify frames at the start and end of the transition. The first threshold condition determines whether the FDM values exceed a first specified threshold level, while the second threshold condition determines whether the FDM values fall below a second specified threshold level. The net and cumulative dissimilarity measures may be based on histograms for the two frames. The present invention is effective in detecting gradual transitions between shots, such as wipes, dissolves, and fades, as well as abrupt transitions, such as cuts.