Meta data management for media content objects

• US 20020184180A1
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Debique, Kirt A., DeBacker, Gabriel S., Stewart, David E., Omoigui, Nosakhare D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Meta data associated with multiple pieces of content (e.g., songs, movies, other audio/video clips, etc.) stored on multiple pieces of media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, etc.) is maintained in a meta data store. The meta data store also includes meta data associated with other pieces of content stored elsewhere, such as songs stored in files on a local hard drive that have been ripped from a CD or DVD. These other pieces of content are associated with the content on the pieces of media, such as being ripped versions of the same song tracks. This association is maintained in the meta data store, so that whenever a change is made to meta data for one piece of content (e.g., for a track on a CD), then the meta data for the associated piece(s) is also changed (e.g., the ripped version stored in a file on the hard drive).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining meta data associated with a plurality of pieces of content stored on a plurality of pieces of media;

maintaining meta data associated with another plurality of pieces of content, wherein each of the other plurality of pieces of content corresponds to one of the plurality of pieces of content and is another version of the data in the corresponding one of the plurality of pieces of content; and

altering the meta data associated with one of the other plurality of pieces of content in response to the meta data associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of pieces of content being altered.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of content is a track of a compact disc (CD).

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the other plurality of pieces of content is a ripped version of the corresponding one of the plurality of pieces of content.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the other plurality of pieces of content is stored on a local hard drive.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identification of a set of content selected from the plurality of pieces of content;

obtaining table of contents information from a disc on which all of the set of content is stored;

generating a disc identifier based at least in part on the table of contents information;

identifying meta data corresponding to the set of content; and

generating a new storage structure, corresponding to the disc, and including the identified meta data.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a set of disc identifiers;

for each disc identifier, maintaining a set of children objects, wherein each of the children objects corresponds to one of the plurality of pieces of content; and

for each of one or more of the individual children objects, maintaining a set of additional objects, wherein each additional object corresponds to one of the other plurality of pieces of content.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the meta data is stored on a computer-readable medium having a data structure comprising:

a set of entries identifying objects, where each of the plurality of pieces of content corresponds to an object;

another set of entries identifying relationships between selected ones of the objects identified in the set with selected others of the objects; and

an additional set of entries identifying meta data associated with individual objects.

8. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 1.

41. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the content track comprises a video track.

9. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, causes the one or more processors to perform the following acts:

receiving an identification of a change to be made to meta data corresponding to a particular piece of content on a particular piece of media;

changing, based on the identification, meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content;

identifying one or more other pieces of content associated with the particular piece of content; and

changing, based on the identification, meta data corresponding to the one or more other pieces of content.

10. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the particular piece of content on the particular piece of media comprises a particular song on a particular compact disc (CD).

11. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the identification includes new meta data and wherein changing the meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content comprises overwriting any previous meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content with the new meta data.

12. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the particular piece of content comprises an audio track and wherein the other pieces of content comprise different versions of the audio track.

13. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the other pieces of content comprise ripped versions of the particular piece of content.

14. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein original meta data associated with the particular piece of content comprises meta data received from a remote server, and wherein the change to be made to the meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content comprises new meta data received from a user.

15. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the following acts:

receiving another identification of a change to be made to meta data, wherein the other identification is a change to be made to one of the other pieces of content;

changing, based on the other identification, the meta data corresponding to the one of the other pieces of content;

changing, based on the identification, the meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content; and

changing, based on the other identification, the meta data corresponding to the others of the one or more other pieces of content.

16. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the following acts:

maintaining an indication of a source of the change to the meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content;

maintaining an indication of a source of the change to the meta data corresponding to each of the one or more other pieces of content;

receiving an identification of another change to be made to meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content;

checking whether the source of the change to the meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content was a user;

changing, based on the identification of the other change, meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content if the source of the change to the meta data corresponding to the particular piece of content was the user;

checking whether the source of the change to the meta data corresponding to the one or more other pieces of contents was the user; and

changing, based on the identification of the other change, meta data corresponding to the one or more other pieces of content if the source of the change to the meta data corresponding to the one or more other pieces of contents was the user.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the local storage device is further configured to store both meta data associated with the plurality of pieces of content and meta data associated with the other plurality of pieces of content.

20. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to save an indication of a relationship between the plurality of tracks on the disc and corresponding to tracks associated with the other disc.

17. A system comprising:

a disc drive configured to have a removable disc inserted therein, wherein the removable disc includes a plurality of pieces of content;

a local storage device configured to store another plurality of pieces of content, wherein each of the other plurality of pieces of content corresponds to one of the plurality of pieces of content and is another version of the data in the corresponding one of the plurality of pieces of content; and

a meta data management module, configured to alter meta data associated with one of the other plurality of pieces of content in response to meta data associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of pieces of content being altered.

19. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, cause the one or more processors to perform the following acts:

receiving an identification of a plurality of tracks on a disc;

obtaining table of contents information from the disc;

generating a disc identifier based at least in part on the table of contents information;

accessing a local meta data store to identify meta data corresponding to the tracks and associated with another disc; and

generating a new storage structure, corresponding to the disc, and including the identified meta data.

21. A method comprising:

receiving a notification of a new piece of media, wherein the new piece of media includes a plurality of pieces of content that are selected by a user for inclusion on the new piece of media, and wherein the user selection is based on one or more other pieces of content associated with one or more other pieces of media;

generating a media identifier corresponding to the new piece of media;

identifying, from a meta data store, meta data corresponding to the plurality of pieces of content and associated with the one or more other pieces of content; and

saving, as meta data corresponding to the new piece of media, the identified meta data.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the new piece of media comprises a compact disc (CD).

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of content comprises a song.

24. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein generating the media identifier comprises:

obtaining table of contents information for the new piece of media; and

calculating, based at least in part on the table of contents information, the media identifier corresponding to the new piece of media.

25. A method as recited in claim 21, further comprising saving an indication of a relationship between content on the new piece of media and the corresponding one or more other pieces of media.

26. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 21.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising associating meta data with each child object and each additional object.

29. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising propagating, to the set of additional objects, any changes made to meta data corresponding to the child object.

30. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

receiving an indication to change meta data associated with one track on the disc;

altering, in response to the indication, meta data associated with the child object corresponding to the one track; and

altering, in response to the indication, meta data associated with the additional object corresponding to the child object corresponding to the track.

31. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein one or more disc identifiers in the set of disc identifiers is a compact disc (CD) identifier.

32. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein one or more disc identifiers in the set of disc identifiers is a digital versatile disc (DVD) identifier.

33. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 27.

35. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein each set of entries is implemented as a different table in a database.

36. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the set of entries also associates the objects with identifiers;

37. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the other set of entries identifies the relationships based on the identifiers associated with the objects.

39. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the content track comprises an audio track.

40. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the content track comprises an audio/video track.

42. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the particular medium comprises a particular compact disc (CD).

43. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the particular medium comprises a particular digital versatile disc (DVD).

44. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the particular medium comprises a particular optical disc.

27. A method of managing meta data corresponding to media content, the method comprising:

maintaining a set of disc identifiers;

for each disc identifier, maintaining a set of corresponding children objects, wherein each of the children objects corresponds to a track on the disc associated with the disc identifier;

for each of one or more of the individual children objects, maintaining a set of additional objects, wherein each additional object corresponds to a file associated with the track corresponding to the child object; and

associating, for each of the one or more individual children objects, the set of additional objects with the child object.

34. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

a set of entries identifying objects;

another set of entries identifying relationships between selected ones of the objects identified in the set with selected others of the objects; and

an additional set of entries identifying meta data associated with individual objects.

38. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a change to be made to meta data corresponding to a content track associated with a particular medium;

identifying a file associated with the content track, wherein the file stores a different version of the data in the content track;

changing, based on the indication, meta data corresponding to the content track; and

changing, based on the indication, meta data corresponding to the file.

45. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 38.