Method and apparatus for content repository with versioning and data modeling

• US 20030097365A1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Stickler, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 6,904,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/32 on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The present invention is related to method and apparatus for versioning. Versioning information is stored as metadata associated with data entities. A hierarchical relationship between the entities allows the definition of an editorial sequence and separate revisions within that sequence as well as relationships between sequences in a self-contained format.

Claims

1. A content repository system comprising a storage device for a plurality of persistent data entities including metadata each entity having a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope, wherein at least one entity includes metadata that identifies a sequential relationship between one or more entities within the scope of said one entity, each of said entities including metadata defining a position within said sequential relationship.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a further entity includes, in addition to metadata identifying a sequential relationship between one or more entities within the scope of said further entity, metadata identifying as a source of said sequential relationship, one of said entities within the scope of said at least one entity.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said storage device is connected to a network.

4. The system according to claim 1, including a plurality of said storage devices.

5. A content repository system comprising a storage device for a plurality of persistent data entities including metadata each entity having a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope, wherein within the scope of an entity at a higher level there exists at least one entity at an intermediate level whose metadata identifies a sequential relationship between one or more entities of a lower level and within the scope of said one entity, each of said entities at said lower level including metadata defining a position within said sequential relationship.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein a further entity at said intermediate level includes, in addition to metadata identifying a sequential relationship between one or more entities of a lower level and within the scope of said further entity, metadata identifying as a source of said sequential relationship, one of said entities at a lower level within the scope of said one entity at said intermediate level.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein said storage device is connected to a network.

8. The system according to claim 5, including a plurality of said storage devices.

9. A versioning method for an object oriented programming environment comprising:

associating metadata with an entity indicative of a position within a sequence of one or more entities of corresponding scope;

identifying said sequence by associating further metadata with an entity whose scope encompasses said sequence of one or more entities,

wherein the object oriented programming environment includes a set of persistent entities each having a predetermined level of scope, a related set of entities comprising a hierarchical plurality of levels such that an entity at a higher level of scope encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising associating additional metadata with said further metadata identifying said sequence, said additional metadata identifying a source of said sequence.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said additional metadata comprises an identification of an entity included in another such sequence of entities.

12. An apparatus comprising a storage medium containing instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

associating metadata with an entity indicative of a position within a sequence of one or more entities of corresponding scope; and

identifying said sequence by associating further metadata with an entity whose scope encompasses said sequence of one or more entities,

wherein each entity has a predetermined level of scope, a related set of entities comprising a hierarchical plurality of levels such that an entity at a higher level of scope encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, the instructions when executed causing the computing device to further perform associating additional metadata with said further metadata identifying said sequence, said additional metadata identifying a source of said sequence.

14. A data modeling tool for an object oriented programming environment comprising:

an interface operable to receive a request specifying a data model in terms of relationships between sequences of entities; and

a processor operable in response to said received request to generate a data model utilizing metadata associated with said entities,

wherein at least one entity includes metadata indicative of a position within a sequence of one or more entities of corresponding scope, said sequence being identified by further metadata associated with an entity whose scope encompasses said sequence of one or more entities, the object oriented programming environment including a set of persistent data entities each having a predetermined level of scope wherein a related set of data entities comprises a hierarchical plurality of levels such that an entity at a higher level of scope encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope.