Methods and systems for providing random access to structured media content

• US 20040210604A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hong-Hui Sun, Hu Li, Jin Li, Qian Zhang, Xianoning Ling
• Inventors: Li, Hu, Li, Jin, Zhang, Qian, Sun, Hong-Hui, Ling, Xianoning
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing random access of structured media content are described. One aspect provides a novel file structure or “Vfile”, and method of using the same, for organizing and managing portions of a structured media content file that are or can be downloaded from a content provider such as a multimedia content server. The Vfile is configured to emulate a server file structure that a server uses to store structured media content files. The Vfile is established at a client location when a client accesses a structured media content file and is used to buffer and cache structured media content file portions. In addition to having an infrastructure that emulates the server'"'"'s file structure, the Vfile includes one or more media management tags. The tags are used by the client to manage a cache of structured media content file portions that are downloaded from the server. Exemplary tags include, but are not limited to (1) a validity tag that indicates whether a particular portion of a structured media content file is available in the Vfile cache, (2) a hit count tag that gives an indication of how many times a particular portion has been accessed, (3) an importance tag that gives a weight to the hit count and determines how long the portion can stay in cache, and (4) a lock tag that indicates whether or not to lock selected structured media content file portions in the Vfile. Cache management strategies make use of the management tags to ensure that relevant portions of the media file are maintained by the client for as long as they are needed. Those file portions that are needed, but which are not present in the Vfile, can be streamed to the client by the server while those file portions that are present are used to render a view for the user.

Claims

1. A method for randomly accessing structured media content comprising:

assigning individual importance values to a plurality of structured media content file portions;

storing the structured media content file portions in a client cache structure;

using the individual importance values, while randomly accessing structured media content file portions located on a plurality of different computers, to determine which stored structured media content file portions in the client cache should be removed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning takes place when the structured media content file portions are encoded.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning takes place based upon the resolution and/or quality of the structured media content file portions.

4. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 1.

5. A method for randomly accessing structured media content comprising:

assigning individual priority values to a plurality of structured media content file portions;

evaluating the individual priority values; and

responsive to said evaluating, sending at least one structured media content file portion having a higher priority value to a client before sending at least one structured media content file portion having a lower priority value to provide random access to a plurality of structured media content file portions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said assigning comprises assigning priority values based upon the resolution and/or quality of the structured media content file portions.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said sending comprises streaming said at least one structured media content file portion to the client.

8. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 5.

9. A method for randomly accessing structured media content comprising:

determining one or more structured media content file portions that may likely be requested by a client, but which have not specifically been requested by a client; and

sending said one or more structured media content file portions to the client before the client requests them.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining comprises:

ascertaining a current client view; and

identifying one or more structured media content file portions that are close in proximity with structured media content file portions that correspond to the current client view.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining comprises:

ascertaining a current client view; and

identifying one or more structured media content file portions that correspond to a higher resolution of the current client view.

12. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 9.

13. An architecture for managing structured media content, the architecture being embodied on one or more computer-readable media comprising:

an importance evaluator module configured to assign importance values to a plurality of portions of a structured media content file, the importance values being useable to determine whether to remove individual portions of the structured media content file from a client cache file; and

a priority evaluator module configured to assign priority values to a plurality of portions of a structured media content file, the priority values being useable to determine an order in which the portions are to be provided from a server to a client.

14. The architecture of claim 13 further comprising a preemptive loader module configured to predict a structured media content file portion that a client will likely request so that the structured media content file portion can be preemptively provided to the client, without the client specifically requesting so.

15. The architecture of claim 14, wherein the preemptive loader module predicts said portions by determining which portions are close in proximity to portions that correspond to a currently rendered view.

16. The architecture of claim 14, wherein the preemptive loader module predicts said portions by determining which portions correspond to higher resolution content of a currently rendered view.

17. The architecture of claim 13 implemented on one or more client computers that are configured to display images that correspond to the structured media content.

18. The architecture of claim 13, at least portions of which are implemented on one or more client computers that are configured to display images that correspond to the structured media content, other portions of which are implemented on one or more server computers that are configured to access and provide structured media content to the one or more client computers.

19. The architecture of claim 14 implemented on one or more client computers that are configured to display images that correspond to the structured media content.

20. The architecture of claim 14, at least portions of which are implemented on one or more client computers that are configured to display images that correspond to the structured media content, other portions of which are implemented on one or more server computers that are configured to access and provide structured media content to the one or more client computers.