Associative media architecture and platform

• US 20050060640A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: G. W. Hannaway & Associates
• Original Assignee: G. W. Hannaway & Associates
• Inventors: Snyder, William, Ross, Jennifer, McClain, Ned, Hein, Trent R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,151,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

An associative media architecture and platform that enables communication of media objects between participants using a variety of communication infrastructures and media presentation devices as determined by the users and owners of the media assets. Media assets formatted as media representations (e.g., a file having a playable media format, a media stream, a disk, tape, wire, or carrier wave having analog and/or digital data encoded thereon, and the like) are associated with a globally unique identifier to form a media object. The media object can contain any media representation irrespective of format. The media object is an elemental entity having characteristics that are preferably retained throughout the life of the media object. The media object may be owned by one or more participants. The media object may be associated with owner preferences that can influence the context in which the media object is presented. The media object may exist in multiple storage locations, although each stored instance of the media object retains its unique identification and remains associated with the owner preferences.

Claims

1. A media object comprising:

a media representation; and

a globally unique identification associated with the media representation.

2. The media object of claim 1 further comprising:

information associated with the media object, wherein the associated information is specified by an owner of the media object and influences a context in which the media object is usable.

3. The media object of claim 2 wherein the associated information specifies business rules related to presentation of the media object.

4. The media object of claim 2 wherein the associated information specifies preferences of a user of the media object related to presentation of the media object.

5. The media object of claim 1 wherein the associated information specifies licensing terms related to presentation of the media object.

6. The media object of claim 1 wherein the associated information specifies pricing and settlement rules related to presentation of the media object.

7. The media object of claim 1 wherein the associated information specifies storage rules related to storage the media object.

8. The media object of claim 1 wherein the associated information specifies distribution rules related to distribution of the media object.

9. The media object of claim 1 wherein the media representation is updateable and/or exchangeable with a substitute media representation.

10. The media object of claim 1 wherein the media representation comprises a digital file having an industry-standard media format.

11. The media object of claim 1 wherein the media representation comprises a media stream.

12. The media object of claim 1 wherein the media representation has an elemental form that is independent of any media delivery mechanism and is retained in the elemental form throughout its lifetime.

13. The media object of claim 1 wherein the media representation has an elemental form that is independent of any display device and is retained in the elemental form throughout its lifetime.

14. A media product comprising:

one or more digital media objects wherein each media object is associated with an owner of the digital media object.

15. The media product of claim 14 wherein each media object is associated with business rules that influence a context in which the media object is associated with the media product.

16. The media product of claim 14 wherein the media product is associated with a consumer of the media product to which the media object belongs.

17. The media product of claim 14 wherein the one or more media objects comprise media objects owned by a plurality of owners.

18. The media product of claim 14 wherein each media object is associated with owner-specified constraints on how the media object can be incorporated into the product.

19. The media product of claim 18 wherein the constraints are associated with the media product by at least one of the group comprising:

assignment, inheritance, derived, implicit association, and explicit association.

20. The media product of claim 14 wherein the media product is configured for playback by a specific consumer.

21-52. -52. (Cancelled).