Systems for processing multi-media editing projects

• US 20050091339A1
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rudolph, Eric H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Systems for processing multi-media editing projects are described. In one embodiment, a computing system comprises input means for generating a request for one or more multi-media files for use in a multi-media editing project, one or more processors, one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method comprising: intercepting the request; ascertaining whether a requested multi-media file is located on the user computer by checking one or more user-designated directories for the multi-media file; retrieving the multi-media file if the file is located on the user computer; and seeking the requested file from the network-accessible location if the multi-media file is not located on the user computer.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

input means for generating a request for one or more multi-media files for use in a multi-media editing project, the request being generated by a user computer that comprises part of a network where multi-media files are maintained in a network-accessible location;

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by said one or more processors, perform a method comprising;

intercepting the request;

ascertaining whether a requested multi-media file is located on the user computer by checking one or more user-designated directories for the multi-media file;

retrieving the multi-media file if the file is located on the user computer; and

seeking the requested file from the network-accessible location if the multi-media file is not located on the user computer.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method further comprising asking a user to designate a local directory if a requested file is not found on the user computer.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method further comprising asking a user to designate a local directory if a requested file is not found on the user computer, and then searching for the requested file in a designated local directory before seeking the requested file from the network-accessible location.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said ascertaining comprises checking various predetermined file directories on the computer'"'"'s hard drive.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said ascertaining comprises:

maintaining a list of directories where multi-media files have been stored in the past; and

checking directories on the list for the requested one or more files.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said ascertaining comprises:

maintaining a list of directories where multi-media files are stored; and

checking directories on the list for the requested one or more files.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said ascertaining comprises:

maintaining a list of directories where multi-media files have been stored in the past or are presently stored; and

checking directories on the list for the requested one or more files.

8. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method further comprising:

maintaining a list of directories where multi-media files are stored; and

updating the list responsive to receiving and storing a multi-media file in a local directory that is not on the list.

9. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method further comprising:

maintaining a list of directories where multi-media files are stored; and

updating the list responsive to a user designating a local directory that is not on the list.

10. The computing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a computer network communicatively linked with said computing system and comprising means for storing said multi-media files.

11. A computing system comprising:

input means for enabling a user to request one or more multi-media files for creating a multi-media editing project;

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by said one or more processors, perform a method comprising;

maintaining information on the computing system, the computing system comprising part of a network having multiple computers, said information being associated with multi-media files that are maintained in a network-accessible location and that can be temporarily stored on the computing system; and

responsive to a request to retrieve a multi-media file from the network-accessible location, using the information to attempt to locate the requested file on the computing system in one or more user-designated directories before attempting to retrieve the file in the network-accessible location.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said information comprises a list of local directories where multi-media files are stored.

13. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said information comprises a list of local directories where multi-media files have been stored.

14. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said information comprises a list of local directories where multi-media files are or have been stored.

15. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said information comprises a list of local directories where multi-media files are stored, and further comprising asking a user to designate one or more local directories where a requested multi-media file might be stored if the requested file cannot be located in the directories designated on the list.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method further comprising updating the list responsive to a user designating the one or more directories, and searching for multi-media files in the one or more directories on subsequent attempts to locate requested files.

17. The computing system of claim 11 further comprising a network comprising multiple computers, said network being communicatively linked with said computing system and comprising one or more network-accessible locations for maintaining multi-media files.

18. A computing system comprising:

input means for enabling a user to request one or more multi-media files for creating a multi-media editing project;

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by said one or more processors, perform a method comprising;

receiving one or more multi-media files from a network-accessible location;

locally storing the one or more multi-media files in a user-designated directory on the computing system;

updating a list of local user-designated directories that contain or have contained multi-media files in the past in the event that the one or more multi-media files are stored in a user-designated directory that is not contained in the list;

responsive to receiving a request for a multi-media file that is maintained in the network-accessible location;

first checking in all of the user-designated directories on the list of user-designated directories for the requested file; and

second checking the network-accessible location for the requested file in the event the requested file is not found on the computing system.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method further comprising prior to second checking, asking a user to point to a local directory where the requested file might be stored and checking that local directory for the requested file.

20. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein said updating comprises doing so responsive to a user pointing to a local directory where the requested file might be stored.

21. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method wherein the multi-media files are read only files.

22. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media;

software code embodied on the one or more computer-readable media and configured to implement;

a multi-media file locator object configured to intercept network-bound requests for multi-media files and determine whether requested files are locally maintained on the compute system in one or more user-designated directories; and

a list associated with the file locator object and referencing user-designated file directories on the computing system where multi-media files are stored, the list being used by the file locator object to determine whether requested files are maintained on the computing system.

23. The computing system of claim 22, wherein the list references local file directories where files have been maintained in the past.

24. The computing system of claim 22, wherein the locator object is configured to update the list.

25. The computing system of claim 22, wherein the locator object is configured to update the list responsive to a multi-media file being stored in a local directory where multi-media files have not been stored before.

26. The computing system of claim 22, wherein the locator object is configured to update the list responsive to a user designating a local directory where a multi-media file is stored.

27. The computing system of claim 22, wherein the locator object is configured to cause one or more multi-media files to be sought through the network in the event that the one or more files are not locally maintained.

28. The computing system of claim 22, wherein the locator object comprises a COM object.

29. The computing system of claim 22, wherein the locator object comprises an object-oriented object.

30. The computing system of claim 22 further comprising a network comprising multiple computers for storing multi-media files.