Support applications for rich media publishing

• US 20050102324A1
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hamoui, Omar, Spring, Leslie, Hollenbeck, Todd, Hjelming, James Andreas, Hsiu, Galvin Karan, Pena, Jose Armando
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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

Abstract

A repository system for media publishing, comprising: a plurality of storage devices configured to store a plurality of media items, each storage device configured to store a different type of media item than that of other storage devices in the plurality of storage devices; and metadata information relating to the media items stored in the plurality of storage devices, wherein the metadata information enables hierarchical organization of the media items so that the media items can be relatively easily accessed, moved, added, and deleted.

Claims

1. A repository system for media publishing, comprising:

a plurality of storage devices configured to store a plurality of media items, each storage device configured to store a different type of media item than that of other storage devices in said plurality of storage devices; and

metadata information relating to the plurality of media items stored in said plurality of storage devices,

wherein said metadata information enables hierarchical organization of the plurality of media items so that the media items can be relatively easily accessed, moved, added, and deleted.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of storage devices is distributed over a network such that said repository system is configured as an online repository system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the online repository system is configured as a Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) facility.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a communication servlet to allow management of media items stored in said plurality of storage devices using WebDAV-issued commands.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the WebDAV-issued commands includes HTTP requests.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of repository filter services configured to provide a framework for performing operations on the plurality of media items while uploading and downloading the media items from the network.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of templates, each template specifying a particular format for the different type of media item.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said plurality of repository filter services includes a transcoder operating to perform one or more operations on a media item to convert the media item from its original format to a format closer to or matching the particular format specified by the template.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said plurality of repository filter services includes a media manipulation system to change a media item from one type to another type.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said media manipulation system includes an image manipulation system configured to resize an image of the media item.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said one type of media item includes JPEG image.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said one type of media item includes an MP3 music file.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said one type of media item includes streaming media.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an asset table to encapsulate relationship between files and folders in said repository system.

15. A method of providing storage for media items in media publishing, comprising:

storing a first type of media items in a first storage device;

storing a second type of media items in a second storage device;

relating first metadata information to the first type of media items; and

relating second metadata information to the second type of media items,

wherein said first and second metadata information enable hierarchical organization of the media items so that the media items can be relatively easily accessed, moved, added, and deleted.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

configuring the first and second storage devices to be distributed over a network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the distributed first and second storage devices are configured as a Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) facility.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

managing media items stored in the distributed first and second storage devices using WebDAV-issued commands.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the WebDAV-issued commands includes HTTP requests.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing a framework for performing operations on retrieved media items while uploading and downloading media items from the network.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

specifying a particular format for the media items.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the frame work for performing operations on retrieved media items includes performing one or more transcoding operations on a media item to convert the media item from its original format to a format closer to or matching the particular format.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the frame work for performing operations on retrieved media items includes changing the media item from one type to another type.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

configuring the first and second storage devices into a virtual folder to enable storage of media items and metadata information independent of physical locations.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

presenting the first and second types of media items according the virtual folder such that storage of the first and second types of media items are independent of the first and second storage devices.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

configuring the first and second storage devices into a plurality of virtual folders to enable storage of media items and metadata information independent of physical locations.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein configuring the first and second storage devices into a plurality of virtual folders includes enabling each user to have a different view of the stored media items than other users.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein configuring the first and second storage devices into a plurality of virtual folders includes customizing features of a presentation including the media items.

29. A computer program, stored in a tangible storage medium, for use in providing storage for media items in media publishing, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

store a first type of media items in a first storage device;

store a second type of media items in a second storage device;

relate first metadata information to the first type of media items; and

relate second metadata information to the second type of media items,

wherein said first and second metadata information enable hierarchical organization of the media items so that the media items can be relatively easily accessed, moved, added, and deleted.

30. A method for identifying a source of user referral for a media publishing website, comprising:

storing a referring URL in a cookie variable;

retrieving the referring URL from the cookie variable during a registration process to enter the media publishing website; and

dynamically customizing a home page of the media publishing website according to the referring URL.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein storing a referring URL includes appending a variable containing referring URL to a request string,

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the request string includes a 1×

1 pixel gif that is loaded on the home page.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

adding a distinction between original and current session referrals.

34. A repository system for media publishing, comprising:

a plurality of storage means for storing a plurality of media items, each storage means configured to store a different type of media item than that of other storage means in said plurality of storage means; and

means for relating metadata information to the plurality of media items stored in said plurality of storage means,

wherein relating metadata information enables hierarchical organization of the plurality of media items so that the media items can be relatively easily accessed, moved, added, and deleted

35. A storage system for media publishing, comprising:

means for storing a first type of media items;

means for storing a second type of media items;

means for relating first metadata information to the first type of media items; and

means for relating second metadata information to the second type of media items,

wherein said first and second metadata information enable hierarchical organization of the media items so that the media items can be relatively easily accessed, moved, added, and deleted.

36. A user referral identification system for a media publishing website, comprising:

means for storing a referring URL in a cookie variable;

means for retrieving the referring URL from the cookie variable during a registration process to enter the media publishing website; and

means for dynamically customizing a home page of the media publishing website according to the referring URL.