Media processing methods, systems and application program interfaces

• US 20050125734A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dunbar, Geoffrey T., Weiss, Rebecca C., Nelson, Patrick N., Mohammed, Sohail Baig, Sherwani, Adil, Debique, Kirt A., Grigorovitch, Alexandre V., Barde, Sumedh N., Speed, Robin C.B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,712,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/731
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

Media processing methods, systems and application program interfaces (APIs) are described. In but one embodiment, a media engine component, also referred to as a media engine, provides a simple and unified way of rendering media from an origin to a destination of choice without requiring intimate knowledge about the underlying components, their connectivity and management. Clients of the media engine need not worry about how to render the particular media, but rather can simply focus on what media to render and where to render the media. In at least one embodiment, a media session is provided and is encapsulated by the media engine and provides a mechanism by which additional components are made transparent to the application and, in at least some embodiment, the media engine. In some embodiments, the media engine and media session provide a simple API for building, configuring, and manipulating a pipeline of components (e.g. media sources, transforms, and sinks) for media flow control between an origin and one or more destinations.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more computer-readable media;

an application program interface embodied on the one or more computer-readable media and which can be utilized to present a presentation;

the application program interface comprising;

a plurality of open methods that can be called by an application, the open methods comprising a parameter for specifying a destination for the presentation, and at least a parameter for specify a data source for the presentation;

wherein collectively, the parameters for specifying a data source enable data sources to be specified in different manners;

a method for ascertaining the state of a media engine that causes the presentation to be presented;

a method for ascertaining capabilities of the media engine;

a method to start processing media samples that are the subject of the presentation;

a method to stop processing media samples; and

a method to pause media sample processing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said one parameter for specifying a data source specifies a URL as a data source.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said one parameter for specifying a data source specifies a media source created by the application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said one parameter for specifying a data source specifies an object that has an interface from which a media source object can be obtained.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said one parameter for specifying a data source specifies an object from which a byte stream can be obtained.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said one parameter for specifying a data source specifies a topology object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one media engine state comprises an initial state that is assumed when the media engine is created.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one media engine state comprises a connecting state that is assumed when the media engine is trying to open a networked media and is connecting to a server.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein one media engine state comprises an opened state that is assumed when the media engine has successfully opened a media.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein one media engine state comprises a running state that is assumed when the media engine has successfully started a presentation.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein one media engine state comprises a paused state that is assumed when the media engine has successfully paused a presentation.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein one media engine state comprises a shutdown state that is assumed when the media engine is shut down.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein one media engine state comprises a transitioning state that is assumed when an asynchronous call is made on the media engine.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein one media engine state comprises a suspended state that is assumed when the opening or running of the media engine is waiting on a user action.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the method for ascertaining the capabilities of the media engine returns a bitwise OR of the current capabilities of the media engine.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the method for ascertaining the capabilities of the media engine returns a bitwise OR of the current capabilities of the media engine, and wherein bits that describe the current capabilities of the media engine comprise a start bit, a skipforward bit, a skip backward bit, a skip node bit, a seek bit, and a pause bit.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the method to start processing samples comprises a first parameter for specifying a time format to use with other parameters and at least a second parameter for specifying an offset from which to start processing.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising a method that returns a current destination.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising a method that returns a presentation clock being used for the presentation.

20. The system of claim 1 further comprising a method that provides access to metadata associated with the presentation.

21. The system of claim 1 further comprising a method that provides access to statistics associated with the presentation.

22. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation.

23. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event that is associated with a new presentation.

24. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event associated with completion of an open call.

25. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event associated with completion of an operation begun by calling said method to start processing media sample.

26. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event associated with completion of an operation begun by calling said method to stop processing media samples.

27. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event associated with completion of an operation begun by calling said method to pause processing media samples.

28. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event that indicates that a last media sample from an active media source has been rendered.

29. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event associated with completion of an operation begun by calling a close method on the media engine.

30. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event associated with a presentation switch.

31. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event associated with a destination change.

32. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event associated with a media engine state change.

33. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation, wherein one event comprises an event that indicates that a set of operations allowed by the media engine has changed.

34. The system of claim 1 further comprising a stream selector interface that provides methods for setting stream selection modes.

35. The system of claim 1 further comprising a stream selector interface that provides methods for setting stream selection modes, wherein one mode comprises an automatic mode in which the media engine is responsible for selecting which streams are used;

another mode comprises a manual mode in which an application has control over which streams are selected.

36. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation.

37. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method for initializing a full topology on the media session.

38. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method for converting a partial topology into a full topology.

39. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method to start processing media samples for the presentation.

40. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method to start media sample processing without rendering the media samples.

41. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method to pause media sample processing in the media session.

42. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method to stop media sample processing in the media session.

43. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method to shut the media session down and release resources used by the media session.

44. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method to specify a presentation clock to be used in rendering a current media session.

45. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation, wherein one method comprises a method to return a presentation clock being used to rendering a current media session.

46. A system comprising:

one or more computer-readable media;

an application program interface embodied on the one or more computer-readable media and which can be utilized to present a presentation;

the application program interface comprising;

a plurality of open methods that can be called by an application, the open methods comprising a parameter for specifying a destination for the presentation, and at least a parameter for specify a data source for the presentation;

collectively, the parameters for specifying a data source enabling data sources to be specified in different manners;

a method for ascertaining the state of a media engine that causes the presentation to be presented;

a method for ascertaining capabilities of the media engine;

a plurality of methods for providing presentation control;

a method that provides access to metadata associated with the presentation;

a method that provides access to statistics associated with the presentation;

an event generator interface for generating events associated with the presentation;

a stream selector interface that provides methods for setting stream selection modes; and

a

a media session interface that provides methods that enable the media engine to configure a media session for a presentation.