Methods and apparatus for integrating disparate media formats in a networked media system

• US 20070220024A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Putterman, Daniel, Dietrich, Brad
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764

Abstract

A media system includes at least a source media device and a playback media device coupled through a network. The source media device presents media to the network. The media comprises at least one digital content file with a first format. A playback media device plays back digital content files formatted in a second format. A transcoder, also coupled to the network, converts the first format of the digital content file to a second format. In one embodiment, the transcoder comprises a device separate from the source media device and the playback media device. In another embodiment, the transcoder comprises a device integrated with the source media device. The playback device receives the digital content file, formatted in the second format, over the network, and processes the digital content file in the second format to generate processed signals. The processed signals drive the playback device to play the digital content file. In another embodiment, the transcoder operates in conjunction with one or more media servers. For this embodiment, media, stored on the media servers, is converted to one or more different file formats. The conversion may occur without requiring a user to initiate the conversion.

Claims

1. A method for integrating disparate media types in a networked media system comprising a source media device configured to store digital content files in a first format and a playback device configured to process and present one or more digital content files in a second format, said method comprising:

determining that digital content files in said first format can be converted to digital content files in said second format;

transmitting, over a network, a first digital content file in said first format to a transcoder media device;

converting said first digital content file in said first format to a second digital content file in said second format in said transcoder media device; and

tranferring, over said network, said second digital content file to said source media device for storage,

wherein said determining, transmitting, converting, and transferring are performed automatically, without human intervention.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

processing said second digital content file, at said playback media device, to generate processed signals:

and

presenting said processed signals at said playback media device to play said second digital content file.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising receiving said first digital content file at said source media device from a device external to said source media device.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said first digital content file comprises a digital audio file;

processing said second digital content file to generate processed signals comprises processing said digital audio file to generate audio signals; and

presenting said processed signals at said playback media device comprises playing said audio at said playback media device.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said first format comprises a Microsoft Windows Media Audio (“

WMA”

) file, a Moving Pictures Experts Group layer 3 (“

MP3”

), or a Real Audio file.

8. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said second format comprises a pulse code modulated (“

PCM”

) file or a Moving Pictures Experts Group layer 3 (“

MP3”

) file.

10. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said first digital content file comprises a digital video file, processing said second digital content file to generate processed signals comprises processing said digital video file to generate video signals; and

presenting said processed signals at said playback media device comprises playing said video at said playback media device.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said first format comprises a Moving Pictures Experts Group layer 4 (“

MPEG-4”

) file, a Moving Joint Photographic Experts Group (“

MJPEG”

) file, a Quicktime file, a Microsoft Windows Media Video (“

WMV”

) file, or a Real Video file.

16. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said second format comprises a Moving Pictures Experts Group layer 2 (“

MPEG-2”

) file.

37. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, over said network, a third digital content file in said first format to said transcoder media device;

converting said third digital content file in said first format to a fourth digital content file in said second format in said transcoder media device;

tranferring, over said network, said fourth digital content file to said source media device for storage,

wherein said transmitting, converting, and transferring are performed automatically, without human intervention.

38. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising, for each digital content file in said first format stored on said source media device:

transmitting, over said network, said digital content file in said first format to said transcoder media device;

converting said digital content file in said first format to a digital content file in said second format in said transcoder media device;

tranferring, over said network, said digital content file in said second format to said source media device for storage,

wherein said transmitting, converting, and transferring are performed automatically, without human intervention.

39. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

aggregating a list of digital content files in said first format that are stored on said source media device, wherein said aggregating is performed automatically, without human intervention.

40. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said source media device is configured to store digital content files in two or more different formats, the method further comprising:

determining which digital content files of said two or more different formats can be converted to digital content files in said second format, wherein said determining is performed automatically, without human intervention.

41. The method as set forth in claim 40, further comprising, for each convertible digital content file stored on said source media device:

transmitting, over said network, said convertible digital content file to said transcoder media device;

converting said convertible digital content file to a digital content file in said second format in said transcoder media device;

tranferring, over said network, said digital content file in said second format to said source media device for storage,

wherein said transmitting, converting, and transferring are performed automatically, without human intervention.

42. The method as set forth in claim 40, further comprising:

aggregating a list of digital content files stored on said source media device that can be converted to digital content files in said second format, wherein said aggregating is performed automatically, without human intervention.

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17. A media system comprising:

network;

source media device, coupled to said network, configured for storing one or more digital content files in a first format and for transmitting, over said network, a first digital content file in said first format to a transcoder and

transcoder, coupled to said network, configured for determining that digital content files in said first format can be converted to digital content files in a second format, for receiving and converting said first digital content file in said first format of said media to a second digital content file in said second format, and for transferring said second digital content file to said source media device for storage;

wherein said source media device is configured for transmitting and said transcoder is configured for determining, converting, and transferring automatically, without human intervention.

18. The media system as set forth in claim 17, wherein said transcoder comprises a device integrated with said source media device.

19. The media system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

playback media device, coupled to said network, configured for receiving, over said network, said second digital content file, for processing said second digital content file to generate processed signals, and for presenting said processed signals at said playback media device to play said second digital content file.

20. The media system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said transcoder comprises a device integrated with said playback media device.

21. The media system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising receiving said first digital content file at said source media device from a device external to said source media device.

22. The media system as set forth in claim 19, wherein:

said first digital content file comprises a digital audio file; and

said processed signals comprise audio signals.

23. The media system as set forth in claim 22, wherein said first format comprises a Microsoft Windows Media Audio (“

WMA”

) file, a Moving Pictures Experts Group layer 3 (“

MP3”

), or a Real Audio file.

26. The media system as set forth in claim 22, wherein said second format comprises a pulse code modulated (“

PCM”

) file, or a Moving Pictures Experts Group layer 3 (“

MP3”

) file.

28. The media system as set forth in claim 19, wherein:

said first digital content file comprises a digital video file; and

said processed signals comprise video signals.

29. The media system as set forth in claim 28, wherein said first format comprises a Moving Pictures Experts Group layer 4 (“

MPEG-4”

) file, a Moving Joint Photographic Experts Group (“

MJPEG”

) file, a Quicktime file, a Microsoft Windows Media Video (“

WMV”

) file, or a Real Video file.

34. The media system as set forth in claim 28, wherein said second format comprises a Moving Pictures Experts Group layer 2 (“

MPEG-2”

) file.

43. The media system as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said source media device is further configured for transmitting, over said network, a third digital content file in said first format to said transcoder; and

said transcoder is further configured for receiving and converting said third digital content file in said first format to a fourth digital content file in said second format and tranferring, over said network, said fourth digital content file to said source media device for storage,

wherein said source media device is configured for transmitting and said transcoder is configured for converting and transferring automatically, without human intervention.

44. The media system as set forth in claim 17, wherein, for each digital content file in said first format stored on said source media device:

said source media device is further configured for transmitting, over said network, said digital content file in said first format to said transcoder; and

said transcoder is further configured for receiving and converting said digital content file in said first format to a digital content file in said second format and tranferring, over said network, said digital content file in said second format to said source media device for storage,

wherein said source media device is configured for transmitting and said transcoder is configured for converting and transferring automatically, without human intervention.

45. The media system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

playback media device, coupled to said network, configured for aggregating a list of digital content files in said first format that are stored on said source media device, wherein said aggregating is performed automatically, without human intervention.

46. The media system as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said source media device is further configured for storing digital content files in two or more different formats; and

said transcoder is further configured for determining which digital content files of said two or more different formats can be converted to digital content files in said second format, wherein said determining is performed automatically, without human intervention.

47. The media system as set forth in claim 46, wherein, for each convertible digital content file stored on said source media device:

said source media device is further configured for transmitting, over said network, said convertible digital content file to said transcoder; and

said transcoder is further configured for receiving and converting said convertible digital content file to a digital content file in said second format and tranferring, over said network, said digital content file in said second format to said source media device for storage,

wherein said source media device is configured for transmitting and said transcoder is configured for converting and transferring automatically, without human intervention.

48. The media system as set forth in claim 46, further comprising:

playback media device, coupled to said network, configured for aggregating a list of digital content files stored on said source media device that can be converted to digital content files in said second format, wherein said aggregating is performed automatically, without human intervention.

49. The media system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

playback media device, coupled to said network, configured for processing and presenting a particular type of digital content file having one or more different formats and for aggregating a list of digital content files stored on said source media device of said particular digital content file type, wherein said aggregating is performed automatically, without human intervention.

50. The media system as set forth in claim 49, wherein:

said playback media device is configured for processing and presenting digital audio files and for aggregating a list of digital audio files stored on said source media device, said digital audio files being in one or more different formats.

51. The media system as set forth in claim 49, wherein:

said playback media device is configured for processing and presenting digital video files and for aggregating a list of digital video files stored on said source media device, said digital video files being in one or more different formats.

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