Media with Pluggable Codec Methods

• US 20070260616A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Shen, Eran
• Granted Patent: US 9,680,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A container file containing a media file and a pluggable codec is sent to a receiver where the pluggable codec interfaces to a media player application, according to a predefined interface, to play the media file. A header in the container file indicates the locations of the media file and the pluggable codec.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a media file from a first device to a second device in an adaptable manner, comprising:

creating a container file in the first device;

placing the media file in the container file in the first device;

placing a pluggable decoding module in the container file in the first device;

sending the container file from the first device to the second device in response to a request from the second device, the second device having a media player application;

adding the pluggable decoder module from the container file to the media player application in the second device, thereby enabling the media player application to play the media file; and

subsequently, the media player application in the second device using the pluggable decoding module to play the media file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the media file is in a first format in the container file and the pluggable decoder converts the media file from the first format to a second format.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the media file in the first format is uncompressed.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the container file contains a header that indicates a location within the container file of the pluggable decoding module and a location within the container file of the media file.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the media player application comprises firmware that is embedded in the second device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the container file is sent from the first device to the second device over the internet.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the container file is sent from the first device to the second device over a wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing at least one additional media file and at least one additional codec in the container file in the first device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first device is a removable medium and the second device is a host system.

10. A method of providing media content in a widely accessible format, comprising:

creating a container file in a removable medium;

placing a media file in the container file, the media file containing media content according to a first format; and

placing a pluggable codec in the container file, the pluggable codec containing executable code to convert media content according to the first format into a second format when the pluggable codec is connected to a media player application through an interface.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising placing a header in the container file.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the header indicates the locations of the media file and the pluggable codec.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising connecting the removable medium to a platform containing an individual media player application using a common interface, the individual media player application using the pluggable codec to convert the media file from the first format to the second format and using data in the second format to provide an output.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the container file is located in a removable medium.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising sending the container file, over a network, to a receiver.

16. A method of providing media content over a network, comprising:

creating a container file;

placing a media file in the container file, the media file containing media content according to a first format;

placing a pluggable codec in the container file, the pluggable codec containing executable code to convert media content according to the first format into a second format when the pluggable codec is connected to a media player application by an interface; and

in response to a request from a device having a first media player application, sending the container file to the device, the first media player application using the pluggable codec to convert the media file from the first format to the second format, the first media player providing an output that is derived from the media file in the second format.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first media player application is embedded in the device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the device is a cell phone, a personal digital assistant or an MP3 player.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the media file is a sound file and the first media player, using the pluggable codec, provides an audio output.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the media file is a video file and the first media player, using the pluggable codec, provides a video output.