Method and Apparatus for the Synchronization and Storage of Metadata

• US 20080005184A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sorvari, Antti, Myllyla, Tomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Aspects of the invention described herein provide a method and apparatus for the synchronization of metadata across various metadata repositories. According to the invention, upon synchronization of a local metadata repository and at least one remote metadata repository, metadata values are stored in a local collection or mediator database. The mediator database facilitates conflict resolution across metadata repositories. The invention further provides a repository-specific metadata memory to enable the storage of repository-specific metadata histories to further enhance management and synchronization of the metadata.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing metadata between two or more metadata repositories, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transferring metadata fields of a home metadata repository to at least one specific remote metadata repository;

(b) saving the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository in a table of a collection attached to the home metadata repository;

(c) comparing data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one specific remote metadata repository and the collection tables to identify inconsistent data in the metadata fields; and

(d) updating the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one specific remote metadata repository or the collection tables for specific remote repositories to eliminate the inconsistent data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

(1) determining that the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the specific remote repository are consistent;

(2) determining that the data in the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository are inconsistent with the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the specific remote repository; and

(3) updating the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository to be consistent with the data in the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

(1) determining that the data in the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository are consistent;

(2) determining that the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository are inconsistent with the data in the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository; and

(3) updating the data in the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository to be consistent with the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

(1) determining that the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository are consistent;

(2) determining that the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository are inconsistent with the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository; and

(3) updating the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository to be consistent with the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

(1) determining that at least one metadata field of the home metadata repository does not exist in the at least one specific remote metadata repository and in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository; and

(2) saving the nonexistent data of the metadata fields from the home metadata repository to the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository and to the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

(1) determining that data in the metadata fields of the at least one specific remote metadata repository is consistent with the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote repository;

(2) determining that at least one metadata field of the at least one specific remote metadata repository and the collection table for the remote metadata repository does not exist in the home metadata repository; and

(3) deleting the at least one metadata field of the at least one specific remote metadata repository and the same at least one metadata field of the collection table for the remote metadata repository.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one specific remote metadata repository and the collection tables for the remote metadata repositories is IPTC metadata.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one specific remote metadata repository and the collection tables for the remote metadata repositories is EXIF metadata.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the home metadata repository is a content directory service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one specific remote metadata repository is a content directory service.

11. A media device capable of participating in the synchronization of metadata between two or more metadata repositories, the media device comprising:

a storage medium containing a home metadata repository; and

a processor coupled to the storage medium and programmed with computer-executable instructions to perform the steps comprising;

transferring metadata fields of the home metadata repository to at least one remote metadata repository; and

saving the metadata fields of the at least one remote metadata repository in a table of a collection attached to the home metadata repository.

12. The media device of claim 11, wherein the collection is contained within the storage medium.

13. The media device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed with computer-executable instructions to perform the steps comprising:

comparing data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository and the collection tables to identify inconsistent data in the metadata fields; and

updating the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository or the collection tables to eliminate the inconsistent data.

14. The media device of claim 13, wherein the step of updating the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository or the collection tables to eliminate the inconsistent data further comprises:

determining that the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository are consistent;

determining that the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository are inconsistent with the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository; and

updating the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository the and data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository to be consistent with the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository.

15. The media device of claim 13, wherein the step of updating the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository or the collection tables to eliminate the inconsistent data further comprises:

determining that the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository are consistent;

determining that the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository are inconsistent with the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table; and

updating the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository to be consistent with the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository.

16. The media device of claim 13, wherein the step of updating the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository or the collection tables to eliminate the inconsistent data further comprises:

determining that the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository are consistent;

determining that the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository are inconsistent with the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository; and

updating the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository to be consistent with the data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository and the data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository.

17. The media device of claim 13, wherein the step of updating the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository or the collection tables to eliminate the inconsistent data further comprises:

determining that at least one metadata field of the home metadata repository does not exist in the remote metadata repository and in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository; and

saving the nonexistent data of the metadata fields from the home metadata repository to the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository and to the collection table for the remote metadata repository.

18. The media device of claim 13, wherein the step of updating the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository or the collection tables to eliminate the inconsistent data further comprises:

determining that data in the metadata fields of the remote metadata repository is consistent with the data in the metadata fields of the collection table for the remote metadata repository;

determining that at least one metadata field of the remote metadata repository and the collection table for the remote metadata repository does not exist in the home metadata repository; and

deleting the at least one metadata field of the remote metadata repository and the same at least one metadata field of the collection table for the remote metadata repository.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for transferring metadata fields of a home metadata repository to at least one remote metadata repository;

means for saving the metadata fields of the home metadata repository in a table of a collection attached to the home metadata repository;

means for saving the metadata fields of the at least one remote metadata repository in a second table of the collection attached to the home metadata repository;

means for comparing data in the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository and the collection tables to identify inconsistent data in the metadata fields; and

means for updating the metadata fields of the home metadata repository, the at least one remote metadata repository or the collection tables to eliminate the inconsistent data.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for comparing data comprises a computer device programmed with computer executable instructions.