Systems and Methods for Generating and Managing Filter Strings in a Filter Graph Utilizing a Matrix Switch

• US 20080147719A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rudolph, Eric H., Miller, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods load one or more source processing chains to support execution of a development project and determine whether each of the one or more processing chains will be subsequently required during execution of this or another development project. If one or more processing chains are needed, each is cached for subsequent use. The source processing chains are coupled with a matrix switch comprising a scalable plurality of inputs and a scalable plurality of outputs, wherein any one or more of the inputs may be iteratively coupled to any one or more of the outputs. Media is processed using the source processing chain(s) and the matrix switch to produce at least one development project.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a source chain for use in a development project;

coupling the source chain with a matrix switch comprising a scalable plurality of inputs and a scalable plurality of outputs, wherein any one or more of the inputs may be iteratively coupled to any one or more of the outputs;

processing media using the source chain and said matrix switch to produce at least one development project; and

caching the source chain when it is not currently required in the development project.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processing chain is cached only if it will subsequently be required in the development project, or a future development project.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein caching the source chain comprises:

generating an identifier which is uniquely assigned to the processing chain; and

storing the identifier along with a pointer to memory occupied by the processing chain in a cache of processing chain pointers.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the identifier is one or more of a source file handle, a file name, an icon, a randomly generated number uniquely assigned to the processing chain, an alphanumeric identifier, and the like.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a need for a source processing chain; and

retrieving a suitable processing chain from a cache of such processing chains.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

integrating the retrieved processing chain into the development project.

7. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

modifying one or more attributes of the retrieved processing chain before integration into the development project.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein modification to the retrieved processing chain may include one or more of adding processing objects to the processing chain, removing processing objects from the processing chain, altering one or more processing characteristics of one or more processing objects of the processing chain, and the like.

9. A storage medium comprising a plurality of executable instructions which, when executed, implement a method according to claim 1.