Discovering peer-to-peer content using metadata streams

• US 20090063419A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kokkinen, Heikki Juiiani, Nurminen, Jukka Kalevi, Karonen, Olli Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Discovering peer-to-peer content using metadata streams involves capturing, for each of a plurality of devices, a content and metadata stream that describes a context of the content. The metadata streams are sent to a metadata repository contemporaneously with the capture of the content by the respective devices. Network queries of the streaming metadata are enable via the metadata repository, and, in response to the network queries, peer-to-peer access of the content is facilitated from one or more of the devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

independently capturing, for each of a plurality of mobile devices, content and a metadata stream that describes a context of the content;

sending the metadata streams to a metadata repository contemporaneously with the capture of the content by the respective devices;

enabling network queries of the streaming metadata via the metadata repository; and

facilitating, in response to the network queries, peer-to-peer access of the content from one or more of the mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling network queries of the streaming metadata via the metadata repository comprises:

compiling two or more of the metadata streams into a composite event, wherein each of the two or more streams of the metadata comprises a channel of the composite event; and

providing metadata that describes the composite event in response to the network query.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising automatically selecting the two or more streams for compilation via a computing arrangement based on predetermined criteria of the metadata streams.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises additional metadata gathered from the two or more devices, wherein the additional metadata describes a measured characteristic of the content captured by the respective devices.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises a popularity of at least one of the metadata stream and the content associated with the metadata stream.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising facilitating selecting the two or more streams for compilation via a human director who is independent of the devices and of viewers of the content.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing to the human director additional metadata gathered from the two or more devices, wherein the additional metadata describes a composition of the respective content captured by the devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional metadata comprises a low bandwidth representation of the respective content.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising facilitating user selection of the channels by a user who views the content associated with the composite event via the peer-to-peer access.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

facilitating user access to the two or more streams of metadata; and

facilitating user modification of the composite event based on user access to the two or more streams of metadata.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling network queries of the streaming metadata via the metadata repository comprises enabling queries based on location, time, and popularity of the content associated with the metadata.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a signal via the metadata repository to at least one of the plurality of devices, wherein the signal indicates a desire to capture specific content, and wherein the at least one device captures the specific content in response to the signal.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by at least one of plurality of devices, data from a proximate device, and wherein the at least one device sends the data of the proximate device to the network service as part of the metadata stream captured by the at least one device.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface capable of connecting to a network;

a sensor capable of gathering media content;

a processor coupled to the sensor and the network interface; and

memory coupled to the processor and having instructions that cause the processor to;

capture content via the sensor independently of other content creation devices;

generate a metadata stream that describes a context of the content;

send the metadata stream to a metadata repository contemporaneously with the capture of the content, wherein the metadata repository processes other metadata streams from the other content creation devices; and

facilitate, in response to the network queries processed by the metadata repository, peer-to-peer access of the content from the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a metadata sensor coupled to the processor, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate the metadata based on readings of the metadata sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

send, to the metadata repository, a network query based on the generated metadata stream;

access, via the metadata repository and in response to the query, other metadata contributed by the other content creation devices, wherein the other metadata is related to the other metadata streams; and

access content of the content creation devices that are associated with the other metadata.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the processor to detect data from one or more proximate devices and generate at least part of the metadata stream from the data of the proximate devices.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions executable by a processor of a device for performing steps comprising:

capturing content via a sensor of the device independently of other content creation devices;

generating a metadata stream that describes a context of the content;

sending the metadata stream to a metadata repository contemporaneously with the capture of the content, wherein the metadata repository processes other metadata streams from the other content creation devices; and

facilitating, in response to the network queries processed by the metadata repository, peer-to-peer access of the content from one or more of the devices.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface capable of connecting to a network;

a data storage device storing a database;

a processor coupled to the data storage device and the network interface; and

memory coupled to the processor and having instructions that cause the processor to;

receive metadata streams from independent content creation devices, wherein the content creation devices generate the metadata contemporaneously with the capture of the content by the respective content creation devices;

store metadata derived from the metadata streams in the database;

receive network queries from a content consumer device;

form a response to the query based on the metadata contained in the database, wherein the response contains data that facilitates peer-to-peer access of the content from the content creation devices; and

send the response to the content consumer device via the network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

compile two or more streams of metadata into a composite event, wherein each of the two or more streams of the metadata comprises a channel of the composite event; and

provide the composite event in response to the network query.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to facilitate selecting the two or more streams for compilation via a human director who is independent of the content creation devices and the content consumer device.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to automatically select the two or more streams for compilation based on additional metadata of content creation devices, wherein the additional metadata describes a measurement of the content captured by the respective content creation devices.

23. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions executable by a processor of a server for performing steps comprising:

receiving metadata streams from content creation devices, wherein the content creation devices generate the metadata contemporaneously with the capture of the content by the respective content creation devices;

storing metadata derived from the metadata streams in a database;

receiving network queries from a content consumer device;

forming a response to the query based on the metadata contained in the database, wherein the response contains data that facilitates peer-to-peer access of the content from the content creation devices; and

sending the response to the content consumer device via the network.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the steps further comprise:

compiling two or more streams of metadata into a composite event, wherein each of the two or more streams of the metadata comprises a channel of the composite event; and

providing the composite event in response to the network query.