AUTOMATIC MANAGEMENT OF DIGITAL ARCHIVES, IN PARTICULAR OF AUDIO AND/OR VIDEO FILES

• US 20100049768A1
• Filed: 07/17/2006
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sisvel S.p.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Sisvel S.p.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Inventors: Robert, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1748 De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7847 using low-level visual features of the video content

Abstract

Methods are described for selecting and/or deleting files in a set of files, preferably relating to audio and/or video sequences. The present invention is based on the idea of finding substantially duplicate files, selecting the best one and deleting the others, this process being carried out in an automatic or quasi-automatic manner, i.e. with the user having to answer one or more confirmation requests. A certain number of duplicate files can be subjected to P logic blocks Ck (k being an integer, 1≦k≦P); each logic block makes a selection according to a choice criterion having higher priority than the next block.

Claims

1. Method for selecting one file in a set of files, preferably relating to audio and/or video sequences, the files of said set being stored on digital data storage media, the files of said set having at least one similar or identical datum, wherein said file is selected automatically on the basis of at least one criterion applied to all files of said set.

2. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein said criterion is predetermined or can be chosen by a user among a predetermined set of criteria.

3. Selection method according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined criterion can be replaced or modified by a user.

4. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein said file is selected on the basis of a plurality of criteria.

5. Selection method according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of criteria is predetermined or can be chosen by a user among a predetermined set of criteria.

6. Selection method according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined plurality of criteria can be changed by a user.

7. Selection method according to claim 4, wherein the criteria of said plurality are applied to the files of said plurality according to a certain order.

8. Selection method according to claim 7, wherein said order is predetermined or can be chosen by a user.

9. Selection method according to claim 8, wherein said predetermined order can be changed by a user.

10. Selection method according to claim 4, wherein the criteria of said plurality are applied to different subsets of said set of files.

11. Selection method according to claim 10, wherein the criteria of said plurality are applied to gradually smaller subsets of said set.

12. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein said criterion or one of said plurality of criteria is related to the file coding format.

13. Selection method according to claim 12, wherein said criterion or one of said plurality of criteria provides for comparing the file coding format with a preset or user-defined list of coding formats.

14. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein said criterion or one of said plurality of criteria is related to the duration of the audio and/or video sequence contained in the file.

15. Selection method according to claim 14, wherein said criterion related to duration is applied to a group of files corresponding to said set of files or to a subset of said set of files, and provides for the following steps to be carried out in succession:

searching said group for the file having the longest duration,

for each file in said group, calculating the ratio between file duration and said longest duration,

selecting those files in said group for which said ratio is higher than a preset or user-defined value.

16. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein, for audio files, said criterion or one of said plurality of criteria is related to comparing the sampling frequency of the audio signal and/or bit-rate of the file with at least one preset or user-defined threshold.

17. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein, for video files, said criterion or one of said plurality of criteria is related to comparing the frame frequency of the video signal and/or bit-rate and/or video resolution of the file with at least one preset or user-defined threshold.

18. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein said criterion or one of said plurality of criteria is related to file quality.

19. Selection method according to claim 18, wherein said criterion related to quality is applied to a group of files corresponding to said set of files or to a subset of said set of files, and provides for the following steps to be carried out in succession:

for each file of said group, calculating a quality estimation parameter,

selecting those files in said group for which the calculated parameter meets a preset or user-defined condition.

20. Selection method according to claim 19, wherein, for audio files, said estimation parameter is obtained by calculating the number of bits used for representing the audio samples.

21. Selection method according to claim 20, wherein said estimation parameter is obtained by multiplying said number of bits by a factor being a function of the compression algorithm adopted for coding the corresponding sequence.

22. Selection method according to claim 19, wherein, for video files, said estimation parameter is obtained by calculating the number of bits used for representing the video samples.

23. Selection method according to claim 22, wherein said estimation parameter is obtained by multiplying said number of bits by a factor being a function of the compression algorithm adopted for coding the corresponding sequence.

24. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein said criterion or one of said plurality of criteria provides for the random selection of a single file.

25. Selection method according to claim 1, wherein said criterion or one of said plurality of criteria is related to at least one datum relating to the file user license, in particular to extent of use, license expiry date and number of copies allowed.

26. Method for deleting files comprised in a plurality of files, preferably relating to audio and/or video sequences, stored on a digital data storage medium, comprising the steps of:

A) finding a set of files in said plurality of files on the basis of the similarity or identity of at least one descriptive datum thereof,

B) automatically selecting at least one file in said found set of files, on the basis of at least one criterion applied to all files of said set, and

C) deleting from said medium all files in said found set of files except said at least one selected file.

27. Deletion method according to claim 26, which provides for selecting a single file in said set of files and for deleting all files except said single file.

28. Deletion method according to claim 26, wherein step A) is executed automatically.

29. Deletion method according to claim 26, wherein step A) is executed with the help of a user.

30. Deletion method according to claim 26, wherein step C) is only executed after one or more confirmations by a user.

31. Deletion method according to claim 30, wherein the user is asked to make at least one confirmation for each file to be deleted.

32. Electronic apparatus comprising a digital data storage medium adapted to store a plurality of files, preferably relating to audio and/or video sequences, comprising means adapted to implement the deletion method according to claim 26.

33. Electronic apparatus according to claim 32, characterized by being a device preferably only adapted to play audio and/or video sequences, preferably being a portable device.

34. Electronic apparatus according to claim 32, comprising means adapted to execute said deletion method upon a user'"'"'s request.

35. Electronic apparatus according to claim 32, comprising means adapted to execute said deletion method automatically.

36. Electronic apparatus according to claim 35, comprising means adapted to execute said deletion method repetitively, preferably at regular time intervals.

37. Electronic apparatus according to any of claim 32, comprising means adapted to execute said deletion method every time a new file is stored on said storage medium.