Media Shadow Files And System

• US 20110153778A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Nay, Kevin, Buckner, Allen O., Thomas, Fred Charles III
• Granted Patent: US 9,225,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762

Abstract

One embodiment of a system for rendering media files comprises a computer configured to determine media file formats that are used by media rendering devices connected to a network and to determine media files available on the network. The computer generates media shadow files of media file formats used by the media rendering devices to accompany existing media files available on the network in alternative formats.

Claims

1. A system for rendering media files comprising:

a computer configured to determine media file formats that are used by media rendering devices connected to a network and to determine media files available on the network,

wherein the computer generates media shadow files of media file formats used by the media rendering devices to accompany existing media files available existing on the network in alternative formats.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a media shadow file comprises a computer file having an indication that the file contains media contents in a particular file format.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer generates the media contents in the particular file format by converting a media file in alternative file format to the particular file format after the computer receives an initial request to deliver contents of the media shadow file.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer delivers the contents of the media shadow file by streaming the contents to a requesting device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the media shadow file comprises an initial portion of the media content in the particular file format and further comprises instructions for transcoding a remaining portion of the media content into the particular file format.

6. A computer readable medium having instructions executed by a computer which causes the computer to:

determine media file formats that are used by media rendering devices connected to a network;

determine media files available on the network; and

generate media shadow files of media file formats used by the media rendering devices to accompany existing media files available on the network in alternative formats.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein a media shadow file comprises a computer file having an indication that the file contains media contents in a particular file format.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions to:

generate the media contents in the particular file format by converting a media file in alternative file format to the particular file format after the computer receives an initial request to deliver contents of the media shadow file.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

deliver the contents of the media shadow file by streaming the contents to a requesting device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the media shadow file comprises an initial portion of the media content in the particular file format and further comprises instructions for transcoding a remaining portion of the media content into the particular file format.

11. A method of rendering media files comprising:

determining media file formats that are used by media rendering devices connected to a network;

determining media files available on the network; and

generating media shadow files of media file formats used by the media rendering devices to accompany existing media files available on the network in alternative formats.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a media shadow file comprises a computer file having an indication that the file contains media contents in a particular file format.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating the media contents in the particular file format by converting a media file in alternative file format to the particular file format after the computer receives an initial request to deliver contents of the media shadow file.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

delivering the contents of the media shadow file by streaming the contents to a requesting device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the media shadow file comprises an initial portion of the media content in the particular file format and further comprises instructions for transcoding a remaining portion of the media content into the particular file format.