METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROGRESSIVELY DELETING MEDIA OBJECTS FROM STORAGE

• US 20120002951A1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Convergent Media Solutions LLC (Strategic Intellectual Solutions, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Convergent Media Solutions LLC (Strategic Intellectual Solutions, LLC)
• Inventors: Reisman, Richard R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,422,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/278
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440227 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A system for managing storage space on an electronic storage medium is provided in which a file format for stored data allows for progressive deletion of low-significance data, for example in a video or audio file, while allowing the remaining portions of the file to be subsequently retrieved. The file format allows for the ready deletion of low-significance data without having to open, edit and subsequently rewrite the data. Furthermore, rules-based algorithms for the deletion of low-significance data allow a user to store and progressively delete such low-significance data in accordance with time parameters, available storage space and the like, without having to delete the full file.

Claims

1. A method for managing storage capacity, comprising:

storing an object in machine-readable format having at least a first layer of high-significance data and a second layer of separately-deletable low-significance data;

determining a condition for deleting the second layer while retaining the first layer; and

deleting the second layer automatically upon satisfaction of the condition, whereby the object is still accessible by a user.

2-92. -92. (canceled)

93. A processor-based method for storage management for content items comprising:

accessing a database serving as a directory of content items and associated metadata;

receiving via a processor an access request for a specified content item;

determining via the processor which of multiple sources of the specified content item is to be used for sourcing the access request, based at least in part on metadata associated with the specified content item; and

facilitating access to the specified content item.

94. A processor-based method for storage management for content items comprising:

accessing a database serving as a directory of content items and associated metadata;

determining via a processor whether to store or delete a copy of a content item from one or more storage systems, wherein the determining is based at least in part on metadata associated with the copy of the content item; and

facilitating the storing or deletion of the copy of the content item.