Media storage and retrieval system

• US 5,267,351 A
• Filed: 12/22/1989
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Peters, Eric C., Reber, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Application Number:
  US07/455,568
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 369/14, 369/34, 369/83, 360/13, 360/14.1, 360/14.2, 360/14.3, 395/425, 395/600
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system for the management of media data and indexing of media data based on user instructions. A system for the management of relational information between media sources is provided as is a method for determining media data associated with requests based on source identifiers and range specification on the source of the data.

Claims

1. A method of managing digitized media data stored in a plurality of media files in a media file database, comprising the steps of:

reading the media files from the media files database located on a storage device into a working memory;

building in the working memory, in response to reading the media files, a table of relations identifying media equivalent to others in at least one common subsection by a source identifier that identifies a media source and a segment of said media source identified by a time range as indicated by lengths, frames, time codes or film edge numbers depending on the type of indexing used on the source media;

accepting a request for an operation on a part of a specified one of the media files, the part being specified in the request by a start time and an end time of the specified media file;

locating the requested media file in the table of relations and, if the requested media segment is not obtained, locating a media file equivalent to the requested media file that satisfies the request;

returning a handle to the located media file; and

writing the media files and the table of relations from the working memory to the media file database on the storage device.

2. A system for the location and management of media subject to user instructions comprising:

a database in which media form at leas one source is stored;

database means for indexing and referencing the media in the database by a source identifier that identifies a media source and a segment of said media source identified by a time range as indicated by lengths, frames, time codes, or film edge numbers depending on the type of indexing used on the source media;

a table for storing equivalency relationships between media;

table management means, separate from said database means, for managing the table of relationships and for determining which source identifiers identify media equivalent to others in at least one common subsection based on time ranges of the source media; and

means for invoking the table management means and database means in response to a source identifier and time range requested by the user to locate the media segment requested by the user and, if the requested media segment is not obtained, an equivalent media segment.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said database means for indexing and referencing the media in the database is dynamic in that it can change or modify the source of media to a user without notification to a user.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising a means for invoking said database means for indexing and referencing the media in the database to dynamically link a user with the media.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said means for determining which source identifiers identify media equivalent to others in at least one common subsection stores only information from its assimilation of data along with, but distinctly separate from, data associated with the means for indexing and referencing the media in the database on request.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said means for determining which source identifiers identify media equivalent to others in at least one common subsection stores only information from its assimilation of data along with, but distinctly separate from, the storage of information pertaining to segments of source material that the user of the system is using to assemble a desired edited sequence.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising means for providing for the separation of:

information pertaining specifically to data about source material;

information pertaining to actual digital or other representations of media available to an editing system; and

information regarding source segments that the user of the editing system is manipulating in creating a sequence or producing an edit;

whereby information pertaining to naming, length, positional labeling on the source and associations between said labels and labels on other sources representing equivalent material and other information pertaining to the source in general, is kept separate from other types of information and the only connection between a specific source of media and the physical source it is derived from is a source identifier stored or associated with the media representation stored on or available to the editing system, so that the only information that a user will need to know about such a segment is the source identifier it is associated with, the time range on said source, and a media type identifier.