Playlist mechanism for specification of complex memory objects

• US 5,428,732 A
• Filed: 09/09/1994
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Parsons, John E. Jr., Hancock, Steven M., Paulat, Martin J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, CLIFF N
• Application Number:
  US08/303,548
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 395/145, 395/147, 395/152, 395/154, 395/161
• US Class Current: 715/201
• 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 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/956 Language driven animation

Abstract

Multimedia data objects in memory need not be processed serially from beginning to end but may instead be defined as algorithmically generated data streams. This functionality is provided through an architected application programming interface with a mechanism for defining a method of composing a complex object from smaller objects, for defining a behavior for the complex object, and for allowing that behavior to be varied based on external events.

Claims

1. A multimedia data processing system, comprising:

a system processor, a storage system including a memory unit, at least one multimedia application program stored within the memory unit and operating system for execution by said system processor;

memory means included within said storage system for storing audio and video component data objects;

first means for manipulating video data objects, including the video component data objects, to produce visual animation on a display unit;

second means for manipulating audio data objects, including the audio component data objects, to produce sounds in an audio system;

a playlist processor, under control of the at least one multimedia application program, providing a plurality of playlist constructs for selection by the at least one multimedia application program to process asynchronously of the at least one multimedia application program by interpreting and manipulating the audio and video component data objects independently of other operations of the at least one multimedia application program; and

a playlist instruction processor for processing by interpreting and manipulating the audio and video component data objects in accordance with the plurality of playlist constructs selected by the at least one multimedia application program and provided by the playlist processor to combine the audio and video component data objects to generate composite audio and video data objects asynchronously to the operation and execution of the at least one multimedia application program for manipulating by said first and second means to produce visual animation and sounds on said display unit and audio system, respectively, in accordance with the playlist constructs of the playlist processor.

2. The multimedia data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the playlist processor provides a first playlist construct to transfer the process of interpreting and manipulating the audio and video component data objects to a second playlist construct to further process the audio and video component data objects.

3. The multimedia data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the playlist processor provides a playlist construct for providing a message to the at least one multimedia application program.

4. The multimedia data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of playlist constructs, provided by the playlist processor, include one or more of the data process states of data selecting, branching, looping, calling, returning, exiting, placeholding, message sending and data record entering.

5. A multimedia data processing system, comprising:

a system processor, a storage system including a memory unit, at least one multimedia application program stored in the memory unit and an operating system for execution by said system processor;

memory means included within said storage system for storing audio component data objects;

audio means for manipulating audio data objects including the audio component data objects to produce sounds in an audio system;

a playlist processor, under control of the at least one multimedia application program, providing a plurality of playlist constructs for selection by the at least one multimedia application program to process asynchronously of the at least one multimedia application program by interpreting and manipulating the audio component data objects independently of other operations of the at least one multimedia application program; and

a playlist instruction processor for processing by interpreting and manipulating the audio component data objects in accordance with the plurality of playlist constructs selected by the at least one multimedia application program and provided by the playlist processor to combine the audio component data objects to generate a composite audio data object asynchronously to the operation and execution of the at least one multimedia application program for manipulating by said audio means to produce sounds on said audio system in accordance with the playlist constructs of the playlist processor.

6. A method of operating a multimedia data processing system comprising a processor, a storage system including a memory unit for storing at least one multimedia application program and an operating system for execution by said processor, comprising the steps of:

storing said at least one multimedia application program in said memory unit of said multimedia data processing system;

storing audio and video component data objects in said storage system of said multimedia data processing system;

executing said at least one multimedia application program to select playlist constructs for selecting, interpreting and manipulating at least two of the audio and video component data objects for combining said at least two audio and video component data objects to form a composite data object of said at least two audio and video component data objects;

selecting, interpreting and manipulating, asynchronously of the executing of the at least one multimedia application program, said at least two of the audio and video component data objects to form the composite data object of said at least two audio and video component data objects; and

executing said at least one multimedia application program simultaneously with the steps of selecting, interpreting and manipulating to execute operations independent of the steps of selecting, interpreting and manipulating.

7. The method of operating a multimedia data processing system, as defined in claim 6, wherein the step of executing the at least one multimedia application program to select playlist constructs, includes the step of selecting at least one of a plurality of playlist constructs including data selecting, branching, looping, calling, returning, exiting, placeholding, message sending and data record entering.

8. The method of operating a multimedia data processing system, as defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one multimedia application program executes the step of selecting a playlist construct during run-time of the step of selecting, interpreting and manipulating, asynchronously of the executing of the at least one multimedia application program, to generate a resultant composite data object, combined of at least two audio and video component data objects, modified in accordance with the playlist construct selected during run-time.

9. The method of operating a multimedia data processing system, as defined in claim 8, wherein the step of selecting, interpreting and manipulating is not registered during execution of the step of selecting a playlist construct.