Facility for the generic storage and management of multimedia objects

• US 5,557,790 A
• Filed: 06/21/1994
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Farber, Joel F., Dockter, Michael J., Seppi, Kevin D., Bingham, Ronald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Loomis, John C.
• Application Number:
  US08/263,146
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.03, 395/200.09, 395/200.18, 395/500, 395/600, 395/650
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• 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: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A computer server for storing and managing a digitized generic form of multiple heterogeneously formatted data objects (e.g. multi-media files). The system uniquely identifies both the generic form of the data and a description relating the stored generic form to the original formatted data. Through the management of the unique identifiers a requester need only specify an identifier to quickly access a data object regardless of platform incongruencies, particular stored format, location or addressing structure (i.e. particular file path). Once identified and located the generic data object form is transformed into a format usable by the requestor.

Claims

1. A computer server for the efficient storage and management of a plurality of heterogeneous formatted data objects comprising:

receiving means for receiving at least a first formatted data object;

a first transforming means for transforming said received data object into a generic format;

storage means for storing said generic format data object into computer storage;

globally unique identifier means for uniquely identifying said transformed data object;

descriptor means for storing a description relating said generic format with said originally received data object;

retrieving means for retrieving said generic format of said data object based on a user request of said first formatted data object based on said unique identifier, and

a second transforming means to transform said retrieved generic formatted data object into said requested first format.

2. A computer server as per claim 1, wherein said receiving means includes at least a request for allocation of server storage space.

3. A computer server as per claim 1, wherein said first transforming means transforms said at least first formatted data object for optimization of storage.

4. A computer server as per claim 3, wherein said optimization is based on physical storage size.

5. A computer server as per claim 3, wherein said optimization is based on normalization of said first formatted data object.

6. A computer server as per claim 3, wherein said optimization is based on minimization of total cost.

7. A computer server as per claim 3, wherein said optimization is based on a particular target platform

8. A computer server as per claim 3, wherein said optimization is based on transmission overhead.

9. A computer server as per claim 1, wherein said computer storage may be local storage or located remote from said computer server.

10. A computer server as per claim 1, wherein said computer storage may be located across computer networks.

11. A computer server as per claim 1, wherein said unique identifier means further uniquely identifies said description relating said generic format with said originally received data object.

12. A computer server as per claim 11, wherein said description includes an original name of said first data object.

13. A computer server as per claim 1, wherein said computer server further includes an unintroduce means for removing stored generic data objects from said computer server.

14. A computer server as per claim 1, wherein said computer server further comprises a duplicate detection and elimination means for preventing storage of duplicate generic data objects.

15. A computer server for the efficient storage and management of a plurality of heterogeneous formatted data objects across computer networks comprising:

storage access and allocation means for accessing and receiving an allocation of storage space for at least a first formatted data object;

a first transforming means for transforming said received formatted data object into a generic format;

storage means for storing said generic format data object into computer storage;

a first unique identifier means for uniquely identifying said generic format data object;

attribute means for storing a description relating said generic format with said originally received data object;

a second unique identifier means for uniquely identifying said description;

retrieving means for retrieving said generic format of said data object based on a user request of a selected format of said data object using corresponding first and second unique identifiers, and

a second transforming means to transform said retrieved generic formatted data object into said selected format.

16. A computer server as per claim 15, wherein said first transforming means transforms said at least first formatted data object for optimization of storage.

17. A computer server as per claim 16, wherein said optimization is based on physical storage size.

18. A computer server as per claim 16, wherein said optimization is based on a particular target platform.

19. A computer server as per claim 16, wherein said optimization is based on transmission overhead.

20. A computer server as per claim 16, wherein said optimization is based on normalization of said at least first formatted data object.

21. A computer server as per claim 16, wherein said optimization is based on minimization of total cost.

22. A computer server as per claim 15, wherein said description includes an original name of said at least first data object.

23. A computer server as per claim 15, wherein said computer server further includes an unintroduce means for removing stored generic data objects from said computer server.

24. A computer server as per claim 15, wherein said computer server further comprises a duplicate detection and elimination means for preventing storage of duplicate generic data objects.