Media manager for access to multiple media types
First Claim
1. An apparatus for use in a computer system having a memory and having access to a plurality of media types, the apparatus comprising:
- media access class information stored in memory, said media class information including media access program logic for accessing storage locations where the plurality of media types are stored and wherein the storage locations where the plurality of media types are stored include storage locations local to the computer system, storage locations at a server connected to the computer system or storage locations at a server remote to a server connected to the computer system; and
wherein said media access class further comprises media access program logic for access a media content library based upon indices into the media content library.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which access media objects of a plurality of media types stored at a plurality of locations accessible to a computer system through a common interface. Such a common interface may accept user input requesting a media object. Responsive to the user input requesting a media object, the location of a requested media object is automatically determined based upon an object identifier for the media object. Similarly, the type of media object may be automatically determined based upon the object identifier. The determined location of the requested media object is then accessed to retrieve the media object the retrieved media object is formatted based upon the determined type of media object. User transparent access to animations and media libraries are also provided at both local and remote locations.
-
Citations
34 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for use in a computer system having a memory and having access to a plurality of media types, the apparatus comprising:
-
media access class information stored in memory, said media class information including media access program logic for accessing storage locations where the plurality of media types are stored and wherein the storage locations where the plurality of media types are stored include storage locations local to the computer system, storage locations at a server connected to the computer system or storage locations at a server remote to a server connected to the computer system; and wherein said media access class further comprises media access program logic for access a media content library based upon indices into the media content library. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. An apparatus for use in a computer system having a memory and having access to a plurality of media types, the apparatus comprising:
-
media access class information stored in memory, said media class information including media access program logic for accessing storage locations where the plurality of media types are stored and wherein the storage locations where the plurality of media types are stored include storage locations local to the computer system, storage locations at a server connected to the computer system or storage locations at a server remote to a server connected to the computer system; and wherein said media access program logic for accessing storage locations accesses a storage location based upon path information and a file identifier contained in a filename of the stored information.
-
-
8. A method of accessing media objects of a plurality of media types stored at a plurality of locations accessible to a computer system through a common interface, the method comprising the steps of:
-
accepting user input requesting a media object; responsive to the user input requesting a media object, automatically carrying out the steps of; determining the location of a requested media object based upon an object identifier for the media object; determining the type of media object based upon the object identifier; accessing the determined location of the requested media object to retrieve the media object; and formatting the retrieved media object based upon the determined type of media object; and wherein the plurality of locations includes local to the computer system, local to a server connected to the computer system and local to a third party server accessible through the server connected to the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 9)
-
-
10. A method of accessing media objects of a plurality of media types stored at a plurality of locations accessible to a computer system through a common interface, the method comprising the steps of:
-
accepting user input requesting a media object; responsive to the user input requesting a media object, automatically carrying out the steps of; determining the location of a requested media object based upon an object identifier for the media object; determining the type of media object based upon the object identifier; accessing the determined location of the requested media object to retrieve the media object; and formatting the retrieved media object based upon the determined type of media object. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An apparatus for accessing media objects of a plurality of media types stored at a plurality of locations accessible to a computer system through a common interface comprising:
-
means for accepting user input requesting a media object; means, responsive to the means for accepting user input requesting a media object, for automatically determining the location of a requested media object based upon an object identifier for the media object; means, responsive to the means for accepting user input requesting a media object, for automatically determining the type of media object based upon the object identifier; means, responsive to the means for accepting user input requesting a media object, for automatically accessing the determined location of the requested media object to retrieve the media object; and means, responsive to the means for accepting user input requesting a media object, for automatically formatting the retrieved media object based upon the determined type of media object; and wherein the plurality of locations includes local to the computer system, local to a server connected to the computer system and local to a third party server accessible through the server connected to the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
18. A computer program product for accessing media objects of a plurality of media types stored at a plurality of locations accessible to a computer system through a common interface comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising; computer-readable program code means for accepting user input requesting a media object; computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for accepting user input requesting a media object, for automatically determining the location of a requested media object based upon an object identifier for the media object; computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for accepting user input requesting a media object, for automatically for determining the type of media object based upon the object identifier; computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for accepting user input requesting a media object, for automatically accessing the determined location of the requested media object to retrieve the media object; and computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for accepting user input requesting a media object, for automatically formatting the retrieved media object based upon the determined type of media object; and wherein the plurality of locations includes local to the computer system, local to a server connected to the computer system and local to a third party server accessible through the server connected to the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
21. A class object executing on an object oriented computer system for accessing a plurality of media types, the class object comprising:
-
a media access class method executing on said object oriented computer system for automatically accessing storage locations where a plurality of media types are stored and wherein the storage locations where the plurality of media types are stored include storage locations local to the computer system, storage locations at a server connected to the computer system or storage locations at a server remote to a server connected to the computer system; and wherein said media access class further comprises means for accessing a media content library based upon indices into the media content library. - View Dependent Claims (16, 19, 22)
-
-
23. A class object executing on an object oriented computer system for accessing a plurality of media types, the class object comprising:
a media access class method executing on said object oriented computer system for automatically accessing storage locations where a plurality of media types are stored and wherein the storage locations where the plurality of media types are stored include storage locations local to the computer system, storage locations at a server connected to the computer system or storage locations at a server remote to a server connected to the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (24)
-
25. A system for accessing media objects of a plurality of media types stored at a plurality of locations accessible to a computer system through a common interface, comprising:
-
means for accepting user input requesting a media object; means, responsive to the means for accepting user input, for automatically determining the location of a requested media object based upon an object identifier for the media object; means, responsive to the means for accepting user input, for automatically determining the type of media object based upon the object identifier; means, responsive to the means for accepting user input, for automatically accessing the determined location of the requested media object to retrieve the media object; and means, responsive to the means for accepting user input, for automatically formatting the retrieved media object based upon the determined type of media object. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A computer program product for accessing media objects of a plurality of media types stored at a plurality of locations accessible to a computer system through a common interface, comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising; computer-readable program code means for accepting user input requesting a media object; computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for accepting user input, for automatically determining the location of a requested media object based upon an object identifier for the media object; computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for accepting user input, for automatically determining the type of media object based upon the object identifier; computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for accepting user input, for automatically accessing the determined location of the requested media object to retrieve the media object; and computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for accepting user input, for automatically formatting the retrieved media object based upon the determined type of media object. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
Specification