System apparatus and method for managing the use and storage of digital information
First Claim
1. A method of managing the storage and use of digital information stored on at least one storage means for use by at least one information consumer, comprising the steps of:
- storing digital source information files in the at least one storage means, each source information file including at least one stream of digital source information;
creating a digital source information record for each stored digital source information file, each digital source information record including;
information to locate the digital source information file on said at least one storage means, an indication of the quality of each stream in the digital source information and an indication of the duration of each stream in the digital source information;
creating and maintaining a multi-dimensional array of information relating to digital source information records, the array indexing each stream in each digital source information record by its quality, by a time axis against which the start and duration of each stream is synchronized and by user defined groupings of streams;
receiving a request from at least one information consumer to use at least a portion of digital source information, the request being specified in terms of said user defined groupings, the desired start time and duration of the information and a desired quality;
processing said request by examining said multi-dimensional array to determine if a stream of said requested digital source information with the requested quality exists;
responding to the information consumer by providing information from a corresponding digital source information record to allow access to at least a portion of a stream representing said identified digital source information when said determination indicates a stream containing the desired digital source information at said requested quality is available; and
when said determination indicates that a stream containing said information at said desired quality does not exist, determining if a stream containing the requested digital source information at an acceptable substitute quality exists and responding to the information consumer with information from the digital source record for a determined substitute stream to allow access to at least a portion of said substitute stream representing the requested information at said acceptable substitute quality and, when said determination indicates that the requested information does not exist at an acceptable substitute quality, responding to the information consumer to indicate that the requested information is not available.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, apparatus and method for managing the storage and use of digital information. The digital information can comprise both time-based information, such as digital video and digital audio, and static information such as 3D geometric models and/or still images. The invention employs data source records, information consumers, digital source information files, quality factor objects and other constructs with an information manager to manage storage and use of the information. All storage and/or use of the information is effected by making an appropriate request to the information manager which returns an appropriate result.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of managing the storage and use of digital information stored on at least one storage means for use by at least one information consumer, comprising the steps of:
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storing digital source information files in the at least one storage means, each source information file including at least one stream of digital source information; creating a digital source information record for each stored digital source information file, each digital source information record including;
information to locate the digital source information file on said at least one storage means, an indication of the quality of each stream in the digital source information and an indication of the duration of each stream in the digital source information;creating and maintaining a multi-dimensional array of information relating to digital source information records, the array indexing each stream in each digital source information record by its quality, by a time axis against which the start and duration of each stream is synchronized and by user defined groupings of streams; receiving a request from at least one information consumer to use at least a portion of digital source information, the request being specified in terms of said user defined groupings, the desired start time and duration of the information and a desired quality; processing said request by examining said multi-dimensional array to determine if a stream of said requested digital source information with the requested quality exists; responding to the information consumer by providing information from a corresponding digital source information record to allow access to at least a portion of a stream representing said identified digital source information when said determination indicates a stream containing the desired digital source information at said requested quality is available; and when said determination indicates that a stream containing said information at said desired quality does not exist, determining if a stream containing the requested digital source information at an acceptable substitute quality exists and responding to the information consumer with information from the digital source record for a determined substitute stream to allow access to at least a portion of said substitute stream representing the requested information at said acceptable substitute quality and, when said determination indicates that the requested information does not exist at an acceptable substitute quality, responding to the information consumer to indicate that the requested information is not available. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for managing the storage and use of digital information comprising digital source information files each including at least one stream of data, comprising:
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storage means to store digital source information files; at least one information manager to control access to and storage of said digital source information files, each information manager including a digital source information record pool to create and maintain a digital source information record for each digital source information file, a multi-dimensional array to index the digital source information records in said pool by a user defined grouping, by the quality of the information in the stream in the digital source information and by a common time reference for the start time and duration of the stream; at least one information consumer to communicate with the information manager to request access to digital source information therefrom at a specified quality and for a specified duration; and a quality matching engine to determine if digital source information is available at a requested quality and to determine if digital source information is available at an acceptable substitute quality if digital source information is not available at said requested quality. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification