Middleware and media data audiovisual apparatus using middleware

• US 6,704,750 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Asazu, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, JOON H
• Application Number:
  US09/835,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 709/328-332, 717/162-167, 725/131-133, 725/91-93, 725/114, 725/116, 348/723
• 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: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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

Middleware operating under control of a media data audiovisual apparatus having functions of storing media data for replaying includes a media data management section for providing the media data management functions including replaying, readout, recording, deletion and synthesis of media data and also recording of an access history to the media data, a meta-data management section providing the meta-data management functions including readout, recording and dynamic creation of meta-data and also transaction processing attendant upon an access to the meta-data, and a query section having the functions of providing more highly abstractive access interface for an application program through vicarious execution of the processing for an access to the media data management section and the meta-data management section, wherein the middleware is configured to provide the functions as a database of the media data for the application program as a whole.

Claims

1. A computer program for an audiovisual apparatus that stores and replays media data, comprising:

media data management means providing media data management functions including replaying, readout, recording, deletion and synthesis of media data, and recording of an access history to media data;

meta-data management means providing meta-data management functions including readout, recording and creation of meta-data, and transaction processing attendant upon an access to meta-data; and

query means providing a highly abstractive access interface for an application program through vicarious execution of processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means, wherein

said computer program is configured to provide functions as a database of said media data for said application program as a whole, wherein

functions of said query means to provide highly abstractive access interface for the application program through vicarious execution of the processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means are separated as an independent plug-in components, and

said computer program is configured to provide a function to incorporate dynamically said plug-in component into a system, a function of aborting a disused plug-in component, and a function of searching for a plug-in component that satisfies a condition indicated by an application program out of already incorporated plug-in components.

2. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein

said media data management means is configured to record an access history to said media data by converting access history information into meta-data for recording into said meta-data management means.

3. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein

said media data management means is configured to record said media data by creating meta-data for recording into said meta-data management means through application of a pre-registered data analysis process on inputted media data.

4. The computer program according to claims 1, wherein

said meta-data management functions of said meta-data management means are separated as an independent plug-in component, and

said computer program is configured to provide a function to incorporate dynamically said plug-in component into a system, a function of aborting a disused plug-in component, and a function of selecting and executing automatically a plug-in component that matches a purpose of an application program out of already incorporated plug-in components.

5. A media data audiovisual apparatus having functions of recording and replaying media data, comprising:

a media data recording device for storing said media data;

a meta-data recording device for storing meta-data; and

a processor for interpreting and executing an application program,

wherein said media data audiovisual apparatus is installed with a computer program having;

media data management means providing media data management functions including replaying, readout, recording, deletion and synthesis of media data, and recording of an access history to media data;

meta-data management means providing meta-data management functions including readout, recording and creation of meta-data, and transaction processing attendant upon an access to meta-data; and

query means providing a highly abstractive access interface for an application program through vicarious execution of processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means, wherein

said computer program is configured to provide functions as a database of said media data for said application programs as a whole, wherein

functions of said query means to provide highly abstractive access interface for the application program through vicarious execution of the processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means are separated as an independent plug-in component, and

said computer program is configured to provide a function to incorporate dynamically said plug-in component into a system, a function of aborting a disused plug-in component, and a function of searching for a plug-in component that satisfies a condition indicated by an application program from among already incorporated plug-in components.

6. The media data audiovisual apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said media data management means is configured to record an access history to said media data by converting access history information into meta-data for recording into said meta-data management means.

7. The media data audiovisual apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said media data management means is configured to record said media data by creating meta-data for recording into said meta-data management means through application of a pre-registered data analysis process on inputted media data.

8. The media data audiovisual apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said meta-data management functions of said meta-data management means are separated as an independent plug-in component, and

said computer program is configured to provide a function to incorporate dynamically said plug-in component into a system, a function of aborting a disused plug-in component, and a function of selecting and executing automatically a plug-in component that matches a purpose of an application program out of already incorporated plug-in components.

9. A computer program comprising:

media data management means providing media data management functions including replaying, readout, recording, deletion and synthesis of media data, and recording of an access history to media data;

meta-data management means providing meta-data management functions including readout, recording and creation of meta-data, and transaction processing attendant upon an access to meta-data; and

query means providing an access interface for an application program through vicarious execution of processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means, wherein

functions of said query means to provide access interface for the application program through vicarious execution of the processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means are separated as an independent plug-in component, and

said computer program is configured to provide a function to incorporate dynamically said plug-in component into a system, a function of aborting a disused plug-in component, and a function of searching for a plug-in component that satisfies a condition indicated by an application program from among already incorporated plug-in components.

10. A memory containing a computer-executable program, wherein said computer program comprises:

media data management means providing media data management functions including replaying, readout, recording, deletion and synthesis of media data, and recording of an access history to media data;

meta-data management means providing meta-data management functions including readout, recording and creation of meta-data, and transaction processing attendant upon an access to meta-data; and

query means providing an access interface for an application program through vicarious execution of processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means, wherein

functions of said query means to provide access interface for the application program through vicarious execution of the processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means are separated as an independent plug-in component, and

said computer program is configured to provide a function to incorporate dynamically said plug-in component into a system, a function of aborting a disused plug-in component, and a function of searching for a plug-in component that satisfies a condition indicated by an application program from among already incorporated plug-in components.

11. A method of using a computer processor to process media data using meta-data, comprising the steps of:

providing media data management functions including replaying, readout, recording, deletion and synthesis of media data, and recording of an access history to media data;

providing meta-data management functions including readout, recording and creation of meta-data, and transaction processing attendant upon an access to meta-data; and

query means providing an access interface for an application program through vicarious execution of processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means, wherein

functions of said query means to provide access interface for the application program through vicarious execution of the processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means are separated as an independent plug-in component, and

said computer program is configured to provide a function to incorporate dynamically said plug-in component into a system, a function of aborting a disused plug-in component, and a function of searching for a plug-in component that satisfies a condition indicated by an application program from among already incorporated plug-in components.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a first memory for storing media data;

a second memory for storing meta-data; and

a processor executing an application program, wherein said apparatus is installed with a computer program comprises;

media data management means providing media data management functions including replaying, readout, recording, deletion and synthesis of media data, and recording of an access history to media data;

meta-data management means providing meta-data management functions including readout, recording and creation of meta-data, and transaction processing attendant upon an access to meta-data; and

query means providing an access interface for an application program through vicarious execution of processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means, wherein

functions of said query means to provide access interface for the application program through vicarious execution of the processing for an access to said media data management means and said meta-data management means are separated as an independent plug-in component, and

said processor is configured to provide a function to incorporate dynamically said plug-in component into a system, a function of aborting a disused plug-in component, and a function of searching for a plug-in component that satisfies a condition indicated by an application program from among already incorporated plug-in components.