Multimedia data routing system and method

• US 6,981,208 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Object Technology Licensing Corporation
• Inventors: Tobias, John C. II, Denman, Matthew, Edelman, Bradley Alan, Tindell, James Michael, Milne, Steven H., Dilts, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William L.
• Application Number:
  US10/170,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 717/162, 844/62, 846/10, 710/316
• US Class Current: 715/203
• 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 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

A technique for providing routing of various multimedia events throughout the course of a multimedia presentation using a computer with a storage and a display. A variety of multimedia objects are defined in the storage and grouped in logical relationships to enable multimedia presentations. A display is used to create the presentations interactively by positioning objects representative of the multimedia events and joining them with geometric figures, such as line segments. Each object can then be directly manipulated via a mouse or other pointing device to position a multimedia object to a particular position, or adjust the playback rate of a multimedia object.

Claims

1. A user-configurable multimedia information processing system for use on a computer having a display, the system comprising:

a media source that generates a multimedia information stream composed of a time sequence of multimedia information packets and that comprises a mechanism that generates an icon on the display representing the media source, an output port having a write method that sequentially writes each multimedia information packet to a first buffer and a connect method that connects the output port to an input port specified by a user;

a media processing component that sequentially processes multimedia information packets comprising a mechanism that generates an icon on the display representing the media processing component, a processing task that processes multimedia information packets, an input port with a read method that reads multimedia information packets into the processing task and an output port with a write method that receives processed multimedia information packets from the processing task and sequentially writes the processed multimedia information packets to a second buffer and a connect method that connects the output port to an input port specified by a user;

a media presentation component that sequentially presents multimedia information packets to a user and comprises a mechanism that generates an icon on the display representing the media presentation component, an input port with a read method that reads multimedia information packets from a buffer for presentation to the user; and

a mechanism that allows a user to manipulate icons on the display to call the media source connect method and the processing component connect method to selectively connect the media source, the processing component and the media presentation component to form a multimedia information processing system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each input port comprises a data type and each output port comprises a data type and wherein each connect method comprises a type negotiator that examines the data types of an input port and an output port in order to determine whether that input port and that output port can be connected.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the media presentation component is connected to the media source and the media presentation input port reads multimedia information packets from the first buffer for presentation to the user.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the media source is connected to the media processing component and that media presentation component is connected to the media processing component and the media presentation input port reads multimedia information packets from the second buffer for presentation to the user.