System and method for providing a digital media supply chain operation system and suite of applications

• US 7,039,655 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MESoft Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: MESoft Partners LLC
• Inventors: Kapczynski, Mark Joseph, Goeske, Freddy
• Primary Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Linh
• Application Number:
  US10/820,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-1041, 710/266, 710/260, 710/264, 710/1, 710/36, 360/66, 360/55, 375/211, 375/213, 709223-226, 709230-234, 709238-244, 39520053-20055, 395/200.59, 395/200.7
• 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: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21815 comprising local storage units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 : Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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

The present invention is directed to an intelligent media router (IMR) for processing media that has been either natively created as data or has been digitized from another source. The IMR comprises a plurality of modules or engines that are interconnected in a trusted manner. The IMR can be utilized by an end-to-end system having an encoder, a system server, and a plurality of end clients. In addition, an IMR can be developed to be utilized with an integrated system to allow third party imaging systems and software to interface with the IMR. In addition, the IMR modules are designed to be able to communicate with other IMR modules in a trusted relationship. This trusted communication between the IMR modules shares digitized (data) media and routes, rights, and profiles within the IMR. The IMR looks at digitized (data) media at the digital media object (DMO) level and can perform route functions on a set of, or all DMOs that are sourced to or within the IMR.

Claims

1. A system for connecting disparate information manufacturers with disparate information distributors, the system comprising:

an encoder for converting data from a first information form to data having an essence data portion and a metadata portion;

a system server coupled with said encoder, said system server providing a plurality of common services for the system;

a share server coupled with said system server, said share server having a plurality of communication protocols and a plurality of software development kits (SDKs);

an intelligent media router (IMR) coupled with said share server, said IMR having a plurality of modules interconnected in a trusted relationship, said plurality of modules providing a plurality of routing functions for the system;

an integrate interface coupled with said encoder, said integrate interface remotely providing one or more remote inputs from one or more third party imaging input systems; and

an output interface coupled with said encoder, said output interface remotely providing one or more IMR outputs to one or more third party imaging output systems;

wherein said plurality of communication protocols and said SDKs of said share server allows said third party imaging input and output systems to remotely utilize said plurality of modules of said IMR, a first module of said IMR tags said metadata portion of said data with metadata for routing said data, a second module of said IMR directs the data for distribution by information distributors based on said tagged metadata, and a third module of said IMR converts said data into a second information form acceptable for distribution by the information distributors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said IMR reviews said data to determine the format of said second information form to be created out of said data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said IMR reviews said data to identify a global unique identifier (GUID) of said data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said data is a digital media object (DMO).

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an end client coupled with said system server;

wherein said second information form is viewed on said end client.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of end clients coupled with said system server, said plurality of end clients comprising a remote player client for viewing and manipulating said second information form, a portable and light-weight viewer only client for only viewing said second information form, an HTML client for interfacing said second information form via the Internet, a legacy client for interfacing said second information form via a legacy system, and a set-top box client for interfacing said second information form via a television.