Media timeline sorting

• US 7,313,755 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rahman, Shafiq Ur, Grigorovitch, Alexandre V., Zhi, Xiqiang Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US11/110,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715/723
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Media timeline sorting is described. In an implementation, a method includes receiving a media timeline at an application programming interface, in which, the media timeline includes a plurality of timeline objects. One or more of the timeline objects reference a respective one of a plurality of media. A plurality of segments is generated from the media timeline for sequential rendering such that each segment references a particular set of the timeline objects that are rendering during a duration of the segment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a media timeline at an application programming interface, wherein the media timeline includes a plurality of timeline objects, one or more said timeline objects referencing a respective one of a plurality of media; and

generating a plurality of segments from the media timeline for rendering, one after another, wherein each said segment references a particular set of the timeline objects that are rendered during a duration of the segment, wherein the generating includes;

examining metadata included in each said timeline object for a start time and a stop time of the node;

adding an entry to an array for each said start time and an entry to the array for each said stop time;

sorting each said entry in chronological order, one to another; and

walking the sorted array to determine each said segment.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one said timeline object specifies an effect to be applied to media referenced by another said timeline object.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one said timeline object is configured for communication of events to another said timeline object such that a change may be made to the media timeline while the media timeline is rendered.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one said timeline object references said media having a different format than said media referenced by another said timeline object.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the generating includes

determining that metadata included in at least one said timeline object does not specify a stop time;

and

adding an entry to an array which represents that the at least one said timeline object is to be rendered until completion.

6. A method as described in claim 5, wherein the generating includes

determining that a start or stop time for a particular said timeline object is dependent on a start or stop time of the at least one said timeline object;

and

obtaining a media source which corresponds to the at least one said timeline object to ascertain the start or stop time of the at least one said timeline object.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the generating includes:

adding the ascertained start or stop time to the array; and

resorting the array.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the walking includes determining which of the plurality of timeline objects are included in a particular said segment by following the chronological order of the sorted array to a particular time defined by the particular said segment by:

collecting each timeline object referenced by an entry having a start time; and

discarding each timeline object referenced by an entry having a stop time.

9. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

loading each said timeline object referenced by a first said segment; and

while the first said segment is being rendered, loading each said timeline object referenced by a second said segment.

10. A method comprising:

sorting a plurality of entries corresponding to a media timeline into chronological order in an array, wherein;

each timeline object included in the media timeline has a corresponding said entry for a start time and a corresponding said entry for a stop time; and

one or more said timeline objects reference media for rendering; and

walking the sorted array to form a plurality of segments for rendering, wherein each said segment references one or more of the media which are to be rendered during the segment.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein at least one said timeline object specifies an effect to be applied to media referenced by another said timeline object.

12. A method as described in claim 10, wherein at least one said timeline object references said media having a different format than said media referenced by another said timeline object.

13. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the walking includes determining which of the plurality of timeline objects are included in a particular said segment by following the chronological order of the sorted array to a particular time defined by the particular said segment by:

collecting each timeline object referenced by an entry having a start time; and

discarding each timeline object referenced by an entry having a stop time.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a request via an application programming interface to render a media timeline having a plurality of timeline objects at a particular point in time;

walking a sorted array until a segment is reached which corresponds to the particular point in time by;

collecting each said timeline object referenced by an entry in the sorted array having a start time; and

discarding each said timeline object referenced by an entry in the sorted array having a stop time; and

rendering the collected said timeline objects.

15. A method as described in claim 14, wherein at least one said entry in the sorted array having the stop time is obtained by examining metadata contained in a corresponding said timeline object of the media timeline.

16. A method as described in claim 14, wherein the stop time is obtained from at least one said entry by obtaining a media source referenced by a corresponding said timeline object.

17. A method as described in claim 14, wherein at least one said timeline object specifies an effect to be applied to media referenced by another said timeline object.

18. A method as described in claim 14, wherein at least one said timeline object references media having a different format than media referenced by another said timeline object.

19. A method as described in claim 14, further comprising:

loading each said timeline object referenced by a first said segment; and

while the rendering of the first said segment is progressing, loading each said timeline object referenced by a second said segment.