Drag and drop metadata editing

• US 7,434,170 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2003
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Novak, Michael, Plastina, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow; Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roswell; Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/616,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715/770, 715853-855, 715/764, 715/829, 715/830, 715/833, 715/826, 715/866
• US Class Current: 715/764
• 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: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A method and system for modifying metadata of one or more media files via a drag and drop operation. A media library stores one or more media files. A graphical user interface displays the one or more media files in the media library via a display. The graphical user interface allows a user to select one or more media files from the media files being displayed. The user interface allows a user to drag and drop the one or more selected media files onto a property node that defines a property the user would like to incorporate into the metadata of one or more selected media files. Dropping the one or more selected media files onto the property node modifies the metadata of the media file to correspond to the property defined by the property onto which the one or more selected media files were dropped.

Claims

1. A method for modifying metadata of a media file in a media library, said media file having a metadata field that includes property data, and wherein the property data defines a property of the media file, comprising:

receiving a selection of a media file from a list of media files being displayed via a graphical user interface;

receiving a request including property category data associating the selected media file with a property category, said property category data defining a different property from the property data of the media file, said property category data including either genre property data, artist property data, or album property data, said request for associating comprises dragging and dropping;

associating the selected media file with the property category data within the property category;

in response to the associating, determining whether the property category data is the album property data;

if it is determined the property category data is the album property data, the selected media file is added to the property category associated with the album category data;

if it is determined the property category data is the genre category data and not the album property data;

providing dynamic options to a user for modifying or supplementing the property data of the selected media file, said dynamic options for modifying or supplementing being provided as a function of and depending upon the determined property category data and the defined property data of the selected media file;

receiving a user response to the provided options;

modifying or supplementing the metadata field of the selected media file to the different property defined by the property category data in response to the user response, wherein the property data of the selected media file is replaced with the genre category data if the user selects the modifying option or the property data of the selected media file is added with the genre category data if the user selects the supplementing option; and

if it is determined that the property category data is not the album property data and not the genre property data, automatically replacing the property data of the selected media file with the album property data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of the media file includes receiving the selection via selecting and dragging the media file from a first location within the graphical user interface, and wherein the associating the selected media file with property category data includes dropping the selected and dragged media file onto the defined one or more property categories with property category data at a second location within in the graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of the media file includes receiving the selection of the media file via a context menu displayed in graphical user interface, and wherein the associating the selected media file with property category data includes identifying the property category data via the context menu displayed in the graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying includes:

replacing the property defined in the metadata field of the selected media file with the different property defined by the property category data;

or

adding the different property defined by the property category data to the property data in the metadata field of the selected media file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata field of the selected media file defines a genre property, an artist property, or an album title property.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected media file includes a plurality of metadata fields, and wherein modifying includes modifying a property defined in one or more of the metadata fields.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein modifying includes changing the property defined in each of the one or more metadata fields of the selected media file to include a new property when the different property defined by the property category data is an album title property, and wherein the one or more metadata fields of the selected media file define one or more of the following properties:

a collection ID property;

a collection group ID property

an album Artist property;

a provider Style property;

a provider Rating property;

a buy URL property;

a large Album Art URL property;

a small Album Art URL property;

a more Info URL property;

a provider Name property;

a provider URL property; and

a provider Logo URL property.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying further includes deleting a property defined in each of the one or more of the metadata fields of the selected media file when the different property defined by the property category data is an album title property, and wherein the one or more metadata fields define one or more of the following properties:

a unique file identifier property;

a release time property; and

a content ID property.

9. A method for modifying metadata of one or more media files in a media library, said one or more media files each having a metadata field that includes property data, and wherein the property data defines a property of the media file, comprising:

selecting property category data within a property category being displayed via graphical user interface corresponding to an instruction from a user, wherein the property category data defines a property of the one or more media files;

associating the selected property category data with different property category data, said associating corresponding to another instruction from the user, said another instruction comprising dragging the selected property category data and dropping the selected property category data to a location on the display of the different property category data, wherein the different property category data defines a different property than the property of the media file;

in response to the associating, providing dynamic options to the user for modifying or supplementing the selected property category data of the media file, said dynamic options for modifying or supplementing being provided as a function of and based upon the selected property category data and the different property category data;

receiving a user response to the provided options; and

modifying or supplementing the property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the property defined by the property category data to the different property defined by the different property category data in response to the user response.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting includes selecting and dragging the property category data from a first location within the graphical user interface, and wherein the associating includes dropping the selected and dragged property category data onto the different property category data at a second location in the graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting includes selecting property category data via a context menu displayed in the graphical user interface, and wherein the associating the selected media file with property category data includes identifying the different property category data via the context menu displayed in the graphical user interface.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying includes:

changing the property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the property defined by the selected property category data to the different property defined by the different property category data;

or

changing the metadata field of the one or more media files having the property defined by the selected property category data to include the different property defined by the different property category data.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata field of the one or more media files defines a genre property, an artist property, or an album title property.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected property category data defines a first genre property and the different property category data defines a second genre property, and wherein modifying includes:

changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media file shaving the first genre property from the first genre property to the second genre property;

or

changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the first genre property to include the first genre property and the second genre property.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected property category data defines an artist property and the different property category data defines a genre property, and wherein modifying includes:

changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media file having the defined artist property from an existing genre property to the genre property defined by the different property category data;

or

changing the property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined artist property to include the existing genre property and the genre property defined by the different property category data.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected property category data defines an album property and the different property category data defines a genre property, and wherein modifying includes:

changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined album property from an existing genre property to the genre property defined by the different property category data;

or

changing the property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined album property to include the existing genre property and the genre property defined by the different property category data.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected property category data defines a first artist property and the different property category data defines a second artist property, and wherein modifying includes changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the first artist property from the first artist property to the second artist property.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected property category data defines an album property and the different property category data defines an artist property, and wherein modifying includes changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined album property from an existing artist property to the artist property defined by the different property category data.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the property category data defines a first album property and the different property category data defines a second album property, and wherein modifying includes changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the first album property from the first album property to the second album property.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the media files having the first album property include a plurality of metadata fields, and wherein modifying includes modifying a property defined in one or more of the metadata fields.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein modifying includes changing the property defined in each of the one or more metadata fields of the media files having the first album property to include a new property when the different property defined by the different property category data is an album title property, and wherein the one or more metadata fields of the media files having the first album property define one or more of the following properties:

a collection ID property;

a collection group ID property

an album Artist property;

a provider Style property;

a provider Rating property;

a buy URL property;

a large Album Art URL property;

a small Album Art URL property;

a more Info URL property;

a provider Name property;

a provider URL property; and

a provider Logo URL property.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein modifying further includes deleting a property defined in each of the one or more of the metadata fields of the media files having the first album property when the different property defined by the property category data is an album title property, and wherein the one or more metadata fields of the media files having the first album property define one or more of the following properties:

a unique file identifier property;

a release time property; and

a content ID property.

23. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for modifying metadata of a media file in a media library, said media file having a metadata field that includes property data, and wherein the property data defines a property of the media file, comprising:

identifying instructions for identifying a media file from a list of media files being displayed via a graphical user interface;

associating instructions for associating the identified media file with property category data within a property category, wherein the property category data defines a different property than the property of the media file;

in response to the associating, displaying instructions for providing dynamic options to the user for modifying or supplementing the property data included in the metadata field of the media file, said dynamic options for modifying or supplementing being provided as a function of and based upon the defined property of the media file and the property category data;

receiving instructions for receiving a user response to the provided options; and

modifying or supplementing instructions for modifying the metadata field of the identified media file to the different property defined by the property category data in response to the user response.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the identifying instructions includes instructions for identifying the media file from a media file being dragged by a user from a first location in the graphical user interface, and wherein the associating instruction includes instructions for associating the dragged media file with property data at a second location in the graphical user interface onto which the dragged media file is dropped.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the identifying instructions includes instructions for identifying the media file from a media file being selected from a context menu displayed in the graphical user interface, and wherein the associating instruction includes instructions for associating the selected media file with property category data identified via the context menu displayed in the graphical user interface.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for:

replacing the property defined in the metadata field of the identified media file with the different property defined by the property category data;

or

adding the different property defined by the property category data to the property data in the metadata field of the selected media file.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the metadata field of the identified media file defines a genre property, an artist property, or an album title property.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the identified media file includes a plurality of metadata fields, and wherein the modifying instructions modify a property defined in one or more of the metadata fields.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for changing the property defined in each of the one or more metadata fields of the identified media file to include a new property when the different property defined by the property category data is an album title property, and wherein the one or more metadata fields of the identified media file define one or more of the following properties:

a collection ID property;

a collection group ID property

an album Artist property;

a provider Style property;

a provider Rating property;

a buy URL property;

a large Album Art URL property;

a small Album Art URL property;

a more Info URL property;

a provider Name property;

a provider URL property; and

a provider Logo URL property.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for deleting a property defined in each of the one or more of the metadata fields of the selected media file when the different property defined by the property category data is an album title property, and wherein the one or more metadata fields define one or more of the following properties:

a unique file identifier property;

a release time property; and

a content ID property.

31. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for modifying metadata of one or more media files in a media library, said one or more media files each having a metadata field that includes property data, and wherein the property data defines a property of the media file, comprising:

identifying instructions for identifying property category data within a property category being displayed via graphical user interface, wherein the property category data defines a property of one or more media files to be modified;

associating instructions for associating the identified property category data with different property category data, wherein the different property category data defines a different property;

in response to the associating, displaying instructions for providing dynamic options to the user for modifying or supplementing the identified property category data of the media file, said dynamic options for modifying or supplementing being provided as a function of the identified property category data and the different property category data;

receiving instructions for receiving a user response to the provided options; and

modifying instructions for modifying or supplementing the property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the property defined by the property category data to the different property defined by the different property category data in response to the user response.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein identifying instructions includes instructions for identifying the property category data from property category data being dragged by a user from a first location in the graphical user interface, and wherein associating instructions includes instructions for associating the dragged property category data with different property data at a second location in the graphical user interface onto which the dragged property category data is dropped.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the identifying instructions includes instructions for identifying the property category data from property category data being selected from a context menu displayed in the graphical user interface, and wherein the associating instruction includes instructions for associating the identified the property category data with different property category data identified via the context menu displayed in the graphical user interface.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for:

changing the property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the property defined by the identified property category data to the different property defined by the different property category data;

or

changing the metadata field of the one or more media files having the property defined by the identified property category data to include the different property defined by the different property category data.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the metadata field of the one or more media files defines a genre property, an artist property, or an album title property.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the identified property category data defines a first genre property and the different property category data defines a second genre property, and wherein modifying instructions includes instructions for:

changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the first genre property from the first genre property to the second genre property;

or

changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the first genre property to include the first genre property and the second genre property.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the identified property category data defines an artist property and the different property category data defines a genre property, and wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for:

changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined artist property from an existing genre property to the genre property defined by the different property category data;

or

changing the property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined artist property to include the existing genre property and the genre property defined by the different property category data.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the identified property category data defines an album property and the different property category data defines a genre property, and wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for:

changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined album property from an existing genre property to the genre property defined by the different property category data;

or

changing the property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined album property to include the existing genre property and the genre property defined by the different property category data.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the identified property category data defines a first artist property and the different property category data defines a second artist property, and wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the first artist property from the first artist property to the second artist property.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the identified property category data defines an album property and the different property category data defines an artist property, and wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the defined album property from an existing artist property to the artist property defined by the different property category data.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the property category data defines a first album property and the different property category data defines a second album property, and wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for changing property data in the metadata field of the one or more media files having the first album property from the first album property to the second album property.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein each of the media files having the first album property include a plurality of metadata fields, and wherein the modifying instructions modify a property defined in one or more of the metadata fields.

43. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, wherein the modifying instructions includes instructions for changing the property defined in each of the one or more metadata fields of the media files having the first album property to include a new property when the different property defined by the different property category data is an album title property, and wherein the one or more metadata fields of the media files having the first album property define one or more of the following properties:

a collection ID property;

a collection group ID property

an album Artist property;

a provider Style property;

a provider Rating property;

a buy URL property;

a large Album Art URL property;

a small Album Art URL property;

a more Info URL property;

a provider Name property;

a provider URL property; and

a provider Logo URL property.

44. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 43, wherein the modifying instructions further includes instructions for deleting a property defined in each of the one or more of the metadata fields of the media files having the first album property when the different property defined by the property category data is an album title property, and wherein the one or more metadata fields of the media files having the first album property define one or more of the following properties:

a unique file identifier property;

a release time property; and

a content ID property.

45. In a computer system for modifying the metadata of a media file, said system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing and selecting from a list of media files on the display, comprising:

selecting a media file from the list of media files being displayed by the user interface, said media file having a metadata field defining a property of the media file;

associating the selected media file with property category data within a property category being displayed by the user interface, wherein the property category data defines a different property than the property of the media file;

wherein the computer system is responsive to associating the selected media file with property category data by providing dynamic options to a user for modifying or supplementing the property of the selected media file, said dynamic options for modifying or supplementing being provided as a function of and based upon the property of the media file and the property category data;

receiving a user response to the provided options; and

wherein the computer system is responsive to the received user response to modify the metadata field of the selected media file to the different property defined by the property category data.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein selecting the media file includes selecting and dragging the media file from a first location in the display, and wherein associating includes dropping the selected and dragged media file onto the property category data at a second location in the media library.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the list of media files are displayed in a media file data section, and wherein the property category data is displayed in an indexing section.

48. In a computer system for modifying the metadata of a group of media files, said system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing and selecting from property category data on the display, comprising:

selecting property category data within a property category being displayed by the user interface, wherein the property category data defines a property of one or more media files, and wherein each of the one or more media files includes a metadata field defining a property of the media file;

associating the selected property category data with different property category data within a property category being displayed by the user interface, wherein the different property category data defines a different property of one or more media files;

wherein the computer system is responsive to associating the selected property category data with the different property category data by providing dynamic options to a user for modifying or supplementing the selected property category data included in the metadata field of the media file, said dynamic options for modifying or supplementing being provided as a function of and based upon the selected property category data and the different property category data;

receiving a user response to the provided options; and

wherein the computer system is responsive to the received user response to modify or supplement the metadata field of the one or more media files having the property defined by the selected property category data to the different property.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein selecting property category data includes selecting and dragging the property category data from a first location in the display, and wherein associating the selected property category data with the different property category data includes dropping the selected and dragged property category data onto the different property category data at a second location in the media library.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the selected property category data and the different property category data are displayed in an indexing section.