Methods and systems for processing multi-media editing projects

• US 7,447,754 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rudolph, Eric H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US09/732,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,890 Days
• Field of Search: 709/212, 709/213, 709216-219, 709/224, 709/223, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems of processing multi-media editing projects are described. In one embodiment, a request for one or more multi-media files is generated on a user computer that comprises part of a network where multi-media files are maintained in a network-accessible location. The request is intercepted and software executing on the user computer ascertains whether one or more of the requested multi-media files are located on the user computer. If the file or files are located on the user computer, they are retrieved and used. If a file or files are not locally available, the file or files are retrieved from the network-accessible location.

Claims

1. A method of processing a multi-media editing project comprising:

maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files have been stored in the past, wherein a directory path name is added to the list of one or more user designated directories when the user specifies said directory path name to store the multi-media files;

generating a request for one or more multi-media files for use in a multi-media editing project, the request being generated by a user computer that comprises part of a network where multi-media files are maintained in a network-accessible location;

intercepting the request by the user computer;

ascertaining whether a requested multi-media file is located on the user computer by checking the one or more user designated directories for the requested multi-media file listed in said list of one or more user designated directories;

retrieving the requested multi-media file from the user computer if the file is located on the user computer in said one or more of the user-designated directories; and

seeking the requested multi-media file from the network-accessible location if the multi-media file is not located on the user computer in said one or more of the user-designated directories.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising asking a user to designate a local directory if a requested file is not found on the user computer in said one or more of the user-designated directories.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising asking a user to designate a local directory if a requested file is not found on the user computer in said one or more of the user-designated directories, and then searching for the requested file in a designated local directory before seeking the requested file from the network-accessible location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said ascertaining comprises checking various predetermined file directories on the computer'"'"'s hard drive.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories further comprises maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files are presently stored.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating the list responsive to receiving and storing a multi-media file in a local directory that is not on the list.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating the list responsive to a user designating a local directory that is not on the list.

8. One or more computer readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a user computer perform the steps comprising:

maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files have been stored in the past, wherein a directory path name is added to the list of one or more user designated directories when a user specifies said directory path name to store the multi-media files;

generating a request for one or more multi-media files for use in a multi-media editing project, the request being generated by the user computer that comprises part of a network where multi-media files are maintained in a network-accessible location;

intercepting the request by the user computer;

ascertaining whether a requested multi-media file is located on the user computer by checking the one or more user designated directories for the requested multi-media file listed in said list of one or more user designated directories;

retrieving the requested multi-media file from the user computer if the file is located in said one or more of the user-designated directories; and

seeking the requested multi-media file from the network-accessible location if the multi-media file is not located on the user computer in said one or more of the user-designated directories.

9. One or more computer readable storage media as recited in claim 8, further comprising asking a user to designate a local directory if a requested file is not found on the user computer in said one or more of the user-designated directories, and then searching for the requested file in a designated local directory before seeking the requested file from the network-accessible location.

10. One or more computer readable storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein said maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories further comprises maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files are presently stored.

11. One or more computer readable storage media as recited in claim 8, further comprising one or more of the following:

updating the list responsive to receiving and storing a multi-media file in a local directory that is not on the list; and

updating the list responsive to a user designating a local directory that is not on the list.

12. A multi-media project editing application stored on a user computer which, when executed perform the steps comprising:

maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files have been stored in the past, wherein a directory path name is added to the list of one or more user designated directories when the user specifies said directory path name to store the multi-media files;

generating a request for one or more multi-media files for use in a multi-media editing project, the request being generated by the user computer that comprises part of a network where multi-media files are maintained in a network-accessible location;

intercepting the request by the user computer;

ascertaining whether a requested multi-media file is located on the user computer by checking the one or more user designated directories for the requested multi-media file listed in said list of one or more user designated directories;

retrieving the requested multi-media file from the user computer if the file is located in said one or more of the user-designated directories; and

seeking the requested multi-media file from the network-accessible location if the multi-media file is not located on the user computer in said one or more of the user-designated directories.

13. A multi-media project editing application as recited in claim 12, further comprising asking a user to designate a local directory if a requested file is not found on the user computer in said one or more of the user-designated directories, and then searching for the requested file in a designated local directory before seeking the requested file from the network-accessible location.

14. A multi-media project editing application as recited in claim 12, wherein said-maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories further comprises maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files are presently stored.

15. A multi-media project editing application as recited in claim 12, further comprising one or more of the following:

updating the list responsive to receiving and storing a multi-media file in a local directory that is not on the list; and

updating the list responsive to a user designating a local directory that is not on the list.