Methods and systems for efficiently processing compressed and uncompressed media content

• US 7,529,848 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rudolph, Eric H., Miller, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): El Chanti; Hussein
• Application Number:
  US11/423,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/238, 709/247, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

Methods and systems are described that permit efficient processing of user-defined multi-media editing projects that combine multiple different source data streams into a single compressed data stream that represents the project. The described approaches are directed to ensuring that those compressed source data stream portions that need to be uncompressed for processing are uncompressed and processed, while those compressed source data stream portions that do not need to be uncompressed are not uncompressed. In one embodiment, a unique switch assembly is provided comprising one or more switches each of which being configured to process data streams. The switch assembly is configured to process both compressed and uncompressed data streams to provide the single compressed output data stream. In one embodiment, three software-implemented switches are provided—one for handling uncompressed source data streams, one for handling compressed source data streams, and one for processing the output of the first two switches to provide the single compressed data stream.

Claims

1. An editing system comprising:

a processor,

a switch assembly comprising a memory that stores one or more software-implemented matrix switch filters, individual matrix switch filters comprising;

one or more input pins configured to receive a first data stream; and

one or more output pins configured to output a second data stream;

the one or more input pins being routable to the one or more output pins, the switch assembly being configured to process both compressed and uncompressed data streams to provide a compressed output data stream that represents a user-defined editing project in which a user can construct said editing project by operating on one or more sources of multimedia content that provide said compressed and uncompressed data streams, wherein at least one of said matrix switch filters is programmed to select a scalable plurality of input pins from said one or more input pins and a scalable plurality of output pins from said one or more output pins, wherein individual input pins of said scalable plurality of input pins are iteratively coupled to individual output pins of said scalable plurality of output pins based, at is least in part, on the user'"'"'s operation on said one or more sources of multimedia content and based at least in part on the number and type of said compressed and uncompressed data streams.

2. The editing system of claim 1, wherein the switch assembly comprises multiple switches.

3. The editing system of claim 2, wherein one switch is configured to process compressed data streams.

4. The editing system of claim 2, wherein one switch is configured to process uncompressed data streams.

5. The editing system of claim 2, wherein one switch is configured to process compressed data streams, and one switch is configured to process uncompressed data streams.

6. One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that are executed by a computing device to perform actions comprising:

receiving, by a switch filter means which comprises one or more input pins to receive a first data stream and one or more output pins to output a second data stream, compressed and uncompressed data streams associated with sources that are to be incorporated into a user-defined editing project in which a user can construct said editing project by operating on one or more sources of multimedia content that provide said compressed and uncompressed data streams, said switch filter means processing the compressed and uncompressed data streams to provide a single compressed output stream that represents the project; and

wherein said switch filter means comprises at least one matrix switch filter programmed to select a scalable plurality of input pins from said one or more input pins and a scalable plurality of output pins from said one or more output pins, wherein individual input pins of said scalable plurality of input pins are iteratively coupled to individual output pins of said scalable plurality of output pins based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s operation on said one or more sources of multimedia content and based at least in part on the number and type of said compressed and uncompressed data streams.

7. The computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the switch filter means comprises:

first switch filter means for processing the uncompressed data stream to provide an output uncompressed data stream;

second switch filter means for processing the compressed data stream to provide an output compressed data stream; and

third switch filter means for processing the output uncompressed and compressed data streams to provide the single compressed output stream.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the switch filter means comprises means for providing a data stream as a feedback data stream that is processed by the switch filter means.

9. A multi-media editing method comprising:

providing a switch assembly comprising one or more software-implemented matrix switch filters, individual matrix switch filters comprising one or more input pins and one or more output pins, the one or more input pins being routable to the one or more output pins, the switch assembly being configured to process both compressed and uncompressed data streams to provide a compressed output data stream using a filter graph that represents a user-defined multi-media editing project in which a user can construct said editing project by operating on one or more sources of multimedia content that provide said data compressed and uncompressed data streams, wherein at least one of said matrix switch filters is programmed to select a scalable plurality of input pins from said one or more input pins and a scalable plurality of output pins from said one or more output pins, wherein individual input pins of said scalable plurality of input pins are iteratively coupled to individual output pins of said scalable plurality of output pins based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s operation on said one or more sources of multimedia content and based at least in part on the number and type of said compressed and uncompressed data streams; and

programming the switch assembly using one or more data structures, said programming providing a routing scheme for routing input pins to output pins for a given time period.

10. The multi-media editing method of claim 9, wherein said providing comprises providing multiple switch filters at least one of which being configured to process both compressed and uncompressed data streams.

11. The multi-media editing method of claim 9, wherein said providing comprises providing multiple switch filters, one of which being configured to process only compressed data streams.

12. The multi-media editing method of claim 9, wherein said providing comprises providing multiple switch filters, one of which being configured to process only uncompressed data streams.

13. The multi-media editing method of claim 9, wherein said providing comprises providing multiple switch filters:

at least one of which being configured to process both compressed and uncompressed data streams;

at least one of which being configured to process only compressed data streams; and

at least one of which being configured to process only uncompressed data streams.

14. The multi-media editing method of claim 9, wherein said programming comprises programming the switch assembly using one or more grid structures, individual grid structures containing data defining an association between input pins, output pins, and a project time line.

15. The multi-media editing method of claim 9 further comprising:

representing the editing project as a hierarchical tree structure; and

processing the hierarchical tree structure to provide at least one grid structure containing data that defines an association between input pins, output pins and a time line defined by the editing project.

16. The multi-media editing method of claim 9, wherein said programming comprises:

defining a first grid structure containing data that defines an association between input pins, at least one output pin and a tune line defined by the editing project; and

defining a second grid structure containing data that defines an association between different input pins, at least one different output pin and the time line defined by the editing project.

17. The multi-media editing method of claim 16, wherein the first grid structure is associated with programming the switch assembly to process the uncompressed data stream.

18. The multi-media editing method of claim 16, wherein the second grid structure is associated with programming the switch assembly to process the compressed data stream.