Using resource item lists to consume resource items

• US 7,640,343 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Scott, Samuel Thomas III
• Primary Examiner(s): BAROT, BHARAT
• Application Number:
  US10/857,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709225-226, 709/229, 709202-203
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

Strategies are described for creating a resource item list, for transferring the resource item list from one user to another user or to another destination, and for retrieving resource items from an operations center based on resource descriptors specified in the resource item list. The resource item list can include a number of attributes which are used to identify matching resource items in a content store of the operations center. A schema defines the contents and organization of entries in the resource item list. The use of resource item lists helps users discover and consume resource items of interest extracted from a larger pool of resource items.

Claims

1. A method for providing plural audio/video media programs from a content store, the method comprising:

receiving a user-created resource item list from a client processing device, the user-created resource item list including plural resource item descriptors that identify at least one or multiple audio/video media programs provided in the content store, wherein the content store comprises multiple distributed databases including pre-recorded sources and new resources archived in a real-time mode;

invoking the user-created resource item list;

automatically retrieving the audio/video media programs identified by the resource item descriptors from the content store, wherein when more than one audio/video media program matches at least one of the resource item descriptors, the automatically retrieving further comprises;

discovering weighted preference criteria associated with a user of the user-created resource item list, the discovering selected from a group comprising;

consulting a maintained file that identifies weighted user preferences pertaining to the user; and

polling the client processing device of the user to obtain weighted user preferences pertaining to the user and to determine formats in which the client processing device is configured to receive audio/video media programs;

determining a preferred audio/video media program based on an analysis of weights of the weighted preference criteria;

alerting the user that the preferred audio/video media program is available for consumption; and

giving the user an opportunity to retrieve the preferred audio/video media program;

providing the retrieved audio/video media programs to the client processing device for a presentation thereat.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user-created resource item list is expressed in a markup language.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the markup language is the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a schema governs the contents and organization of the user-created resource item list, the schema comprising an identification of the user-created resource item list, a sequence defining a preferred order in which resource items should be played and at least one or more attributes.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each resource item descriptor includes at least one attribute comprising a Program Reference Number, a Program Title, a Program Airing Date, a Program Airing Service, a Program Airing Time, or a Program Duration.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein each resource item descriptor includes plural attributes, a subset of which are optional.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user-created resource item list includes information that specifies an order in which the audio/video media programs are to be presented.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including selecting one of at least two audio/video media programs based on at least one consideration.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one consideration pertains to a picture resolution of a rendering client presentation device that will render the selected resource item.

10. A method for retrieving plural resource items from a content store of an operations center, comprising:

obtaining, at a client processing device, a resource item list, the resource item list including plural resource item descriptors that identify respective resource items provided in the content store of the operations center, the operations center including a receiving/recording module and an information dissemination module including an operations center list handling module;

forwarding an entire resource item list to the operations center list handling module;

receiving the entire resource item list at the operations center list handling module;

retrieving at the information dissemination module, the resource items identified by the resource item descriptors from the content store, wherein when multiple resource items match at least one of the resource item descriptors, the operations center list handling module selects at least one of the multiple resource items based on at least one consideration selected from a group of considerations comprising;

a result of an analysis of weighted user preferences in a user preference file maintained by the operations center; and

a result of an analysis of weighted user preferences and determined characteristics of the client processing device obtained from polling the client processing device, the characteristics comprising formats in which the client processing device is configured to receive resource items;

providing from the information dissemination module, the retrieved resource items to the client processing device for presentation thereat;

wherein the receiving/recording module receives the resource items from an information source and forwards the resource items to the content store.

11. The method according to claim 10, where the obtaining includes receiving the resource item list from a remote repository of resource item lists.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the group of considerations further comprise a response to a query received from the client processing device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the obtaining involves creating the resource item list from scratch at the client processing device.

14. A computer readable storage medium including machine readable instructions, that when executed by a processor, directs a computing device to perform the steps for implementing the method recited in claim 10.

15. A server apparatus for providing plural resource items, the apparatus comprising:

a content store providing plural resource items;

logic configured to receive a resource item list from a client processing device, the resource item list including plural resource item descriptors that identify resource items provided in the content store, wherein each resource item descriptor includes at least one attribute, the attribute comprising one of a Program Reference Number, a Program Title, a Program Airing Date, a Program Airing Service, a Program Airing Time, or a Program Duration;

logic configured to automatically retrieve the resource items identified by the resource item descriptors from the content store;

logic configured to discover, based on at least one consideration, at least one preferred resource item when multiple resource items match at least one of the resource item descriptors, the at least one consideration selected from a group of considerations comprising;

a result of an analysis of weighted user preferences in a user preference file maintained by the server apparatus; and

a result of an analysis of weighted user preferences and determined characteristics of the client processing device obtained from polling the client processing device;

logic configured to provide the retrieved resource items to the client processing device for presentation thereat.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the resource item list is expressed in a markup language.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the markup language is the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a schema governs the contents and organization of the resource item list, the schema comprises at least one of:

MediaPlaylist;

MediaSequence;

programReferenceIdentifer;

programTitle;

programAiringDate;

programAiringService;

programAiringTimeUTC;

or

programDurationMinutes.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each resource item descriptor includes plural attributes, a subset of which are optional.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the resource item list includes information that specifies an order in which the resource items are to be presented.

21. The apparatus according to claim 15, further including logic configured to select one of at least two resource items based on the at least one consideration.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the at least one consideration pertains to a picture resolution of a rendering client presentation device that will render the selected resource item.

23. A computer readable storage medium including machine readable instructions, that when executed by a processor, directs the server apparatus to perform the steps of implementing the logic recited in claim 15.

24. A system for retrieving plural resource items, the system comprising:

a computer processing device, including;

logic configured to obtain a resource item list, the resource item list including plural resource item descriptors that identify respective resource items; and

logic configured to forward the resource item list to an operations center, the operations center including a receiving/recording module and an information dissemination module including an operations center list handling module;

the operations center including;

a content store for storing resource items;

logic configured to receive the resource item list;

logic configured to retrieve the resource items identified by the resource item descriptors in the resource item list from the content store;

logic configured to discover, based on at least one consideration, at least one preferred resource item when multiple resource items match at least one of the resource item descriptors, the at least one consideration selected from a group of considerations comprising;

a result of an analysis of weighted user preferences in a user preference file maintained by the operations center; and

a result of an analysis of weighted user preferences and determined characteristics of the client processing device obtained from polling the client processing device;

logic configured to provide the retrieved resource items to the client processing device for presentation thereat;

wherein the receiving/recording module receives the resource items from an information source and forwards the resource items to the content store.

25. The system according to claim 24, where the logic for obtaining is configured to receive the resource item list from a source entity, wherein the resource item list is a pre-existing resource item list.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the source entity is a remote repository of resource item lists.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein the logic for obtaining is configured to create the resource item list, the resource item list written from scratch by a user.

28. A computer readable storage medium including machine readable instructions, that when executed by a processor, directs the computer processing device to perform the steps of implementing the logic recited in claim 24.

29. A computer readable storage medium including machine readable instructions, that when executed by a processor, directs a computing device to perform acts, the acts comprising:

receiving a user-created resource item list from a client processing device, the user-created resource item list including plural resource item descriptors that identify at least one or multiple audio/video media programs provided in the content store, wherein the content store comprises multiple distributed databases including pre-recorded sources and new resources archived in a real-time mode;

invoking the user-created resource item list;

automatically retrieving the audio/video media programs identified by the resource item descriptors from the content store, wherein when more than one audio/video media programs match at least one of the resource item descriptors, the automatically retrieving further comprises;

discovering weighted preference criteria associated with a user of the user-created resource item list, the act of discovering selected from a group comprising;

consulting a maintained file that identifies weighted user preferences pertaining to the user; and

polling the client processing device of the user to obtain weighted user preferences pertaining to the user and to determine formats in which the client processing device is configured to receive audio/video media programs;

determining a preferred audio/video media program based on an analysis of the weights of the weighted preference criteria;

alerting he user that the preferred audio/video media program is available for consumption; and

giving the user an opportunity to retrieve the preferred audio/video media program;

providing the retrieved audio/video media programs to the client processing device for a presentation thereat.