Methods and systems for processing multi-media editing projects

• US 7,673,013 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• 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): Williams; Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US10/974,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 software-implemented matrix switch is programmable to route multiple switch inputs to multiple switch outputs and to produce a single output that provides a data stream defined by a multi-media editing project. A request for one or more multi-media files for use in the multi-media editing project is generated by a user computer comprising part of a network where multi-media files are maintained in a network-accessible location. The request is intercepted and a determination is made as to whether a requested multi-media file is located on the user computer. The multi-media file is retrieved if the file is located on the user computer. If the file is not on the user computer, the requested file is sought from the network-accessible location. A multi-media editing project is then produced using the software-implemented matrix switch.

Claims

1. A method of processing a multi-media editing project embodied on a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program executed by one or more processors, comprising:

providing a software-implemented matrix switch that is programmable to dynamically couple multiple switch inputs scalable to multiple switch outputs based on content of a matrix switch programming grid, wherein the matrix switch programming grid is automatically generated by a render engine, a media time, and a project time, the render engine configured to;

invoke and control an instance of a filter graph manager to assemble a tree structure of the multi-media editing project, noting a dependency between a source and one or more filters;

ascertain performance characteristics of components comprising the tree structure of the multi-media editing project, wherein ascertaining performance characteristics of components comprising the tree structure comprises accessing and analyzing a system directory of an operating system of a computing system implementing the method of processing the multi-media editing project to ascertain performance characteristics of hardware and software components of the computing system; and

adjust filter graph assembly based upon the ascertained performance characteristics;

producing a single output that provides a data stream defined by the multi-media editing project;

maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files have been stored in the past;

generating a request for one or more multi-media files for use in the 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 one or more user-designated directories for the requested multi-media file listed in the list of one or more user-designated directories;

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

asking a user to designate an additional local directory if the requested multi-media file is not located on the user computer in the one or more of the user-designated directories;

seeking the requested multi-media file from the network-accessible location if the multi-media file is not located on the user computer in the additional local directory;

updating the list responsive to the user designating the additional local directory; and

producing the multi-media editing project using the software-implemented matrix switch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining comprises:

maintaining the list of directories where multi-media files are currently stored; and

checking directories on the list for the requested one or more files.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating the list responsive to receiving and storing the multi-media file in the additional local directory.

4. A multi-media project editing application configured for execution on a user computer, the application being configured to implement the method of claim 1.

5. A method of processing a multi-media editing project embodied on a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program executed by one or more processors, comprising:

providing a software-implemented matrix switch that is programmable to dynamically couple multiple switch inputs to multiple switch outputs and to produce a single output that provides a data stream defined by a multi-media editing project, wherein the number of switch inputs and the number of switch outputs are individually generated to satisfy a given multi-media editing project and are automatically generated by a render engine, the render engine configure to;

invoke and control an instance of a filter graph manager to assemble a tree structure of the multi-media editing project, noting a dependency between a source and one or more filters;

ascertain performance characteristics of components comprising the tree structure of the multi-media editing project, wherein ascertaining performance characteristics of components comprising the tree structure comprises accessing and analyzing a system directory of an operating system of a computing system implementing the method of processing the multi-media editing project to ascertain performance characteristics of hardware and software components of the computing system; and

adjust filter graph assembly based upon the ascertained performance characteristics;

maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files have been stored in the past;

generating a request to retrieve a multi-media file;

intercepting the request by a local computer;

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

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

asking a user to designate an additional local directory if the requested multi-media file is not located on the local computer in the one or more of the user-designated directories;

seeking the requested multi-media file from the network-accessible location if the multi-media file is not located on the local computer in the additional local directory;

updating the list responsive to the user designating the additional local directory; and

producing the multi-media editing project using the software-implemented matrix switch.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said information comprises a list of local directories where multi-media files are currently stored.

7. A method of processing a multi-media editing project embodied on a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program executed by one or more processors, comprising:

maintaining a list of one or more user designated directories where multi-media files have been stored in the past;

providing a software-implemented matrix switch that is programmable to dynamically couple multiple switch inputs to multiple switch outputs to satisfy a multi-media editing project, and to produce a single output that provides a data stream defined by the multi-media editing project;

providing a render engine, the render engine configured to;

invoke and control an instance of a filter graph manager to assemble a tree structure of the multi-media editing project, noting a dependency between a source and one or more filters;

ascertain performance characteristics of components comprising the tree structure of the multi-media editing project, wherein ascertaining performance characteristics of components comprising the tree structure comprises accessing and analyzing a system directory of an operating system of a computing system implementing the method of processing the multi-media editing project to ascertain performance characteristics of hardware and software components of the computing system; and

adjust filter graph assembly based upon the ascertained performance characteristics;

receiving one or more multi-media files from a network-accessible location;

locally storing the one or more multi-media files in a local directory on a user computer for use in the multi-media editing project;

responsive to receiving a request for a multi-media file that is maintained in the network-accessible location;

first checking in all of the local directories on the list of local directories for the requested file;

second asking a user to designate an additional local directory if the requested file is not located on the user computer in the user-designated directories;

third checking the network-accessible location for the requested file in the event the requested file is not located on the user computer in the additional local directory; and

fourth updating the list responsive to the user designated additional local directory; and

producing the multi-media editing project using the software-implemented matrix switch.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the multi-media files are read only files.

9. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable stored instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

provide a software-implemented matrix switch that is programmable to dynamically couple multiple switch inputs to multiple switch outputs to satisfy a multi-media editing project, and to produce a single output that provides a data stream defined by the multi-media editing project;

provide a render engine, the render engine configured to;

invoke and control an instance of a filter graph manager to assemble a tree structure of the multi-media editing project, noting a dependency between a source and one or more filters;

ascertain performance characteristics of components comprising the tree structure of the multi-media editing project, wherein ascertaining performance characteristics of components comprising the tree structure comprises accessing and analyzing a system directory of an operating system of a computing system implementing the method of processing the multi-media editing project to ascertain performance characteristics of hardware and software components of the computing system; and

adjust filter graph assembly to improve performance of the system based upon the ascertained performance characteristics;

maintain a list of one or more user designated directories wherein multi-media files have been stored in the past;

generate a request to retrieve a multi-media file;

intercept the request by a local computer;

ascertain whether a requested multi-media file from the request is located on the local computer by checking one or more user-designated directories for the requested multi-media file listed in the list of one or more user designed directories;

first, retrieve the requested multi-media file from the local computer if the file is located on local user computer in the one or more of the user-designated directories;

second, asking a user to designate an additional local directory if the requested multi-media file is not located on the local computer in the one or more of the user-designated directories;

third, seek the requested multi-media file from the network storage location if the file is not located on the local computer in the additional local directory;

store the requested multi-media file in a local directory if the requested file is retrieved from the network storage location;

update the list responsive to the user designating the additional local directory; and

produce the multi-media editing project using the software-implemented matrix switch.