Process and format for reliable storage of data

• US 7,689,619 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kisliakov, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Miranda
• Application Number:
  US10/748,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20040231001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-102, 707/104.1, 707200-201, 707/736, 707/741, 707/913, 709/203, 709217-224, 715/501.1, 715/51, 711/161, 711/162, 714/1, 714/2
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method of generating a media file for display on a display device. The method includes the steps of (a) initializing the media file and an associated index file, the associated index file referencing the media file, and (b) inserting a plurality of video frames from a camera into the media file. The inserting step includes the steps of (i) determining if the media file is configured to accept the plurality of video frames, and (ii) configuring the media file, based on the determination step, such that the plurality of video frames is accepted by the media file. The method further includes the steps of (c) appending a text string having at least a time stamp of the inserting step to the plurality of video frames, to thereby generate the media file, the text string being adapted for reconstructing the associated index file upon corruption of the associated index file, wherein the reconstructed index file replaces the associated index file, wherein upon the media file and the associated index file being damaged.

Claims

1. A method of generating a media file for display on a display device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) initializing the media file and an associated index file, the associated index file referencing the media file;

(b) inserting a plurality of video frames from a camera into the media file, wherein said inserting step comprises the steps of;

(i) determining if the media file is configured to accept the plurality of video frames; and

(ii) configuring the media file, based on said determination step, such that the plurality of video frames is accepted by the media file; and

(c) appending a text string comprising at least a time stamp of said inserting step to the plurality of video frames, to thereby generate the media file, the text string being adapted for reconstructing the associated index file upon corruption of the associated index file, wherein the reconstructed index file replaces the associated index file,

and wherein upon the media file and the associated index file being damaged, performing the following steps;

(d) adding at least one track to the reconstructed index file;

(e) determining if a portion of the media file in the damaged media file is the text string or the plurality of video frames;

(f) if the portion of the media file is the text string, setting a current time of the track of the reconstructed index file to a time stamp of the text string;

(g) if the portion of the media file is the plurality of video frames, executing the sub-steps of;

(i) resizing the media file to contain the plurality of video frames; and

(ii) advancing the current time of the track of the reconstructed index file by a default duration associated with the track;

(h) repeating steps (d) to (g) until a portion of the media file that does not belong to the media file is encountered; and

(i) replacing the associated index file with the reconstructed index file that references at least one portion of the media file.

2. An apparatus for generating a media file for display on a display device, said apparatus comprising:

(a) initializing means for initializing the media file and an associated index file, the associated index file referencing the media file;

(b) inserting means for inserting a plurality of video frames from a camera into the media file, wherein said inserting means comprises;

(i) first determining means for determining if the media file is configured to accept the plurality of video frames; and

(ii) configuring means for configuring the media file, based on the determination, such that the plurality of video frames is accepted by the media file;

(c) appending means for appending a text string comprising at least a time stamp of the insertion to the plurality of video frames to thereby generate the media file, the text string being adapted for reconstructing the associated index file upon corruption of the associated index file, wherein the reconstructed index file replaces the associated index file,

and wherein upon the media file and the associated index file being damaged,

(d) an adding means adds at least one track to the reconstructed index file;

(e) second determining means determines if a portion of the media file in the damaged media file is the text string or the plurality of video frames;

(f) if the portion of the damaged media file is the text string, setting means sets a current time of the track of the reconstructed index file to a time stamp of said text string;

(g) if the portion of the damaged media file is the plurality of video frames, resizing means resizes the media file to contain the plurality of video frames, and time advancing means advances the current time of the track of the reconstructed index file by a default duration associated with the track;

(h) processing means processes the media file until a portion of the media file that does not belong to the media file is encountered; and

(i) replacing means replaces the associated index file with the reconstructed index file that references at least one portion of the media file.

3. A computer readable storage device having recorded thereon a computer program for generating a media file for display on a display device, said computer program comprising:

(a) code for initializing the media file and an associated index file, the associated index file referencing the media file;

(b) code for inserting a plurality of video frames from a camera into the media file, wherein said code for inserting comprises;

(i) code for determining if the media file is configured to accept the plurality of video frames; and

(ii) code for configuring the media file, based on the determination, such that the plurality of video frames is accepted by the media file; and

(c) code for appending a text string comprising at least a time stamp of the insertion to the plurality of video frames to thereby generate the media file, the text string being adapted for reconstructing the associated index file upon corruption of the associated index file, wherein the reconstructed index file replaces the associated index file,

wherein, upon the media file and the associated index file being damaged,

(d) code for adding adds at least one track to the reconstructed index file; and

(e) code for determining determines if a portion of the media file in the damaged media file is the text string or the plurality of video frames;

(f) if the portion of the media file is the text string, code for setting sets a current time of the track of the reconstructed index file to a time stamp of the text string;

(g) if the portion of the media file is the plurality of video frames, code for resizing resizes the media file to contain the plurality of video frames, and code for advancing advances the current time of the track of the reconstructed index file by a default duration associated with the track;

(h) code for processing processes the media file until a portion of the media file that does not belong to the media file is encountered; and

(i) code for replacing replaces the associated index file with the reconstructed index file that references at least one portion of the media file.