Data management system and method for data synchronization

• US 7,693,846 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yachi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raab; Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US10/865,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/21815 comprising local storage units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739

Abstract

A data management system and method that collectively manages material data by synchronizing the material data stored in a material server with an OA server. The method includes sequentially storing material data including generated video/audio signals in at least a material server; determining that the material data stored in the material server has either a synchronous attribute or an asynchronous attribute with respect to at least an OA server which stores material data to be transmitted to a broadcast network. The method also includes synchronizing, between the material and OA servers, processing operations with respect to the same material data existing in both the material and OA servers and respectively having a synchronous attribute.

Claims

1. A data management system for managing material data of programs, the data management system comprising:

schedule transmitting means for transmitting a TV program schedule;

at least a first server which sequentially stores material data including generated video/audio signals;

at least a second server which stores material data to be transmitted;

an electronic device having;

attribute determination means for determining that the material data stored in the first server has either a synchronous attribute or an asynchronous attribute with respect to the second server, and

synchronization means for synchronizing processing operations with respect to the same material data that exist in both the first and second servers, and that have a synchronous attribute respectively; and

a database subsystem for managing a database table for the material data and the TV program schedule with a network-enabled database engine,

wherein the material data stored in the first server and the second server is displayed on a screen to a plurality of user terminals in either a synchronous folder or an asynchronous folder,

wherein said first server and said second server have a tree structure with at least folders for synchronous transfer and asynchronous transfer,

wherein the tree structure is configured so that asynchronous folders contain a file organizing material data that is recorded only on storage sources that link to an island that is positioned immediately above the asynchronous folders,

wherein the tree structure is configured so that synchronous folders contain a file organizing material data that is recorded on all storage sources that link to islands that are attached to the synchronous folders,

wherein department folders that have access restriction are created immediately under each of asynchronous folder and synchronous folder, and

wherein a department folder belonging to a first department is only displayed in a GUI of a terminal device associated with the first department.

2. The data management system according to claim 1,

wherein the attribute determination means determines that each of folders for containing files each of which organizes the material data has a synchronous attribute or an asynchronous attribute, and the synchronization means synchronizes the material data to be contained in the folder having a synchronous attribute with the second server.

3. The data management system according to claim 1,

wherein the electronic device further includes operation designation means for designating a processing operation to be executed with respect to the material data stored in the first server, and when the processing operation is designated with respect to the material data having a synchronous attribute, the synchronization means executes the processing operation with respect to the material data that has been synchronized with the second server.

6. The data management system according to claim 1,

wherein the programs include audio and video signals.

7. The data management system according to claim 1,

wherein the programs are sent to a broadcast network.

4. A data management method for managing material data of programs, the data management method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a TV program schedule;

sequentially storing material data including generated video/audio signals in at least a first server;

determining that the material data stored in the first server has either a synchronous attribute or an asynchronous attribute with respect to at least a second server which stores material data to be transmitted;

synchronizing, between the first and second servers, processing operations with respect to the same material data existing in both the first and second servers and respectively having a synchronous attribute,

wherein said first sever and said second server have a tree structure with at least folders for synchronous transfer and asynchronous transfer,

configuring the tree structure so that asynchronous folders contain a file organizing material data that is recorded only on storage sources that link to an island that is positioned immediately above the asynchronous folders;

configuring the tree structure so that synchronous folders contain a file organizing material data that is recorded on all storage sources that link to islands that are attached to the synchronous folders;

creating department folders, that have access restriction, immediately under each of asynchronous folder and synchronous folder, and

managing a database table for the material data and the TV program schedule with a network-enabled database engine,

wherein the material data stored in the first server and the second server is displayed on a screen to a plurality of user terminals in either a synchronous folder or an asynchronous folder, and

wherein a department folder belonging to a first department is only displayed in a GUI of a terminal device associated with the first department.

8. The data management method according to claim 4,

wherein the programs include audio and video signals.

9. The data management method according to claim 4,

wherein the programs are sent to a broadcast network.

5. A computer-readable recording medium storing an executable program, which, when executed, causes a processor to process material data of programs, the process comprising the steps of:

transmitting a TV program schedule;

sequentially storing material data including generated video/audio signals in at least a first server;

determining that the material data stored in the first server has either a synchronous attribute or an asynchronous attribute with respect to at least a second server which stores material data to be transmitted;

synchronizing, between the first and second servers, processing operations with respect to the same material data existing in both the first and second servers and respectively having a synchronous attribute,

wherein said first sever and said second server have a tree structure with at least folders for synchronous transfer and asynchronous transfer,

configuring the tree structure so that asynchronous folders contain a file organizing material data that is recorded only on storage sources that link to an island that is positioned immediately above the asynchronous folders;

configuring the tree structure so that synchronous folders contain a file organizing material data that is recorded on all storage sources that link to islands that are attached to the synchronous folders;

creating department folders, that have access restriction, immediately under each of asynchronous folder and synchronous folder, and

managing a database table for the material data and the TV program schedule with a network-enabled database engine,

wherein the material data stored in the first server and the second server is displayed on a screen to a plurality of user terminals in either a synchronous folder or an asynchronous folder, and

wherein a department folder belonging to a first department is only displayed in a GUI of a terminal device associated with the first department.

10. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 5,

wherein the programs include audio and video signals.

11. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 5,

wherein the programs are sent to a broadcast network.