System for managing media content

• US 8,042,054 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cansler, James, White, Scott, Mukerji, Ankur
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Ruay
• Application Number:
  US11/972,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 715/999.107, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50- 79, 345 30-111, 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 707/14
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device having a controller to create metadata corresponding to an identity of an entity, incorporate in a media file the metadata that identifies the entity with metadata that describes media content in the media file, and present a graphical user interface depicting a media file directory structure generated according to the metadata that identifies the entity and the metadata that describes media content in the media file. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions to:

receive from a user a request to tag at least a portion of a media file with an identity of the user;

create metadata corresponding to the identity of the user;

incorporate in the media file the metadata that identifies the user with metadata that describes media content in the media file; and

present a graphical user interface depicting a media file directory structure generated according to the metadata that identifies the user and the metadata that describes media content in the media file, wherein the media file directory structure presents at least a portion of the media file, and wherein the portion of the media file is shared with another media file directory structure without resulting in a duplication of the media file.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media file directory structure comprises a file system managed by an operating system, and wherein the media content comprises one among audio content, moving image content, still image content, and textual content.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to create the metadata corresponding to the identity of the user responsive to a navigation device action initiated by the user.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to:

present a list of users to associate with the media file responsive to detecting a first navigation device action; and

create the metadata corresponding to the identity of the user responsive to a second navigation device action that selects the user from the list of users.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to:

enable the user to gain access to a subscriber account of the user responsive to receiving authentication data from the user;

identify the user according to the authentication data;

receive the media file while the user has access to the subscriber account of the user; and

tag the media file with the identity of the user responsive to receiving the media file.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the description of the media content comprises at least one among an identification of an author of the media content, a title for the media content, a hierarchical structure of the media content, an indication of a presentation length of the media content, a genre of the media content, a publication date of the media content, and a rating of the media content.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to present a sub-graphical user interface that describes at least the identity of the user responsive to one of sensing a pointer of a navigation device in a vicinity of a presentation of the media file in the graphical user interface depicting the media file directory or an action taken by the navigation device in relation to the media file.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to tag the media file with the identity of the user responsive to the metadata that describes the media content complying with one or more established parental controls.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the parental controls limit tagging of the media file according to a rating of the media content supplied in the metadata that describes the media content.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage medium operates in one among a computer, a media processor, a fixed line communication device, and a wireless communication device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the media processor comprises at least one among a set-top box, a digital video recorder, and a media player.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the media processor operates in at least one among an Internet Protocol Television communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, a Public Switched Telephone Network, a Voice over IP (VoIP) communication system, and a IP Multimedia Subsystem combining the PSTN and VoIP communication systems.

13. A device, comprising a memory coupled to a controller, the controller operable to:

receive from a user a request to tag at least a portion of a media file with an identity of the user;

create metadata corresponding to an identity of the user;

incorporate in the media file the metadata that identifies the user with metadata that describes media content in the media file; and

present a graphical user interface depicting a media file directory structure generated according to the metadata that identifies the user entity and the metadata that describes media content in the media file, wherein the media file directory structure presents at least a portion of the media file, and wherein the portion of the media file is shared with another media file directory structure without resulting in a duplication of the media file.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the device comprises one among a computer, a media processor, a fixed line communication device, and a wireless communication device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the media processor comprises at least one among a set-top box, a digital video recorder, and a media player.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the media processor operates in at least one among an Internet Protocol Television communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, a Public Switched Telephone Network, a Voice over IP (VoIP) communication system, and a IP Multimedia Subsystem combining the PSTN and VoIP communication systems.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to present a sub-graphical user interface that describes at least the identity of the user responsive to one among sensing a pointer of a navigation device in a vicinity of a presentation of the media file in the graphical user interface depicting the media file directory, or an action taken by the navigation device in relation to the media file.

18. The device of claim 13, comprising computer instructions for tagging the media file with the identity of the user responsive to the metadata that describes the media content complying with one or more established parental controls, wherein the parental controls limit tagging of the media file according to a rating of the media content supplied in the metadata that describes the media content.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving at a computing device a request from a user to tag at least a portion of a media file with an identity of the user;

creating using the computing device, metadata corresponding to the identity of the user;

incorporating in the media file using the computing device, the metadata corresponding to the identity of the user with metadata that describes media content in the media file; and

presenting a graphical user interface at a user interface of the computing device that depicts a media file directory structure generated according to the metadata corresponding to the identity of the user and the metadata that describes media content in the media file, wherein the media file directory structure presents at least a portion of the media file, and wherein the portion of the media file is shared with another media file directory structure without resulting in a duplication of the media file.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

identifying using the computing device, one or more user preferences to organize a presentation of the media file;

presenting a sub-graphical user interface that describes at least the identity of the user responsive to one among sensing a pointer of a navigation device in a vicinity of a presentation of the media file in the graphical user interface depicting the media file directory, or an action taken by the navigation device in relation to the media file,

wherein the method operates in one among a computer, a media processor, a fixed line communication device, and a wireless communication device, wherein the media processor comprises at least one among a set-top box, a digital video recorder, and a media player, wherein the media processor operates in at least one among an Internet Protocol Television communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, a Public Switched Telephone Network, a Voice over IP (VoIP) communication system, and a IP Multimedia Subsystem combining the PSTN and VoIP communication systems, and wherein the method comprises identifying one or more user preferences to organize a presentation of the media file in the media storage system GUI.