System and method to manage and distribute media using a predictive media cache

• US 8,386,465 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyson King
• Original Assignee: Prodea Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Ansari, Amir, Cowgill, George A., Masina, Ramprakash, Ramayya, Jude P., McQuarters, Alvin R., Raissyan, Atousa, Nicholls, Leon E., Rose, Marshall T., Clavenna, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US12/167,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 707/713, 707/766
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 : Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 : based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 : Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 : Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 : Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1108 : Web based protocols, e.g. webRTC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 : using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 : in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 : Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 : Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 : Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 : Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 : Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/911 : Bridge, e.g. brouter, bus extender

Abstract

A system for decreasing the perceived end user latency while interacting with a database. The system comprises the database storing metadata associated with one or more of media, files, data, devices and services, a user interface operable to receive a user generated query selected from a plurality of user generated query options, the plurality of user generated query options representing at least one of a user selectable object displayed by the user interface, and a processor having a predictive module operable to generate at least one background query of the database prior to the user interface receiving the user generated query, the at least one background query correlating to at least one of the user generated query options. The predictive module compares the user generated query to the at least one background query prior to sending the user generated query to the database such that if the user generated query corresponds to the at least one background query the user interface displays a result to the at least one background query.

Claims

1. A system for decreasing the perceived end user latency while interacting with a database comprising:

the database storing metadata associated with one or more of media, files, data, devices and services;

an endpoint device that communicates with a digital media server via at least one of multiple connections between the end point device and the digital media server, the end point device and the digital server capable of negotiating a number of objects to be presented, the end point device located at a user premises, the endpoint device having;

a user interface operable to display a first set of query results and receive a user generated query based on the displayed first set of query results, each query result in the displayed first set of query results representing a user selectable object that navigates to another set of query results displayable by the user interface;

a processor having a predictive module operable to generate at least one background query of the database based on the displayed first set of query results and prior to a user invoking any action within the user interface, the at least one background query querying the database for another set of query results for each of the query results in the displayed first set of query results; and

wherein the predictive module compares the user generated query to the at least one background query prior to sending the user generated query to the database such that if the user generated query corresponds to the at least one background query the user interface displays the another set of query results acquired from the at least one background query that correspond to the user generated query.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the results of the at least one background query are stored in a memory.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the predictive module sends the user query to the database for processing if not background query corresponds to the user query.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface displays an answer to the user query sent to the database by the predictive module.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface displaying the answer to the user query correlates to a second set of query results, the user interface operable to receive a second user query selected from second set of query results, each query result in the second set of query results representing a user selectable object that navigates to a different set of query results displayable by the user interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the predictive module generates at least one second background query of the database based on the second set of query results and prior to the user interface receiving the second user query, the at least one second background query querying the database for the different set of query results for each of the query results in the second set of query results.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the predictive module compares the second user query to the at least one second background query prior to sending the second user query to the database such that if the second user query corresponds to the at least one second background query the user interface displays the different set of query results acquired from the at least one second background query that correspond to the second user query.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the predictive module sends the second user query to the database for processing if no second background query corresponds to the second user query.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface displays a second answer to the second user query sent to the database by the predictive module.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a management service center in communication with the endpoint device via multiple communications between the endpoint device and the management service center including a wide area network and operable to control the endpoint device; and

an application service provider operable to provide an application service associated with the database storing metadata,

wherein the endpoint device and the management service center negotiate a number of objects to be presented, the endpoint device further comprising;

an application service enforcement module controlled by the service management center via the wide area network, the application service enforcement module operable to enforce usage policies associated with the application service on the endpoint device at the user premises; and

an application service logic module controlled by the service management center via the wide area network, the application service logic module providing logic for the execution of the application service at the first user premises, the application service logic module in communication with the application service enforcement module and operable to provide the endpoint device access to the application service when authorized by the application service enforcement module,

wherein the application service enforcement module and the application service logic module establish an application service provider demarcation point that extends into the user premises past a wide area network demarcation point for the wide area network thereby allowing the enforcement and execution of the application service on the user premise.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the endpoint device and the database are at the user premises.

12. A system for decreasing the perceived end user latency while interacting with a media database comprising:

the media database storing metadata associated with media;

a media manager in communication with at least one media player and operable to access the media database via at least one of a plurality of connections between the at least one media player and the media manager;

the at least one media player each having a user interface operable to display a first set of query results and receive user input based on the displayed first set of query results, wherein each query result in the displayed first set of query results representing a user selectable object that navigates to another set of query results displayable by the user interface; and

a predictive module operable to generate at least one query based on the user input and to derive at least one predictive background query of the database displayed on the displayed first set of query results and prior to a user invoking any action within the user interface, the predictive module compares the at least one generated query to the at least one derived background query such that if the generated query corresponds to the at least one background query the user interface displays the another set of query results acquired from the at least one background query that correspond to the at least one generated query.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user selectable object is a navigation artifact representative of metadata stored in the media database.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the derived background queries comprise all queries that may be made by selecting the user selectable object displayed on the user interface.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the predictive module sends the generated query to the database for processing if no generated query corresponds to any background query.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the predictive module receives and stores an answer for each of the at least one background query.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the metadata comprises data selected from the group consisting of actor, album, artist, artwork count, author, bit rate, composer, comment, conductor, content rating, copyright information (such as for DRM), date, date added, date modified, description, duration, director, encoded by, ensemble, kind, genre, information, graphical elements (album art, for example), keywords, language, location, location of media, license, name, organization, parental control parameters, play count, play date, play date UTC, performer, producer, rating, resolution, sample rate, size, software, source, source media, title, track count, track number, track type, total time, track ID, type, user tag data, URL, year, year of publication, year of release, and other data downloaded from the Internet.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the predictive module performs all possible background queries of an answer to a generated query.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the predictive module performs at least one initial query prior to the at least one background query in anticipation of the user interface displaying at least one navigational artifact on an initialization of the system.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of connections further comprises a plurality of communication paths between the media manager and the plurality of media players.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of communication paths are configured to handle a plurality of received generated queries and the at least one background query, the plurality of received generated queries and the at least one background query are allocated to at least one of the plurality of communication paths carrying the least amount of received generated queries and the at least one background query.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one of the plurality of communication paths is re-established when disconnected.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the predictive module receives an update from the media database, the update identifying a changed metadata resulting in the predictive module resubmitting the at least one background query associated with the changed metadata and storing a second result of the resubmitted at least one background query.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the predictive module receiving an update from the media database identifying the changed metadata includes deleting the result to the at least one background query least recently displayed by the user interface.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the predictive module receiving an update from the media database identifying the changed metadata includes identifying the result to the at least one background query that would mostly likely be displayed by the user interface and deleting the result to the at least one background query that would least likely be displayed by the user interface.

26. The system of claim 12, wherein the media manager examines all answers of the at least one background query and generated query, extracts any location pointer indicative of a location in a memory storing an object, retrieves the associated object from the memory, and replaces the associated location pointer with the associated object.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the associated object comprises the object that the associated location pointer indicated within the associated answer.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the object comprises metadata, image data, and media content and is dynamically transmitted with a connection.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the memory comprises at least one memory located locally and remotely from the media manager.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the media manager selectively extracts the location pointer in response to the type and size of the object.

31. The system of claim 12, wherein the media manager and the at least one of the media players are integrated.

32. The system of claim 12, wherein the media manager and the at least one of the media player are separate devices.

33. A method for decreasing the perceived end user latency while interacting with a database, the method comprising:

aggregating metadata associated with media in the database, the database stored provided by a digital media server;

displaying on a user interface of an endpoint device, a first set of query results, wherein each query result in the displayed first set of query results representing a user selectable object that navigates to another set of query results displayable by the user interface and wherein the endpoint device communicates with the digital media server via at least one of multiple connections between the endpoint device and the digital media server, wherein endpoint device and the digital media server negotiate a number of objects to be presented;

performing at least one first predictive background query of the database based on the displayed first set of query results and prior to a user invoking any action within the user interface;

receiving and storing the another set of query results for each of the query results in the displayed first set of query results from the at least one first predictive background query;

receiving user input at the user interface;

generating at least one query based on the user input;

comparing the at least one generated query to the at least one first predictive background query; and

displaying the another set of query results received from the at least one first predictive background query that correspond to the generated query in response to the at least one first predictive background query encompassing the at least one generated query.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the first predictive background query of the database is performed before any user input is received at the user interface.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the result to the first predictive background query is received before any user input is received at the user interface.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising performing the at least one generated query of the database in response to the at least one first predictive background query not encompassing the at least one generated query.

37. The method of claim 33 further comprising receiving and storing the result of the at least one generated query of the database and presenting the stored result of the at least one generated background query via the user interface.

38. The methods of claim 33 further comprising deriving at least one second predictive background query of the database after comparing the at least one generated query to the at least one first predictive background query.

39. The method of claim 33 further comprising deriving at least one second predictive background query of the database from at least one of the user input and an answer to the generated query.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising deriving subsequent predictive background queries based on the answer to the prior generated query and the user input then presented to the user.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the at least one second predictive background query is sent to the database and the answer to the at least one second predictive background query is received before any user input is received at the user interface.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising receiving and storing a result of the at least one second predictive background query.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising performing the generated query when the at least one second predictive background query does not encompass the at least one generated query.

44. The method of claim 33, further comprising configuring the user interface to display at least one navigational artifact.

45. The method of claim 33, wherein performing the at least one first predictive background query further comprises performing any one or more possible queries that may be made via the user interface.

46. The method of claim 33, wherein performing the at least one first predictive background query further comprises performing the query while awaiting to receive user input.

47. The method of claim 38, wherein performing the at least one second predictive background query further comprises performing the query while awaiting to receive user input.

48. The method of claim 38, further comprising sending the at least one first predictive background query and the at least one second predictive background query across at least one communication path to the database.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein sending the at least one first predictive background query and the at least one second predictive background query across the at least one communication path further comprises re-connecting the at least one communication path when the at least one communication path is disconnected.

50. The method of claim 33, further comprising resubmitting the at least one first predictive background query in response to an update identifying the stored result of the at least one first predictive background query as being invalid.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein resubmitting the at least one first predictive background query further comprises deleting the stored result of the at least one first predictive background query, the deletion beginning with the result to the at least one first predictive background query least recently displayed by the user interface.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein resubmitting the at least one first predictive background query further comprises identifying the result to the at least one first predictive background query that would mostly likely be displayed by the user interface and deleting the result to the at least one first predictive background query that would least likely be displayed by the user interface.

53. The method of claim 33, further comprising extracting a location pointer indicative of a location of an object from the result of the at least one first predictive background query.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising retrieving the object from a memory indicated by the location pointer within the result of the at least one first predictive background query.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising replacing the location pointer in the result of the at least one first predictive background query with the retrieved object.

56. The method of claim 53, further comprising replacing the location pointer in the result of the at least one first predictive background query in response to the type and size of the object.

57. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving and storing the another set of query results for each of the query results in the displayed first set of query results from the at least one first predictive background query includes:

determining whether the another set of query results includes a pointer to an image file;

obtaining the image file;

replacing the point with the image file; and

storing the another set of query results with the image file therein.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein displaying the another set of query results received from the at least one first predictive background query that correspond to the generated query in response to the at least one first predictive background query encompassing the at least one generated query further includes:

transmitting the image file within a connection; and

displaying the image file stored with the another set of query results without having another query generated to obtain the image file.

59. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded thereon a method for decreasing the perceived end user latency while interacting with a database, the method comprising:

aggregating metadata associated with media in the database;

displaying on a user interface of an endpoint device, a first set of query results, wherein each query result in the displayed first set of query results representing a user selectable object that navigates to another set of query results displayable by the user interface wherein the endpoint device communicates with the digital media server via at least one of multiple connections between the endpoint device and the digital media server, wherein endpoint device and the digital media server negotiate a number of objects to be presented;

performing at least one first predictive background query of the database based on the displayed first set of query results and prior to a user invoking any action within the user interface;

receiving and storing the another set of query results for each of the query results in the displayed first set of query results from the at least one first predictive background query;

receiving user input at a user interface;

generating at least one query based on the user input;

comparing the at least one generated query to the at least one first predictive background query;

performing at least one second predictive background query of the database in response to the at least one first predictive background query not encompassing the at least one generated query; and

displaying the another set of query results received from the at least one first predictive background query that correspond to the generated query via the user interface in response to the at least one first predictive background query encompassing the at least one generated query.

60. The method of claim 59, further comprising receiving and storing a result of the at least one second predictive background query.

61. The method of claim 59, further comprising performing the at least one generated query when the at least one first predictive background query and the at least one second predictive background query do not encompass the at least one generated query.

62. The method of claim 59, further comprising configuring the user interface to display at least one navigational artifact.

63. The method of claim 59, wherein performing the at least one first predictive background query further comprises performing at least one possible query that may be made via the user interface.

64. The method of claim 59, wherein performing the at least one first predictive background query and the at least one second predictive background query further comprises performing these queries in parallel while awaiting to receive a user input.

65. The method of claim 59, wherein performing the at least one first predictive background query further comprises performing the query while awaiting to receive user input.

66. The method of claim 59, wherein performing the at least one second predictive background query further comprises performing the query while awaiting to receive user input.

67. The method of claim 59, further comprising sending the at least one first predictive background query and the at least one second predictive background query across at least one communication path to the database.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein sending the at least one first predictive background query and the at least one second predictive background query across the at least one communication path further comprises re-connecting the at least one communication path when the at least one communication path is disconnected.

69. The method of claim 59, further comprising resubmitting the at least one first predictive background query in response to an update identifying the stored result of the at least one first predictive background query as being invalid.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein resubmitting the at least one first predictive background query further comprises deleting the stored result of the at least one first predictive background query least recently displayed by the user interface.

71. The system of claim 69, wherein resubmitting the at least one first predictive background query further comprises identifying the result to the at least one first predictive background query that would mostly likely be displayed by the user interface and deleting the result to the at least one first predictive background query that would least likely be displayed by the user interface.

72. The method of claim 59, further comprising extracting a location pointer indicative of a location of an object from the result of the at least one first predictive background query.

73. The method of claim 72, further comprising retrieving the object from a memory indicated by the location pointer within the result of the at least one first predictive background query.

74. The method of claim 73, further comprising replacing the location pointer in the result of the at least one first predictive background query with the retrieved object.

75. The method of claim 72, further comprising replacing the location pointer in the result of the at least one first predictive background query in response to the type and size of the object.