Methods and systems for improved uploading of media files for use in media-rich projects

• US 8,935,322 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Memories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Interactive Memories Incorporated
• Inventors: Grosz, Aryk Erwin, Lai, Anthony Jan Fung, Schultz, Dan, Barushev, Denys, Astashov, Anton Vladimirovich
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/333,498
• Time in Patent Office: 181 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet

Abstract

Methods and systems for background uploading of media files are presented that greatly improve efficiency and user-experience in creating media-based projects. In one embodiment, a user selects original media files at a user-device for an upload. The user-device first resizes the original files to resized files and uploads them to a server, and second the original files start uploading in a background computer process. The server then allows the user to create, edit, manipulate, and even finish building the project without having to wait for the original files to upload completely, during which time the user-device gives the user an illusionary impression of a completed upload, even while the original files are still uploading. Finally, the user-device completes the upload of the original files to the server, either while the user is editing the project, or after the user has completed editing the project using an upload widget.

Claims

1. A method for creating a media-based project, comprising:

providing an upload interface for a user to select at a user-device a plurality of original media files for an upload at a workspace of said user-device, wherein said user-device resizes said plurality of original media files to a plurality of resized media files corresponding to smaller file sizes of the original media files, and provides said plurality of resized media files to said user at said workspace for creating said media-based project;

starting a receipt of an upload of said plurality of original media files to said server in a background computer process at said workspace;

providing an edit interface for said user to populate said plurality of resized media files in said media-based project before said plurality of original media files have completed said upload in said background computer process, wherein an edit process of said media-based project can be completed by said user before said upload of said plurality of original media files completes;

completing said receipt of said upload of said plurality of original media files at said server in said background computer process at said workspace; and

storing on the server said media-based project, which has been edited by said user using said plurality of resized media files, by replacing said plurality of resized media files with said plurality of original media files and/or by a plurality of smaller media files generated by the server using said plurality of original media files, after said upload has completed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing of an order of said media-based project before said upload of said plurality of original media files completes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to said user an uploading widget at said user-device to upload the plurality of original media files to said server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prioritizing said upload in said background computer process after performing a media file analysis by said user-device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving meta-data comprising an exchangeable media file (EXIF) format data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said server is adapted to perform a media file analysis and to provide to said user-device an analytical data inline.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said user-device is adapted to unselect an undesirable original media file before said upload begins.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said undesirable original media file is unselected automatically by said user-device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said user-device is adapted to unselect a second undesirable original media file after said upload completes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said user-device provides to said user an illusionary impression of a completed upload of said plurality of original media files from said user-device to said server while said plurality of original media files are still being uploaded in said background computer process from said user-device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user-device a selection between one of a plurality of use cases for creating said media-based project, thereby customizing said media-based project based on said use case selected by said user.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reducing an unduly large sized original media file to a reasonable sized original media file, wherein said reasonable sized original media file is used in said upload.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an image analysis on said uploaded plurality of original media files; and

generating said media-based project based on the image analysis performed.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying automatically said media-based project based on an uploaded meta-data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the meta-data comprises at least geolocation, and wherein the media-based project is customized based on the geolocation of the uploaded plurality of resized media files before being presented to said user.

16. A server for creating a media-based project, the server comprising a memory and a processor, and having a communications link to a user-device, said server comprising a plurality of computer code embodied on said memory, to execute a process for creating the media-based project, said computer code comprising program code to:

provide an upload interface for a user to select at a user-device a plurality of original media files for an upload at a workspace of said user-device, wherein said user-device resizes said plurality of original media files to a plurality of resized media files corresponding to smaller file sizes of the original media files, and provides said plurality of resized media files to said user at said workspace for creating said media-based project;

start a receipt of an upload of said plurality of original media files to said server in a background computer process at said workspace;

provide an edit interface for said user to populate said plurality of resized media files in said media-based project before said plurality of original media files have completed said upload in said background computer process, wherein an edit process of said media-based project can be completed by said user before said upload of said plurality of original media files completes;

complete said receipt of said upload of said plurality of original media files at said server in said background computer process at said workspace; and

store on the server said media-based project, which has been edited by said user using said plurality of resized media files, by replacing said plurality of resized media files with said plurality of original media files or by a plurality of thumbnails generated by the server using said plurality of original media files, after said upload has completed.

17. The server of claim 16, further comprising program code to:

place an order of said media-based project before said upload of said plurality of original media files completes.

18. The server of claim 16, further comprising program code to:

provide to said user an uploading widget at said user-device to upload the plurality of original media files to said server.

19. The server of claim 16, further comprising program code to:

prioritize said upload in said background computer process after performing a media file analysis by said user-device.

20. The server of claim 16, wherein said server is adapted to perform a media file analysis and to provide to said user-device an analytical data inline.

21. The server of claim 16, further comprising program code to:

provide the user-device a selection between one of a plurality of use cases for creating said media-based project, thereby customizing said media-based project based on said use case selected by said user.

22. The server of claim 16, wherein said user-device provides to said user an illusionary impression of a completed upload of said plurality of original media files from said user-device to said server while said plurality of original media files are still being uploaded in said background computer process from said user-device.

23. The server of claim 16, further comprising program code to:

reduce an unduly large sized original media file to a reasonable sized original media file, wherein said reasonable sized original media file is used in said upload.

24. A non-transitory, computer-readable physical medium, the physical medium having embodied thereon a plurality of computer-executable program code, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to execute a process for creating a media-based project, the program code comprising code to:

provide an upload interface for a user to select at a user-device a plurality of original media files for an upload at a workspace of said user-device, wherein said user-device resizes said plurality of original media files to a plurality of resized media files corresponding to smaller file sizes of the original media files, and provides said plurality of resized media files to said user at said workspace for creating said media-based project;

start a receipt of an upload of said plurality of original media files to said server in a background computer process at said workspace;

provide an edit interface for said user to populate said plurality of resized media files in said media-based project before said plurality of original media files have completed said upload in said background computer process, wherein an edit process of said media-based project can be completed by said user before said upload of said plurality of original media files completes;

completing said receipt of said upload of said plurality of original media files at said server in said background computer process at said workspace; and

storing on the server said media-based project, which has been edited by said user using said plurality of resized media files, by replacing said plurality of resized media files with said plurality of original media files or by a plurality of thumbnails generated by the server using said plurality of original media files, after said upload has completed.

25. The physical medium of claim 24, further comprising program code to:

provide the user-device a selection between one of a plurality of use cases for creating said media-based project, thereby customizing said media-based project based on said use case selected by said user.

26. The physical medium of claim 24, further comprising program code to:

place of an order of said media-based project before said upload of said plurality of original media files completes.

27. The physical medium of claim 24, further comprising program code to:

provide to said user an uploading widget at said user-device to upload the plurality of original media files to said server.

28. The physical medium of claim 27, wherein said user is provided said uploading widget before said placement of said order.

29. The physical medium of claim 24, wherein said user-device provides to said user an illusionary impression of a completed upload of said plurality of original media files from said user-device to said server while said plurality of original media files are still being uploaded in said background computer process from said user-device.

30. The physical medium of claim 24, further comprising program code to:

reduce an unduly large sized original media file to a reasonable sized original media file, wherein said reasonable sized original media file is used in said upload.