Status tool to expose metadata read and write queues

• US 9,292,347 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Brodie, Alexander S., Perry, Benjamin L., Parlin, David R., Park, Jae Pum, Gilmore, Michael J., Dart, Scott E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/745,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20130132965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 707/822
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]

Abstract

A method to expose status information is provided. The status information is associated with metadata extracted from multimedia files and stored in a metadata database. The metadata information that is extracted from the multimedia files is stored in a read queue to allow a background thread to process the metadata and populate the metadata database. Additionally, the metadata database may be updated to include user-define metadata, which is written back to the multimedia files. The user-defined metadata is included in a write queue and is written to the multimedia files associated with the user-defined metadata. The status of the read and write queues are exposed to a user through a graphical user interface. The status may include the list of multimedia files included in the read and write queues, the priorities of each multimedia file, and the number of remaining multimedia files.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the one or more processors, provide the computing system with;

a metadata database to store metadata entries respectively associated with multimedia files;

a read queue to track discrepancies between the multimedia files and the metadata database, wherein the discrepancies represent first metadata updates applied to metadata of one or more of the multimedia files that have yet to be applied to corresponding metadata entries of the metadata database;

a write queue to track second metadata updates applied to one or more entries of the metadata database that have yet to be applied to metadata of corresponding multimedia files;

a graphical user interface to;

receive status notifications related to the first metadata updates and the second metadata updates;

generate processing icons to be superimposed on respective thumbnail representations of each multimedia file that is referenced in the read queue and write queue, and

provide a hint message that indicates a quantity of the first metadata updates and the second metadata updates that remain in the read queue and the write queue, respectively; and

a background thread to;

process the read and write queues; and

present the status of the metadata updates to the graphical user interface, wherein the background thread is assigned a priority based on resource utilization of the computer system.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the background thread is assigned a low priority when the utilization of the resources of the computer system is above a threshold.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the background thread is assigned a high priority when utilization of the resources of the computer system is below a threshold.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the status notification of the metadata updates includes a list of files remaining on the read and write queues.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the status notification is the number of files remaining on the read and write queues.

6. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the status notification is generated when all the metadata updates on the read and write queues are processed.

7. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the background thread processes the read and write queues faster in a high priority state than when in a low priority state.

8. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein conflicting metadata updates on the read and write queues are resolved based on timestamps associated with the metadata updates.

9. One or more computer memory devices storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following:

store metadata associated with multimedia files as metadata entries in a metadata database;

track first metadata updates applied to metadata of one or more of the multimedia files that have yet to be applied to corresponding metadata entries of the metadata database in a read queue;

track second metadata updates applied to one or more entries of the metadata database that have yet to be applied to metadata of corresponding multimedia files in a write queue;

receive status notifications related to the first metadata updates and the second metadata updates at a graphical user interface;

generate processing icons for each multimedia file referenced in the read queue and write queue;

superimpose, within the graphical user interface, the processing icons on respective thumbnail representations of each multimedia file that is referenced in the read queue and write queue;

cause a hint message to be displayed, within the graphical user interface, that indicates a quantity of the first metadata updates and the second metadata updates that remain in the read queue and the write queue, respectively;

process the read and write queues via a background thread; and

assign a priority to the background thread based on utilization of the resources of computer system.

10. The one or more computer memory devices of claim 9, wherein the background thread is assigned a low priority when the utilization of the resources of the computer system is above a threshold.

11. The one or more computer memory devices according to claim 9, wherein the background thread is assigned a high priority, when utilization of the resources of the computer system is below a threshold.

12. The one or more computer memory devices according to claim 9, wherein the status notification of the metadata updates includes a list of files remaining on the read and write queues.

13. The one or more computer memory devices according to claim 9, wherein the status notification is the number of files remaining on the read and write queues.

14. The one or more computer memory device according to claim 9, wherein a status notification is generated when all the metadata updates on the read and write queues are processed.

15. The one or more computer memory device according to claim 9, wherein the background thread processes the read and write queues faster in a high priority state than when in a low priority state.

16. The one or more computer memory device according to claim 9, wherein conflicting metadata updates on the read and write queues are resolved based on timestamps associated with the metadata updates.

17. A method for managing threads during multimedia processing, the method comprising:

storing metadata associated with multimedia files as metadata entries in a metadata database;

tracking first metadata updates applied to metadata of one or more of the multimedia files that have yet to be applied to corresponding metadata entries of the metadata database in a read queue;

tracking second metadata updates applied to one or more entries of the metadata database that have yet to be applied to metadata of corresponding multimedia files in a write queue;

receiving status notifications related to the first metadata updates and the second metadata updates at a graphical user interface;

generating processing icons for each multimedia file referenced in the read queue and write queue;

superimposing, within the graphical user interface, the processing icons on respective thumbnail representations of each multimedia file that is referenced in the read queue and write queue;

causing a hint message to be displayed, within the graphical user interface, that indicates a quantity of the first metadata updates and the second metadata updates that remain in the read queue and the write queue, respectively;

processing the read and write queues via a background thread to apply the first metadata updates, tracked by the read queue, to the corresponding metadata entries of the metadata database, and to apply the second metadata updates, tracked by the write queue, to the metadata of the corresponding multimedia files;

assigning a low priority to the background thread as a default;

receiving a user request to increase the priority of the background thread; and

assigning an increased priority to the background thread based on utilization of the resources of computer system.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a status notification is generated to inform a user of a multimedia application whether a metadata update for one or more multimedia files is being processed by the background thread or waiting to be processed by the background thread.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein hovering over the status notification reveals a hint message and allows the user to modify processing order for each multimedia file in the read queue or write queue.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the hint message provides the number of files remaining on the read and write queues.