Systems and methods providing media-to-media connection

• US 9,298,758 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MiMedia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MiMedia, Inc.
• Inventors: Giordano, Christopher, Mackenzie, Gordon C. III, Reyes, Mel, Faulkner, Nick, Urbach, Jourdan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rostami, Mohammad S
• Application Number:
  US13/801,443
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

Systems and methods which provide direct connections between digital media content are shown. Embodiments provide media-to-media (MTM) connections which directly and autonomously couple digital media content files. The MTM connections of embodiments facilitate enhanced digital media content use, such as to provide simultaneous presentation, coping, and/or manipulation of multiple digital media content files which are connected when a user accesses one such digital media content file. MTM connections provided according to embodiments of the invention may be one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many, and many-to-one as well as unidirectional or bidirectional.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

designating a media-to-media (MTM) connection between first digital media content and second digital media content, wherein the MTM connection causes the first digital media content to be aware of the second digital media content; and

storing MTM connection information in a first digital media content file comprising the first digital media content, wherein the MTM connection information specifically identifies a second digital media content file comprising the second digital media content, wherein the MTM connection information comprises one or more MTM connection control aspect for the MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content, wherein the one or more MTM connection control aspect includes connection type control, wherein the connection type control provides selection between bidirectional and unidirectional connection for the MTM connection, wherein, when the connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content is a bidirectional connection, selection of either the first digital media content or the second digital media content causes presentation of both the first digital media content and the second digital media content, and wherein, when the connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content is a unidirectional connection, selection of the first digital media content causes presentation of the first digital media content and the second digital media content, but selection of the second digital media content does not causes presentation of the first digital media content.

2. The method of claim 1, using the MTM connection to access the second digital media content in response to a user accessing the first digital media content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first digital media content and the second digital media content is presented to the user simultaneously using the MTM connection.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first digital media content and the second digital media content is presented to the user serially using the MTM connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the MTM connection information comprises identification information for the second digital media content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identification information uniquely identifies the second digital media content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the MTM connection information stored in the first digital media content file comprises a file path for the second digital media content file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the MTM connection control aspect comprises connection concatenation control information that indicates whether additional digital media content that is connected to the second digital media content but not the first digital media content should be accessed in response to accessing the first digital media content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the MTM connection control aspect comprises hierarchical control with respect to the digital media content that is connected to the first digital media content, wherein the hierarchical control indicates whether content that is connected to the first digital media content is to be presented simultaneously with presentation of the first digital media content in response to selection of the first digital media content, or is to be presented serially with respect to the presentation of the first digital media content in response to selection of the first digital media content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the MTM connection control aspect comprises control for utilizing the MTM connection in response to one or more selected operation with respect to the first digital media content file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more selected operation with respect to the first digital media content file comprises user access to the first digital media content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the MTM connection control aspect is utilized to cause the second digital media content to be accessed as a result of the first digital media content being accessed due to the MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more selected operation with respect to the first digital media content file comprises at least one operation selected from the group consisting of file copy, file move, file delete, and file backup.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the MTM connection control aspect is utilized to cause the second digital media content to have the selected operation performed as a result of the first digital media content having the selected operation performed due to the MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

designating a media-to-media (MTM) connection between first digital media content and third digital media content which, with the MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content, provides a one-to-many connection with respect to at least the first digital media content, and wherein the MTM connection between first digital media content and third digital media content causes the first digital media content to be aware of the third digital media content; and

storing additional MTM connection information in the first digital media content file comprising the first digital media content, wherein the additional MTM connection information specifically identifies a third digital media content file comprising the third digital media content.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing second MTM connection information in the second digital media content file comprising the second digital media content, wherein the second MTM connection information specifically identifies the first digital media content file comprising the first digital media content, and wherein the second MTM connection information causes the second digital media content to be aware of the first digital media content.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first digital media content and the second digital media content comprise different forms of media.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first digital media content is selected from the group consisting of a digital photograph, a digital video, a digital musical piece, and a digital document, and wherein the second digital media content is a different one of the foregoing group.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first digital media content comprises either a digital photograph or a digital musical piece and the second digital media content comprises the other one of a digital photograph or a digital musical piece.

20. A method comprising:

designating a media-to-media (MTM) connection between first digital media content and second digital media content, wherein the MTM connection causes the first digital media content to be aware of the second digital media content; and

storing first MTM connection information in a first digital media content file comprising the first digital media content, wherein the first MTM connection information specifies the designated MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content and includes one or more control aspect implemented with respect to the MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content, wherein the one or more control aspect comprises connection type control, wherein the connection type control provides selection between bidirectional and unidirectional connection for the MTM connection, wherein, when the connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content is a bidirectional connection, selection of the first digital media content causes presentation of the first digital media content and the second digital media content and selection of the second digital media content causes presentation of the first digital media content, and wherein, when the connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content is a unidirectional connection, selection of the first digital media content causes presentation of the first digital media content and the second digital media content, but selection of the second digital media content does not causes presentation of the first digital media content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first digital media content and the second digital media content is presented to a user simultaneously in accordance with a control aspect of the one or more control aspect.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first digital media content and the second digital media content is presented to a user serially in accordance with a control aspect of the one or more control aspect.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more control aspect comprises connection concatenation control information that indicates whether additional digital media content that is connected to the second digital media content but not the first digital media content should be accessed in response to accessing the first digital media content.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more control aspect comprises hierarchical control with respect to digital media content that is connected to the first digital media content, wherein the hierarchical control indicates whether content that is connected to the first digital media content is to be presented simultaneously with presentation of the first digital media content in response to selection of the first digital media content, or is to be presented serially with respect to the presentation of the first digital media content in response to selection of the first digital media content.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more control aspect comprises control for utilizing the MTM connection in response to one or more selected operation with respect to the first digital media content file.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more selected operation with respect to the first digital media content file comprises user access to the first digital media content.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more control aspect is utilized to cause the second digital media content to be accessed as a result of the first digital media content being accessed.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more selected operation with respect to the first digital media content file comprises at least one operation selected from the group consisting of file copy, file move, file delete, and file backup.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more control aspect is utilized to cause the second digital media content to have the selected operation performed as a result of the first digital media content having the selected operation performed.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

storing second MTM connection information in a second digital media content file comprising the second digital media content, wherein the second MTM connection information specifies the designated MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content and includes one or more control aspect implemented with respect to the designated MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content, and wherein the second MTM connection information causes the second digital media content to be aware of the first digital media content.

31. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a first digital media content file storing first digital media content;

a second digital media content file storing second digital media content, wherein the second digital media content file comprises media-to-media (MTM) connection information designating a MTM connection between the second digital media content and the first digital media content, wherein the MTM connection between the second digital media content and the first digital media content causes the second digital media content to be aware of the first digital media content; and

a media interface operable upon a host computer system, wherein the media interface is adapted to utilize the MTM connection information to invoke an operation with respect to the first digital media content when the operation is invoked with respect to the second digital media content, wherein the media interface is adapted to utilize the MTM connection information of the second digital media content file to invoke a unidirectional MTM connection between the second digital media content and the first digital media content, wherein the unidirectional MTM connection between the second digital media content and the first digital media content causes presentation of the second digital media content and the first digital media content in response to selection of the second digital media content, and wherein selection of the first digital media content causes presentation of the first digital media content but not the second digital media content.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the media interface comprises a media interface of a centralized media backup service.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the media interface comprises a media player.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the operation comprises user access to the second digital media content and the media interface uses the MTM connection to provide corresponding access to the first digital media content.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the operation comprises a file maintenance operation with respect to the second digital media content and the media interface uses the MTM connection to provide a corresponding file maintenance operation with respect to the first digital media content.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the file maintenance operation comprises a file maintenance operation selected from the group consisting of file copy, file move, file delete, and file backup.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the MTM connection information comprises identification information identifying the first digital media content.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein the first digital media content file comprises MTM connection information designating a MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content, wherein the MTM connection between the first digital media content and the second digital media content causes the first digital media content to be aware of the second digital media content.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the media interface is adapted to utilize the MTM connection information of a third digital media content file storing third digital media content to invoke a bidirectional MTM connection between the first third media digital content and the second digital media content, wherein the bidirectional MTM connection between the third digital media content and the second digital media content causes presentation of the third digital media content and the second digital media content in response to selection of either the third digital media content or the second digital media content.

40. The system of claim 31, wherein the media interface is adapted to provide access to the first digital media content and the second digital media content serially in accordance with the MTM connection information of the second digital media content file.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the first digital media content and the second digital media content comprise different forms of media.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the first digital media content is selected from the group consisting of a digital photograph, a digital video, a digital musical piece, and a digital document, and wherein the second digital media content is a different one of the foregoing group.