Metadata-based file-identification systems and methods
First Claim
1. A media-library-device-implemented method for introducing media files into a distributed-media-library system, the method comprising:
- obtaining, by a media-library device, a first version of a media file of a given media type for import into the distributed-media-library system, the media file including at least one of audio or video content;
determining, by the media-library device, that the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system;
obtaining, by the media-library device, a predetermined set of media-type-specific, fingerprint instructions for generating identifiers based on metadata associated with media files of various media types;
selecting, by the media-library device, a fingerprint instruction from the set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions based at least in part on the given media type;
determining, by the media-library device, a first set of two metadata elements being first and second metadata elements associated with the first version of the media file;
combining, by the media-library device, the first set of two metadata elements associated with the first version of the media file according to the selected fingerprint instruction to generate a deterministic, system-wide, metadata-derived identifier not based on media content of the first version of the media file of the given media type but upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type;
embedding, by the media-library device, the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file;
recording, by the media-library device, the metadata-derived identifier in a distributed media-metadata database in response to a determination that no other version of the media file already exists in the distributed-media-library system;
obtaining a second version of the media file of the given media type;
determining that the second version of the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system;
determining first and second metadata elements associated with the second version of the media file;
combining the first and second metadata elements associated with the second version of the media file according to the selected fingerprint instruction to generate a deterministic, system-wide, metadata-derived identifier not based on media content of the second version of the media file of the given media type but upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type;
embedding in the second version of the media file the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type;
listing the media file of the given media type only once responsive to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file being identical to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type in the second version of the media file, rather than listing both the first and second versions of the given piece of media content, in a content list for presentation to a user.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a system comprising media files resident on various devices, devices equipped with media servers can deliver files to devices with media clients for purposes of playback (rendering) and/or storage. Some media servers may be capable of delivering files in various formats and may offer clients delivery format options. Media clients are aware of preferential list of formats that can be supported on a device and can choose from delivery options provided by media servers. Media files are introduced on the devices either via means external to this system or by leveraging system'"'"'s media servers and media clients to transfer content between devices. When media files are introduced on the devices by means external to this system, media scanners detect such media files and make it available to media servers and thus to the rest of the system.
16 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A media-library-device-implemented method for introducing media files into a distributed-media-library system, the method comprising:
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obtaining, by a media-library device, a first version of a media file of a given media type for import into the distributed-media-library system, the media file including at least one of audio or video content; determining, by the media-library device, that the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system; obtaining, by the media-library device, a predetermined set of media-type-specific, fingerprint instructions for generating identifiers based on metadata associated with media files of various media types; selecting, by the media-library device, a fingerprint instruction from the set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions based at least in part on the given media type; determining, by the media-library device, a first set of two metadata elements being first and second metadata elements associated with the first version of the media file; combining, by the media-library device, the first set of two metadata elements associated with the first version of the media file according to the selected fingerprint instruction to generate a deterministic, system-wide, metadata-derived identifier not based on media content of the first version of the media file of the given media type but upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type; embedding, by the media-library device, the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file; recording, by the media-library device, the metadata-derived identifier in a distributed media-metadata database in response to a determination that no other version of the media file already exists in the distributed-media-library system; obtaining a second version of the media file of the given media type; determining that the second version of the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system; determining first and second metadata elements associated with the second version of the media file; combining the first and second metadata elements associated with the second version of the media file according to the selected fingerprint instruction to generate a deterministic, system-wide, metadata-derived identifier not based on media content of the second version of the media file of the given media type but upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type; embedding in the second version of the media file the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type; listing the media file of the given media type only once responsive to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file being identical to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type in the second version of the media file, rather than listing both the first and second versions of the given piece of media content, in a content list for presentation to a user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions including instructions that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to:
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obtain a first version of a media file of a given media type for import into a distributed-media-library system, the media file including at least one of audio or video content; determine that the first version of the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system; obtain a predetermined set of media-type-specific, fingerprint instructions for generating identifiers based on metadata associated with media files of various media types; select a fingerprint instruction from the set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions based at least in part on the given media type; determine a first set of two metadata elements being first and second metadata elements associated with the first version of the media file; combine the first set of two metadata elements associated with the first version of the media file according to the selected fingerprint instruction to generate a deterministic, system-wide, metadata-derived identifier not based on media content of the first version of the media file of the given media type but upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type; embed the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file; record the metadata-derived identifier in a distributed media-metadata database in response to a determination that no other version of the media file already exists in the distributed-media-library system; obtain a second version of the media file of the given media type; determine that the second version of the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system; determine first and second metadata elements associated with the second version of the media file; combine the first and second metadata elements associated with the second version of the media file according to the selected fingerprint instruction to generate a deterministic, system-wide, metadata-derived identifier not based on media content of the second version of the media file of the given media type but upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type; embed in the second version of the media file the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type; list the media file of the given media type only once responsive to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file being identical to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type in the second version of the media file, rather than listing both the first and second versions of the given piece of media content, in a content list for presentation to a user. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions including instructions that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to:
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obtain a metadata-derived identifier from a distributed media-metadata database;
the metadata-derived identifier identifying a media file of a given media type including at least one of audio or video content;
at least first and second versions of the media file of the given media type both residing in the distributed-media-library system;
the first version of the media file of the given media type having been processed by a determination that the first version of the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system and by a predetermined set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions for generating identifiers based on metadata associated with media files of various media types having been obtained and by a fingerprint instruction from the set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions having been selected from the predetermined set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions based at least in part on the given media type and by the metadata-derived identifier having been generated according to the selected fingerprint instruction not based on media content of the media file of the given media type but upon a first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon a second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file and by the metadata-derived identifier having been embedded in the first version of the media file;
the second version of the media file of the given media type having been processed by a determination that the second version of the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system and by the fingerprint instruction from the set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions having been selected based at least in part on the given media type and by the metadata-derived identifier having been generated according to the selected fingerprint instruction not based on media content of the media file of the given media type but upon a first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon a second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type in the second version of the media file and by the metadata-derived identifier having been embedded in the second version of the media file; andlist the media file of the given media type only once responsive to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file being identical to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type in the second version of the media file, rather than listing both the first and second versions of the given piece of media content, in a content list for presentation to a user. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A media-library-device-implemented method for introducing media files into a distributed-media-library system, the method comprising:
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obtaining, by a media-library device, a metadata-derived identifier from a distributed media-metadata database;
the metadata-derived identifier identifying a media file of a given media type including at least one of audio or video content;
at least first and second versions of the media file of the given media type both residing in the distributed-media-library system;
the first version of the media file of the given media type having been processed by a determination that the first version of the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system and by a predetermined set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions for generating identifiers based on metadata associated with media files of various media types having been obtained and by a fingerprint instruction from the set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions having been selected from the predetermined set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions based at least in part on the given media type and by the metadata-derived identifier having been generated according to the selected fingerprint instruction not based on media content of the media file of the given media type but upon a first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon a second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file and by the metadata-derived identifier having been embedded in the first version of the media file;
the second version of the media file of the given media type having been processed by a determination that the second version of the media file has not previously been processed by any device of the distributed-media-library system and by the fingerprint instruction from the set of media-type-specific fingerprint instructions having been selected based at least in part on the given media type and by the metadata-derived identifier having been generated according to the selected fingerprint instruction not based on media content of the media file of the given media type but upon a first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon a second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type in the second version of the media file and by the metadata-derived identifier having been embedded in the second version of the media file; andlisting, by the media-library device, the media file of the given media type only once responsive to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the first version of the media file of the given media type in the first version of the media file being identical to the metadata-derived identifier based upon the first metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type and upon the second metadata element associated with the second version of the media file of the given media type in the second version of the media file, rather than listing both the first and second versions of the given piece of media content, in a content list for presentation to a user. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification