Media with pluggable codec methods

• US 9,680,686 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Shen, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US11/382,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,054 Days
• Field of Search: 709217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take 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 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A container file containing a media file and a pluggable codec is sent to a receiver where the pluggable codec interfaces to a media player application, according to a predefined interface, to play the media file. A header in the container file indicates the locations of the media file and the pluggable codec.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a media file from a first device to a second device, the method comprising:

creating a container file in the first device;

placing the media file in the container file in the first device;

placing a pluggable codec in the container file in the first device; and

sending the container file from the first device to the second device in response to a request from the second device, the second device having a media player application, wherein the media player application does not have a codec to decode and play the media file prior to receiving the container file from the first device, and wherein the pluggable codec contains executable code to enable the media player application to decode and play the media file;

wherein the media player application uses a predefined set of commands to control the pluggable codec, and wherein the predefined set of commands defines a standard Application Program Interface that allows the media player application to use a variety of different codecs that are compatible with the Application Program Interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the media file is in a first format in the container file and the pluggable codec converts the media file from the first format to a second format.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the media file in the first format is uncompressed.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the container file contains a header that indicates a location within the container file of the pluggable codec and a location within the container file of the media file.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the media player application comprises firmware that is embedded in the second device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the container file is sent from the first device to the second device over an internet.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the container file is sent from the first device to the second device over a wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing at least one additional media file and at least one additional codec in the container file in the first device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first device is a removable medium and the second device is a host system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined set of commands comprises one or more of the following commands:

play, pause, stop, fast forward, rewind, next chapter, and previous chapter.

11. A method of providing media content in an accessible format, the method comprising:

creating a container file in a removable medium;

placing a media file in the container file, the media file containing media content according to a first format; and

placing a pluggable codec in the container file, the pluggable codec containing executable code to convert the media content according to the first format into a second format when the pluggable codec is connected to a media player application, wherein the media player application does not have a codec to decode and play the media content prior to receiving the container file, wherein the media player application uses a predefined set of commands to control the pluggable codec, and wherein the predefined set of commands defines a standard Application Program Interface that allows the media player application to use a variety of different codecs that are compatible with the Application Program Interface.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising placing a header in the container file.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the header indicates the locations of the media file and the pluggable codec.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising connecting the removable medium to a platform containing the media player application, the media player application being operative to use the pluggable codec to convert the media file from the first format to the second format and use data in the second format to provide an output.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the container file is located in the removable medium.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising sending the container file, over a network, to a receiver.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the predefined set of commands comprises one or more of the following commands:

play, pause, stop, fast forward, rewind, next chapter, and previous chapter.

18. A method of providing media content over a network, the method comprising:

creating a container file;

placing a media file in the container file, the media file containing media content according to a first format;

placing a pluggable codec in the container file, the pluggable codec containing executable code to convert media content according to the first format into a second format; and

in response to a request from a device having a media player application, sending the container file to the device, wherein the media player application does not have a codec to decode and play the media content prior to receiving the container file, and wherein the media player application is operative to use the pluggable codec to convert the media file from the first format to the second format;

wherein the media player application uses a predefined set of commands to control the pluggable codec, and wherein the predefined set of commands defines a standard Application Program Interface that allows the media player application to use a variety of different codecs that are compatible with the Application Program Interface.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the media player application is embedded in the device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the device is a cell phone, a personal digital assistant or an MP3 player.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the media file is a sound file and the media player application, executing the pluggable codec, provides an audio output.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the media file is a video file and the media player application, executing the pluggable codec, provides a video output.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the predefined set of commands comprises one or more of the following commands:

play, pause, stop fast forward rewind, next chapter, and previous chapter.