Accessing digital media
First Claim
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1. A method of retrieving digital media comprising:
- querying a server for database enumeration via a client device to yield a first query;
receiving a response to the database enumeration query that includes at least information about at least one a remote digital media database coupled to the server, wherein the information about the at least one remote digital media database includes at least metadata about one or more remote records within the at least one remote digital media database, and wherein the one or more remote records pertain to one or more of digital media, digital media metadata or media collection data;
using the metadata to effectively provide a first representation of the one or more remote records at the client device;
querying, via the client device, the server for information required to populate one or more local records associated with the metadata after receiving the metadata to yield a second query, wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database at the client device;
receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records associated with the metadata in response to the querying of the server second query;
populating the one or more local records at the local database on the client device after receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records, thereby effectively providing one or more local populated records based on the metadata associated with the one or more remote records;
querying the remote database for information to update the local populated records at the local database;
using the one or more local populated records to effectively provide a second representation of the one or more remote records; and
subsequently retrieving digital media associated with at least one of the one or more local populated records,wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database, and wherein said populating of the one or more local records operates to replicate at least a portion of the remote digital media database to the local database, andwherein the first representation provides a first level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, wherein the second representation provides a second level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, and wherein the second level of detail represents the one or more records in greater detail than the first level of detail.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for accessing media across networks. The present invention generally allows for media to be provided across a network. A client requests media information from a server so the client can create a local representation of the server'"'"'s database. The client is then able to manage the media information locally. When the client selects the desired media, it requests the selection from across the network. The server then delivers the selected media.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of retrieving digital media comprising:
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querying a server for database enumeration via a client device to yield a first query; receiving a response to the database enumeration query that includes at least information about at least one a remote digital media database coupled to the server, wherein the information about the at least one remote digital media database includes at least metadata about one or more remote records within the at least one remote digital media database, and wherein the one or more remote records pertain to one or more of digital media, digital media metadata or media collection data; using the metadata to effectively provide a first representation of the one or more remote records at the client device; querying, via the client device, the server for information required to populate one or more local records associated with the metadata after receiving the metadata to yield a second query, wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database at the client device; receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records associated with the metadata in response to the querying of the server second query; populating the one or more local records at the local database on the client device after receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records, thereby effectively providing one or more local populated records based on the metadata associated with the one or more remote records; querying the remote database for information to update the local populated records at the local database;
using the one or more local populated records to effectively provide a second representation of the one or more remote records; and subsequently retrieving digital media associated with at least one of the one or more local populated records, wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database, and wherein said populating of the one or more local records operates to replicate at least a portion of the remote digital media database to the local database, and wherein the first representation provides a first level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, wherein the second representation provides a second level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, and wherein the second level of detail represents the one or more records in greater detail than the first level of detail. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computing system for retrieving digital media, wherein said computing system comprises:
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a processing unit configured to provide at least perform operations comprising; means for querying a server for database enumeration; means for receiving a response to the database enumeration query that includes at least information about at least one digital media database coupled to the server, wherein the information about the at least one digital media database includes at least metadata about one or more remote records within the at least one digital media database, wherein the metadata effectively represents the one or more remote records as a first representation, and wherein the one or more remote records pertain to one or more of digital media, digital media metadata or media collection data; means for querying the server for information required to populate one or more local records associated with the metadata after receiving the metadata; means for receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records associated with the metadata in response to the querying of the server; means for populating the one or more local records after receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records, thereby effectively providing one or more populated records based on the metadata associated with the one or more remote records, wherein the one or more populated records effectively represents the one or more remote records as a second representation; querying the remote database for information to update the local populated records at the local database;
means for subsequently retrieving digital media associated with at least one of the populated records, wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database, and wherein said means for populating of the one or more local records operates to replicate at least a portion of the digital media database to the local database, and wherein the first representation provides a first level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, wherein the second representation provides a second level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, and wherein the second level of detail represents the one or more records in greater detail than the first level of detail.
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12. A server for providing digital media to one or more devices, wherein said server comprises:
a processing unit configured to provide at least perform operations comprising; means for receiving a query from a device for database enumeration; means for sending the features of the server to the device in response to the query, the features including enumeration data about at least one digital media database, wherein the information about the at least one digital media database includes at least metadata about one or more records within the at least one digital media database, wherein the metadata can be used by the device to locally present one or more local records at the device as a first local presentation of at least a portion of the at least one digital media database, and wherein the records pertain to one or more of digital media, digital media metadata or media collection data; means for receiving a querying query from the device for information required by the device to populate the one or more local records associated with the first local presentation; means for sending the device information required to populate the one or more local records associated with the first local presentation, thereby allowing the device to populate the one or more local records after receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records in order to present the one or more local records as one or more populated records; means for receiving a subsequent query from the device regarding at least one of the one or more populated records, the subsequent query requesting information for updating the one or more populated records; and means for sending digital media associated with the at least one populated record after receiving the second query from the device, wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database provided at the device, and wherein population of the one or more local records at the device operates to replicate at least a portion of the digital media database to the local database, wherein the one or more populated records can be used to locally present the portion of the at least one digital media database at the device as a second local presentation, and wherein the first local presentation provides a first level of detail with respect to the one or more populated records, wherein the second local presentation provides a second level of detail with respect to the one or more populated records, and wherein the second level of detail represents the one or more records in greater detail than the first level of detail.
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13. A computer readable storage medium including at least executable computer program code tangibly stored thereon for retrieving digital media, comprising:
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computer program code for querying a server for database enumeration; computer program code for receiving a response to the database enumeration query that includes at least information about at least one digital media database, wherein the information about the at least one digital media database includes at least metadata about one or more remote records within the at least one digital media database, wherein the metadata effectively represents the one or more remote records as a first representation, and wherein the one or more remote records pertain to one or more of digital media, digital media metadata or media collection data, the metadata being used to effectively provide a first representation of the one or more remote records; computer program code for querying the server, based on the metadata, for information required to populate one or more of the local records associated with the metadata after receiving the metadata; computer program code for receiving the information required to populate the one or more of the local records associated with the metadata in response to the querying of the server, computer program code for populating the one or more local records after receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records, thereby effectively providing one or more populated records based on the metadata associated with the one or more remote records, the one or more populated records being used to effectively provide a second representation of the one or more remote records;
andcomputer code for querying the remote database for information to update the local populated records at the local database; and
computer program code for retrieving digital media associated with at least one of the populated records based on the populated one or more records, wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database, and wherein said computer program code for populating of the one or more local records operates to replicate at least a portion of the digital media database to the local database, and wherein the first representation provides a first level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, wherein the second representation provides a second level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, and wherein the second level of detail represents the one or more records in greater detail than the first level of detail. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 24)
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19. A computer readable storage medium including at least executable computer program code tangibly stored thereon for providing digital media to one or more devices, wherein said computer readable medium comprises:
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computer program code for receiving a query from a device for database enumeration; computer program code for sending the features of the server to the device in response to the query, the features including enumeration data about at least one digital media database, wherein the information about the at least one digital media database includes at least metadata about one or more records within the at least one digital media database, wherein the metadata can be used by the device to locally present one or more local records at the device as a first local presentation of at least a portion of the at least one digital media database, and wherein the records pertain to one or more of digital media, digital media metadata or media collection data; computer program code for receiving a querying from the device for information required by the device to populate the one or more local records associated with the first local presentation; computer program code for sending the device information required to populate the one or more records associated with the first local presentation, thereby allowing the device to populate the one or more local records after receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records in order to present the one or more local records as one or more populated records; computer program code for receiving a subsequent query from the device regarding at least one of the one or more populated records, the subsequent query requesting information for updating the at least one of the one or more populated records; and computer program code for sending digital media associated with the at least one populated record after receiving the second query from the device, wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database, and wherein the population of the one or more local records at the device operates to replicate at least a portion of the digital media database to the local database, wherein the one or more populated records can be used to locally present the portion of the at least one digital media database at the device as a second local presentation, and wherein the first local presentation provides a first level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, wherein the second local presentation provides a second level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, and wherein the second level of detail represents the one or more records in greater detail than the first level of detail.
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20. A computing device comprising:
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a processor; memory, operably connected with the processor, wherein the processor is operable to perform instructions including;
connecting to a server, the server including media information; querying the server for at least a portion of the media information; receiving media information responsive to the query; requesting at least one media item associated with the media information responsive to the query; and receiving the media item, wherein said querying includes a plurality of distinct queries to the server, and wherein said querying includes at least; querying the server for database enumeration; and wherein said receiving of the media information includes a plurality of distinct responses to the queries, and wherein said receiving includes at least; receiving a response to the database enumeration query that includes descriptive information on at least one remote database, the descriptive information including how much media is available from the at least one remote database or how many media collections are available from the at least one remote database or both, wherein said method further includes at least; receiving the information required to populate the one or more of the local records associated with the metadata in response to the querying of the server; populating the one or more local records after receiving the information required to populate the one or more local records, thereby effectively providing one or more populated records based on the metadata associated with the one or more remote records;
andquerying the server for information to update the one or more populated records;
retrieving digital media associated with at least one of the populated records based on the populated one or more records, wherein the one or more local records are part of a local database, and wherein by population of the one or more local records, at least a portion of the remote database is replicated to the local database, wherein the metadata being used to effectively provide a first representation of the one or more remote records, wherein the one or more populated records being used to effectively provide a second representation of the one or more remote records, and wherein the first representation provides a first level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, wherein the second representation provides a second level of detail with respect to the one or more remote records, and wherein the second level of detail represents the one or more records in greater detail than the first level of detail. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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25. A method comprising:
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querying a server for database enumeration to yield a first query, the database enumeration including information about a remote database coupled to the server, the information including how much media is available from the remote database or how many media collections are available from the remote database; in response to the first query, receiving information about a remote database associated with the server, wherein the information includes metadata about one or more remote records in the remote database; based on the information, providing a first representation of the one or more remote records in the remote database; querying the server for content information to populate one or more local records to yield a second query, wherein the one or more local records are stored in a local database at a client device, and wherein the one or more local records to be populated are selected based on the first representation of the one or more remote records at the remote database; in response to the second query, receiving the content information to populate the one or more local records stored in the local database; querying the server for information to update the one or more local records at the local database; based on the content information, populating the one or more local records in the local database to yield one or more populated records, wherein populating the one or more local records comprises replicating at least a portion of the remote database to the local database; and providing, at the client device, a second representation of the one or more remote records based on the one or more populated records. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A system comprising:
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a processor; and a memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising; querying a server for database enumeration to yield a first query, the database enumeration including information about a remote database coupled to the server, the information including how much media is available from the remote database or how many media collections are available from the remote database; in response to the first query, receiving information about a remote database associated with the server, wherein the information includes metadata about one or more remote records at the remote database; based on the information, providing a first representation of the one or more remote records at the remote database; querying the server for content information to populate one or more local records to yield a second query, wherein the one or more local records are stored in a local database, and wherein the one or more local records to be populated are selected based on the first representation of the one or more remote records at the remote database; in response to the second query, receiving the content information to populate the one or more local records stored in the local database; based on the content information, populating the one or more local records in the local database to yield one or more populated records, wherein populating the one or more local records comprises replicating at least a portion of the remote database to the local database; querying the server for information to update the one or more populated records at the local database; and providing, at the client device, a second representation of the one or more remote records based on the one or more populated records. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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Specification