Accessing digital media
First Claim
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1. A method of retrieving digital media comprising:
- querying a server for database enumeration;
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, 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;
querying the server for information required to populate one or more local records associated with the metadata after receiving the metadata;
receiving the information required to populate the one or more 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;
using the one or more populated records to effectively provide a second representation of the one or more remote records; and
subsequently retrieving digital media associated with at east one of the 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 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
42 Claims
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1. A method of retrieving digital media comprising:
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querying a server for database enumeration; 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, 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; querying the server for information required to populate one or more local records associated with the metadata after receiving the metadata; receiving the information required to populate the one or more 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; using the one or more populated records to effectively provide a second representation of the one or more remote records; and subsequently retrieving digital media associated with at east one of the 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 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:
a processing unit configured to provide at least; 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; 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; 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 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; 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; 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; 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; and 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 for delivering media comprising:
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sending, by a client device and to a server, a first query for available media databases maintained by a digital media storage coupled to the server; receiving, from the server, a response to the first query, the response to the first query including first metadata describing at least a first available media database; presenting, on a user interface of the client device and based on the first metadata, a visual representation of at least the first available media database; in response to a user selection of the first available media database, sending, by the client device and to the server, a second query for media collections included in the first available media database; receiving, from the server, a response to the second query, the response to the second query including second metadata describing at least a first media collection included in the first available media database, wherein the second metadata comprises a first level of data identifying the first media collection; populating one or more local records of a local database of the client device based on the second metadata, wherein populating the one or more local records replicates at least a portion of the first available media database at the local database; updating the user interface based on the one or more local records to present a visual representation of at least the first level of data identifying the first media collection; in response to a user selection of the first media collection, sending, by the client device and to the server, a third query for media items included in the first media collection; receiving, from the server, a response to the third query, the response to the third query including third metadata describing at least the media items included in the first media collection, wherein the third metadata comprises a second level of data identifying a listing of the media items included in the first media collection; updating the local database based on the third metadata; and updating the user interface based on the local database to present a visual representation of the second level of data identifying the listing of media items included in the first media collection. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A client device for delivering media comprising:
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one or more computer processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the client device to; send, to a server, a first query for available media databases maintained by a digital media storage coupled to the server; receive, from the server, a response to the first query, the response to the first query including first metadata describing at least a first available media database; present, on a user interface and based on the first metadata, a visual representation of at least the first available media database; in response to a user selection of the first available media database, send, to the server, a second query for media collections included in the first available media database; receive, from the server, a response to the second query, the response to the second query including second metadata describing at least a first media collection included in the first available media database, wherein the second metadata comprises a first level of data identifying the first media collection; populate one or more local records of a local database of the client device based on the second metadata, wherein populating the one or more local records replicates at least a portion of the first available media database at the local database; update the user interface based on the one or more local records to present a visual representation of at least the first level of data identifying the first media collection; in response to a user selection of the first media collection, send, to the server, a third query for media items included in the first media collection; receive, from the server, a response to the third query, the response to the third query including third metadata describing at least the media items included in the first media collection, wherein the third metadata comprises a second level of data identifying a listing of the media items included in the first media collection; update the one or more local records of the local database based on the third metadata; and update the user interface based on the local database to present a visual representation of the second level of data identifying the listing of media items included in the first media collection. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a client device, cause the client device to:
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send, to a server, a first query for available media databases maintained by a digital media storage coupled to the server; receive, from the server, a response to the first query, the response to the first query including first metadata describing at least a first available media database; present, on a user interface and based on the first metadata, a visual representation of at least the first available media database; in response to a user selection of the first available media database, send, to the server, a second query for media collections included in the first available media database; receive, from the server, a response to the second query, the response to the second query including second metadata describing at least a first media collection included in the first available media database, wherein the second metadata comprises a first level of data identifying the first media collection; populate one or more local records of a local database of the client device based on the second metadata, wherein populating the one or more local records replicates at least a portion of the first available media database at the local database; update the user interface based on the one or more local records to present a visual representation of at least the first level of data identifying the first media collection; in response to a user selection of the first media collection, send, to the server, a third query for media items included in the first media collection; receive, from the server, a response to the third query, the response to the third query including third metadata describing at least the media items included in the first media collection, wherein the third metadata comprises a second level of data identifying a listing of the media items included in the first media collection; update the local database based on the third metadata; and update the user interface based on the local database to present a visual representation of the second level of data identifying the listing of media items included in the first media collection. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification