Systems and methods for implementing a content object access point

• US 20050027715A1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Systems and methods for accessing and distributing content objects. Various of the systems and methods utilize a number of content object entities that can be sources and/or destinations for content objects. A combination of abstraction and distinction engines can be used to access content objects from a source of content objects, format and/or modify the content objects, and redistribute the modified content object to one or more content object destinations. In some cases, an access point is included that identifies a number of available content objects, and identifies one or more content object destinations to which the respective content objects can be directed.

Claims

1. A system for abstraction and distinction of content objects, wherein the system comprises:

an abstraction engine communicably coupled to a first plurality of content object entities;

a distinction engine communicably coupled to a second plurality of content object entities;

wherein the first plurality of content object entities includes at least two content object entities selected from a group consisting of;

an appliance control system, a telephone information system, a storage medium including video objects, a storage medium including audio objects, an audio stream source, a video stream source, a human interface, the Internet, and an interactive content entity; and

wherein the second plurality of content object entities includes at least two content object entities selected from a group consisting of;

an appliance control system, a telephone information system, a storage medium including video objects, a storage medium including audio objects, a human interface, the Internet, and an interactive content entity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein two or more of the content object entities are maintained on separate partitions of a common database.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the common database is partitioned using a content based schema.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the common database is partitioned using a user based schema.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the abstraction engine is operable to receive a content object from one of the first plurality of content object entities, and to form the content object into an abstract format.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the abstraction engine is operable to receive a first content object from one of the first content object entities and to derive a second content object based on the first content object, wherein the abstraction engine is further operable to receive a third content object from one of the first content object entities and to derive a fourth content object based on the third content object, and wherein the abstraction engine is further operable to combine the second content object and the fourth content object to create a fifth content object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the distinction engine is operable to format the fifth content object such that the fifth content object is compatible with a selected one of the second plurality of content object entities.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the abstraction engine is operable to receive a content object from one of the first plurality of content object entities and to form the content object into an abstract format, and wherein the distinguishing engine is operable to conform the abstracted content object with a standard compatible with a selected one of the second plurality of content objects.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

an access point, wherein the access point indicates a number of content objects associated with the first plurality of content object entities, and one or more of the second plurality of content object entities to which respective content objects of the number of content object entities can be directed.

10. A method for utilizing content objects, wherein the method comprises:

accessing a first content object from a first content object entity;

abstracting the first content object to create a second content object;

distinguishing the second content object to create a third content object, wherein the third content object is compatible with a second content object entity; and

providing the third content object to the second content object entity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing a fourth content object from a third content object entity;

abstracting the fourth content object to create a fifth content object; and

combining the fifth content object with the second content object, wherein the combination of the second and fifth content objects are distinguished to create the third content object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first content object is a video object, and wherein the fourth content object is an audio object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein abstracting the first content object includes separating an audio portion from a video portion of the video object.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first content object is a video object, and wherein the fourth content object is an Internet object.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a content object associated with one of the first plurality of content object entities that has expired; and

removing the identified content object.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first content object is a video object, wherein abstracting the first content object includes removing a visual portion of the video object, and wherein the second content object includes an audio portion of the video object.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first content object entity is one of a first plurality of content object entities, wherein the second content object entity is one of a second plurality of content object entities, and wherein the method further comprises:

querying each of the first plurality of content object entities to identify a first plurality of content objects; and

providing an access point, wherein the access point indicates the first plurality of content objects, and one or more of the second plurality of content object entities to which each of the first plurality of content objects can be directed.

18. A method for accessing content objects within a customer premises, the method comprising:

identifying content object entities within the customer premises;

grouping the identified content object entities into a first plurality of content object entities and a second plurality of content object entities, wherein the first plurality of content object entities are sources of content objects, and wherein the second plurality of content object entities are destinations of content objects; and

providing an access point, wherein the access point indicates the first plurality of content objects, and one or more of the second plurality of content object entities to which each of the first plurality of content objects can be directed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

mixing two or more content objects from the first plurality of content object entities to form a composite content object; and

providing the composite content object to one of the second plurality of content object entities.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing a first content object from one of the first plurality of content object entities;

eliminating a portion of the content included with the first content object to create a second content object; and

providing the second content object to one of the second plurality of content object entities.