System and method for encapsulation of representative sample of media object

• US 20050246375A1
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sadovsky, Vladimir, Rosenbloom, Oren, Manders, Blake D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system and related techniques relate to the retrieval of a media object list with associated properties from a media device such as a digital video camcorder, audio player or other source or device. According to embodiments the retrieved list or set of media objects and their attributes or properties, for example a song list along with song length, codec, artist and other information may be retrieved from the source device, along with a representative sample of the media or content of each object. So the title which identifies a song may be accompanied by a short sound clip of a representative sample of that song, or a title identifying a digital video movie may be accompanied by a short video clip of an introductory portion of that movie. According to the invention in one regard, that representative sample may be generated in the source device and encapsulated into the set of properties which are passed with the object identifier to an initiator device, such as a user'"'"'s computer accessing a video camera for downloading. A media object which is stored in monolithic binary format with no predetermined internal samples may nevertheless be accessed and sampled to allow a user to view or listen to representative content, through encapsulation of a sample in the properties passed via an underlying media transport protocol.

Claims

1. A system for generating a representative sample of a media object, comprising:

an access interface to access a set of media objects, each of the set of media objects comprising media object data and a set of media object properties; and

a sample engine, the sample engine communicating with the access interface to access the set of media objects and generate a representative sample for at least one of the media objects, the representative sample being encapsulated in the set of media object properties for that object.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of media objects comprises at least one of a video media object, an audio media object and an image media object.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the access interface comprises a media directory on a responder device storing the set of media objects.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sample engine generates the representative sample by selectively detecting a sample portion of the media object data.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the selective detection comprises at least one of detecting a peak audio amplitude and detecting a change in video motion.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the representative sample comprises at least representative sample data and a set of representative sample properties.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the set of representative sample properties are constrained by a set of representative sample property parameters.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of media object properties are transmitted to an initiator device.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the initiator device is configured to display or audibly output the representative sample to indicate the content of a media object thereby.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of media objects comprise binary objects.

11. A method for generating a representative sample of a media object, comprising:

accessing a set of media objects, each of the set of media objects comprising media object data and a set of media object properties; and

generating a representative sample for at least one of the media objects, the representative sample being encapsulated in the set of media object properties for that media object.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the set of media objects comprises at least one of a video media object, an audio media object and an image media object.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the accessing comprises accessing a media directory on a responder device storing the set of media objects.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the generating comprises selectively detecting a sample portion of the media object data.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the selectively detecting comprises at least one of detecting a peak audio amplitude and detecting a change in video motion.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein the representative sample comprises at least representative sample data and a set of representative sample properties.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the set of representative sample properties are constrained by a set of representative sample property parameters.

18. A method according to claim 11, further comprising transmitting the set of media object properties to an initiator device.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising displaying or audibly outputting the representative sample to indicate the content of a media object thereby.

20. A method according to claim 11, wherein the set of media objects comprise binary objects.

21. A representative sample of a media object, the representative sample being generated by a method comprising:

accessing a set of media objects, each of the set of media objects comprising media object data and a set of media object properties; and

generating a representative sample for at least one of the media objects, the representative sample being encapsulated in the set of media object properties for that media object.

22. A representative sample according to claim 21, wherein the set of media objects comprises at least one of a video media object, an audio media object and an image media object.

23. A representative sample according to claim 21, wherein the accessing comprises accessing a media directory on a responder device storing the set of media objects.

24. A representative sample according to claim 21, wherein the generating comprises selectively detecting a sample portion of the media object data.

25. A representative sample according to claim 24, wherein the selectively detecting comprises at least one of detecting a peak audio amplitude and detecting a change in video motion.

26. A representative sample according to claim 21, wherein the representative sample comprises at least representative sample data and a set of representative sample properties.

27. A representative sample according to claim 26, wherein the set of representative sample properties are constrained by a set of representative sample property parameters.

28. A representative sample according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the set of media object properties to an initiator device.

29. A representative sample according to claim 28, further comprising displaying or audibly outputting the representative sample to indicate the content of a media object thereby.

30. A representative sample according to claim 21, wherein the set of media objects comprise binary objects.