Data format for multimedia object storage, retrieval and transfer

• US 6,604,144 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Anders, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US08/885,672
• Time in Patent Office: 2,227 Days
• Field of Search: 395/615, 395/200.33, 395/806, 395/145, 395/183.21, 370/94.1, 370/350, 345/332, 345/155, 345/349, 709/201, 709/316, 709/227, 709/231, 709/219, 709/330, 709/202, 709/206, 709/101, 709/107, 707/522, 707/4, 707/10, 707/103, 707/505, 707/513, 707/9, 707/509, 707/3, 340/725, 548/426, 548/6, 380/49, 380/20, 382/239, 375/341, 375/295, 713/201, 371/33, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a computer environment, a new storage and delivery data format for multimedia object sets increases performance and improves the user experience by reducing the transactions needed to retrieve a set of n objects from n to 1. The object data is interleaved with data definition entries identifying respective object data into a data format comprising a single stream for storage and/or delivery. The data format eliminates the need for multiple, asynchronous transactions thus reducing latency in the data transfer process. Moreover, the data format allows for optimization of how the object data is prioritized and interleaved to achieve desired performance objectives upon delivery of the multimedia objects.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

object data packets stored within the storage for each object in the stream; and

at least one data definition entry corresponding to each object in the stream, wherein said at least one data definition entry is interleaved with said object data packets such that a data definition entry corresponding to one of the objects in the stream precedes any object data packets of said one object in the stream.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said data definition entry corresponding to said one object in the stream precedes any reference to said one object from any other object in the stream.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said object data packets are interleaved with said data definition entries so as to display objects in the stream in a selected order.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said data definition entry comprises:

an object identifier to identify an object in the stream corresponding to said data definition entry; and

a stream identifier to identify object data packets belonging to the stream.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said object data packet comprises:

object data;

a size indicator indicative of the amount of said object data packet; and

a stream identifier number to identify object data packets belonging to the stream.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein said object data comprises text.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein said object data comprises image data.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein said object data comprises audio data.

9. A system for transmitting a page, comprising:

a data repository for a stream representing the page, wherein said stream comprises object data packets interleaved with data definition entries;

a browser assembling said object data packets with reference to said data definition entries so as to display the page represented by said stream; and

a network communicating said stream between said data repository and said browser.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said data repository comprises a server in communication with a storage device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said server comprises a computing device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said storage device comprises at least one storage device in direct communication with said server.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said storage device comprises a plurality of storage devices distributed within said network.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said browser comprises a client having a viewing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said client comprises a computing device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein said network comprises the World Wide Web portion of the Internet.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein said network comprises an intranet.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein said network comprises a wide area network.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein said network comprises a local area network.

20. A system for transmitting a page, comprising:

a data repository for a stream representing the page, wherein said stream comprises object data packets interleaved with data definition entries;

a browser assembling said object data packets with reference to said data definition entries so as to display the page represented by said stream; and

a computer communicating said stream between said data repository and said browser.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said data repository comprises at least one storage device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said at least one storage device comprises a CD-ROM.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said browser comprises a viewing device in communication with said at least one storage device.

24. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

preparing a header for indicating the data structure of a data stream;

generating a stream configuration template for indicating the presence of embedded object data packets in the data stream wherein each embedded object data packet corresponds to an embedded object;

preparing data definition entries for each embedded object data packet;

interleaving embedded object data packets with data definition entries; and

appending end of stream indicator for marking the end of the data stream.

25. The computer-executable instructions of claim 24, wherein the step of generating a stream configuration template includes determining the number of embedded object data packets, the location of embedded objects, and the order of display of embedded objects.

26. The computer-executable instructions of claim 24, wherein the step of preparing data definition entries includes identifying the embedded object data packet, generating data representative of the size of said embedded object data packet, and generating data representative of the identity of the data stream.

27. The computer-executable instructions of claim 24, wherein the step of interleaving embedded object data packets with data definition entries includes arranging the data definition entry preceding the corresponding embedded object data packet.

28. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a first data field including data representing an object data packet;

a second data field including data representing data definition for the object data packet, and stored preceding said first data field; and

a third data field functioning as an end marker for the data structure and stored after said first and second data fields.

29. The data structure of claim 28 wherein the second data field precedes any reference to the first data field in the data structure.

30. The data structure of claim 28 including a plurality of first data fields and a plurality of second data fields and further wherein the number of first data fields is equal to the number of second data fields.

31. The data structure of claim 28 including a plurality of first data fields and an equal plurality of second data fields and further wherein the first data fields are interleaved with the second data fields.

32. The data structure of claim 28 wherein the second data field includes data representative of the identity of an object and data representative of the identity of the data structure.

33. The data structure of claim 28 wherein the first data field includes object data, and data representative of the size of said object data, and data representative of the identity of the data structure.

34. The data structure of claim 28 wherein the contents of the first data field is data selected from the group consisting of text data, image data and audio data.