Digital production services architecture

• US 7,212,574 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Abrams, Thomas Algie Jr., Beauchamp, Mark F.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US10/206,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 707510-515, 709231-244
• US Class Current: 375/240.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/02 with bandwidth reduction H04N11/04 , H04N11/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/04 using pulse code modulation H04N11/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6379 directed to encoder , e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

Methods, units, systems, architectures and/or storage media for video and/or audio processing. An exemplary architecture includes one or more layers selected from, for example, service and/or application layers, storage area network layers, digital asset management layers, and/or enterprise applications integration and/or business process automation layers. Various exemplary methods, units, systems and/or storage media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A digital production services architecture comprising:

a services and/or applications layer;

a storage area network layer;

a digital asset management layer;

an enterprise applications integration and/or business process automation layer; and

a network connecting the layers and allowing for transmission of digital video and/or metadata.

2. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the services and/or applications layer includes services and/or applications for acquisition, processing and/or transmission of digital video.

3. The architecture of claim 2, wherein the services and/or applications are exposed on the network according to a communication protocol.

4. The architecture of claim 2, wherein the services and/or applications are described with a network service definition language.

5. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the storage area network layer allows for synchronization of files containing digital video.

6. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the digital asset management layer includes metadata related to digital video.

7. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the enterprise applications integration and/or business process automation layer allows for event and/or message processing.

8. The architecture of claim 1, further comprising framework capabilities.

9. The architecture of claim 8, wherein the framework capabilities include a runtime engine.

10. A unit comprising:

one or more communication links for digital video and/or metadata;

a service and/or an application for acquisition, processing and/or transmission of digital video; and

a software interface and/or a software connector that exposes the service and/or the application on a network.

11. The unit of claim 10, wherein the software interface and/or the software connector expose the service and/or the application according to a communication protocol.

12. The unit of claim 10, wherein the service and/or the application is described with a network service definition language.

13. The unit of claim 10, further comprising framework capabilities.

14. The unit of claim 13, wherein the framework capabilities include a runtime engine.

15. A method comprising:

acquiring digital video using an acquisition service and/or an acquisition application exposed to a network through use of a software interface and/or a software connector; and

processing the digital video using a processing service and/or a processing application exposed to the network through use of a software interface and/or a software connector.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the acquiring includes acquiring metadata.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the processing includes processing metadata.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising indexing the digital video using an indexing service and/or an indexing application exposed to the network through use of a software interface and/or a software connector.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing the digital video to a storage area network (SAN).

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the digital video using a transmission service and/or a transmission application exposed to the network through use of a software interface and/or a software connector.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the acquiring includes recording video and/or playing recorded video.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the processing includes editing the digital video.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the processing include transcoding and/or encoding the digital video.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising messaging.

25. A video system comprising a data architecture having one or more layers selected from the group consisting of service and/or application layers, storage area network layers, digital asset management layers and control and/or messaging layers and wherein the one or more layers include framework capabilities and communication links to a network.

26. The video system of claim 25, wherein the framework capabilities include a runtime engine.

27. The video system of claim 25, wherein the one or more layers include software interfaces and/or software connectors.

28. The video system of claim 27, wherein the software interfaces include a .NET™

software interface.

29. The video system of claim 27, wherein the software connectors include a BIZTALK®

software connector.

30. The video system of claim 25, wherein the network comprises an intranet.

31. The video system of claim 25, wherein the video system includes a services and/or applications layer having a service and/or an application for transmitting digital video to a plurality of end user devices.

32. The video system of claim 25, wherein the services and/or applications layer includes services and/or applications described using a service definition language.

33. A video system comprising:

a baseband infrastructure;

a communication link; and

a services infrastructure wherein the communication link allows for communication of digital video and/or metadata between the baseband infrastructure and the services infrastructure.

34. The video system of claim 33, wherein the services infrastructure includes digital video applications services, digital video storage services, digital video asset management services and business and/or enterprise services.

35. The video system of claim 33, wherein the baseband infrastructure comprises a digital video production resource configured to receive digital video and to output digital video.