Method and apparatus for maintaining relationships between parts in a package

• US 7,620,650 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shur, Andrey, Jones, Brian, Pollock, Josh, Foehr, Oliver, Sheth, Sarjana, Dunietz, Jerry, Hillberg, Mike, MacKenzie, Bruce, Paoli, Jean, Emerson, Daniel, Ornstein, David
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US11/275,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/1, 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 717/108, 715/234, 715/235, 705/5, 705/10, 705/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Modular content framework and document format methods and systems are described. The described framework and format define a set of building blocks for composing, packaging, distributing, and rendering document-centered content. These building blocks define a platform-independent framework for document formats that enable software and hardware systems to generate, exchange, and display documents reliably and consistently. The framework and format have been designed in a flexible and extensible fashion. In addition to this general framework and format, a particular format, known as the reach package format, is defined using the general framework. The reach package format is a format for storing paginated documents. The contents of a reach package can be displayed or printed with full fidelity among devices and applications in a wide range of environments and across a wide range of scenarios.

Claims

1. A data structure stored on a hardware device comprising a multimedia content item that includes descriptive metadata about a content item and instructions for acquiring the multimedia content item, wherein the data structure is comprising a Media Description comprising:

a package comprising one or more parts, wherein the one or more parts are described using an extensible markup language (XML), wherein at least one part has a content type, each content type comprising at least a media type and a subtype;

at least a first relationship element identifying a relationship between the one or more parts in the package, wherein the relationship is described using the extensible markup language (XML);

at least one connection between one or more parts in the package, wherein the connection is discovered by analyzing the relationship associated with the one or more parts in the package;

at least a second relationship element identifying a source part;

at least one attribute identifying a target part in each of the first and second relationships;

at least one attribute identifying a name, wherein the name identifies a purpose of each of the first and second relationships;

at least one selector part selecting between the one or more parts;

at least one sequence part combining two or more parts into a single part;

at least one package markup definition component; and

rendering the Media Description.

2. The data structure of claim 1, wherein an additional relationships element groups together any number of relationship elements.

3. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the relationship element does not alter any parts in the package.

4. The data structure of claim 1, wherein a plurality of relationships are associated with the package.

5. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the attribute that identifies a target part includes a uniform resource identifier.

6. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the attribute that identifies a name uses a uniform resource identifier to uniquely define the purpose of the relationship.