Media package format for submission to a media distribution system

• US 7,827,162 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Suitts, Jason Robert, Currey, Jonathan James, Muller, Max III
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Baoquoc N
• Application Number:
  US11/786,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 707/770, 707/769, 707/736
• US Class Current: 707/707
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate generally to the submission of media content to a media distribution system and the generation of media items from the media content. The media items may include, for example, audio, video, image, or podcast data. In accordance with one embodiment, a package for use in generating a downloadable digital media content asset includes metadata content that describes how the media content in a plurality of data files including media content can be processed to generate a downloadable digital media content asset, where the package includes information identifying the plurality of data files.

Claims

1. A system for using a package to generate at least one downloadable digital media content asset, comprising:

a package generator configured to generate the package, the package including;

metadata content having a plurality of attributes;

information identifying a plurality of data files, each of the plurality of data files including media content,

wherein one or more of the plurality of attributes for the metadata content includes associated tag and associated data, and wherein at least one or more of the plurality of attributes for the metadata content includes information influencing how the media content in the plurality of data files can be processed to generate one or more digital media content assets; and

a digital media asset server configured to receive the package and generate the one or more digital media content assets using at least a portion the metadata content in the package and at least a subset of the plurality of data files identified by the information in the package, and wherein the processing to generate the one or more digital media content assets is dependent on the information influencing how the media content in the plurality of data files can be processed,

wherein two or more of the plurality of data files are combined to form a single electronic file when generating at least one of the one or more digital media content assets, and

wherein, using the plurality of files within the same package, two or more of the one or more digital media content assets are able to be generated by the digital media asset server, whereby the media content assets being generated from the plurality of files within the same package are able to different and thus tailored for different users.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the package includes one or more metadata files including the metadata content, wherein the metadata content identifies one or more of the plurality of data files.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the package further includes the plurality of data files.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of data files include a file including closed captioning information.

5. The package system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content identifies one or more chapters.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the chapters is identified by a title and has a corresponding start time.

7. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the chapters has an image associated therewith, and wherein the plurality of data files include an image file for each image.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content identifies a territory in which the digital media content asset is to be made available.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes one or more ratings associated with the media content, each of the ratings being associated with a different rating system.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein each of the rating systems is associated with a country or region within a country.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes one or more advisories.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content identifies at least one genre in which the media content has been categorized.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of data files include one or more audio files.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of data files include an audio file including surround sound.

15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of data files include one or more audio files associated with one or more languages in which the media content can be presented.

16. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of data files include one or more audio files associated with different soundtracks in the same language, wherein one or more of the different soundtracks can be selected to accompany the media content.

17. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes subtitle information identifying one or more of the plurality of data files including one or more timed text tracks.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the timed text tracks are provided in one or more languages.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the timed text tracks are in the same language but represent two or more levels of subtitling.

20. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of data files include bonus material.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the metadata content further indicates whether the bonus material is available to customers who purchase a pre-order.

22. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the media content includes at least one of music, video, a television episode, or a film.

23. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes a series name and an episode production number, wherein the series name identifies a television series, sporting event season or commercial and wherein the episode production number identifies an episode in the series.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the metadata content further includes a title of the episode.

25. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes a container identifier and a container position, wherein the container identifier identifies a season for a television series or sporting event and wherein the container position identifies an episode within the season.

26. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes a video type.

27. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the video type is tv and wherein the media content includes a television episode, sporting event, or commercial.

28. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the video type indicates that the media content is a film.

29. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content identifies a content provider that provided the package.

30. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes an identifier that identifies the media content.

31. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes at least one of a sales start date indicating a date that the digital media content asset is available for sale, a sales end date indicating a date that the digital media content asset is no longer available for sale, or an indication as to whether the media content is cleared for distribution.

32. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes a pre-order sale start date indicating a date on which a pre-order can be submitted for the media content.

33. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata content includes a checksum for one or more of the plurality of data files.

34. A program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for using a package to generate at least one downloadable digital media content asset, the method comprising:

generating the package, by a package generator, the package including;

metadata content; and

information identifying a plurality of data files, each of the plurality of data files including media content;

wherein one or more of the plurality of attributes for the metadata content includes associated tag and associated data, and wherein at least one or more of the plurality of attributes for the metadata content includes information influencing how the media content in the plurality of data files are processed when generating one or more digital media content assets;

receiving the package at a digital media asset server; and

generating the one or more digital media content assets using at least a portion the metadata content in the package and at least a subset of the plurality of data files identified by the information in the package, and wherein the processing to generate the one or more digital media content assets is dependent on the information influencing how the media content in the plurality of data files are processed,

wherein two or more of the plurality of data files are combined to form a single electronic file when generating at least one of the one or more digital media content assets, and

wherein, using the plurality of files within the same package, two or more of the one or more digital media content assets are able to be generated by the digital media asset server, whereby the media content assets being generated from the plurality of files within the same package are able to different and thus tailored for different users.

35. A program storage device readable as recited in claim 34, wherein said generating comprises encoding the two or more of the plurality of data files being combined to form the at least one of the one or more digital media content assets.