Method for evaluating xpath-like fragment identifiers of audio-visual content

• US 7,984,037 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Amielh, Myriam Elisa Lucie, Wan, Ernest Yiu Cheong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Kuen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Rachel J
• Application Number:
  US11/181,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/745 the internal structure of a single video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia

Abstract

A method of retrieving a plurality of resource fragments from a audio-visual resource that is encoded using a hierarchical addressing model for the class of resources of which the audio-visual resource is a member is disclosed. The method comprises inputting a URI reference (1407) comprising a Universal Resource Identifier (1401) and a complex fragment identifier (1402) comprising a plurality of audio-visual resource specific location steps. Thereafter the method comprises a step of locating the audio-visual resource using the Universal Resource Name, and establishing (2023) a logical representation (2040) of the structure of the audio-visual resource. Then the method iteratively evaluates the fragment identifier location steps (1110) against the logical representation (2040) to resolve the complex fragment identifier (1402) into a set of explicit fragment references (1406) configured to explicitly address each of the plurality of resource fragments.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining explicit fragment references for a plurality of resource fragments of an audio-visual resource, wherein the resource fragments can be addressed using a hierarchical logical model for classes of resources of which the audio-visual resource is a member, and wherein the explicit fragment references are configured to direct at least one of a process and a device to each of the plurality of resource fragments, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting a URI reference comprising a Universal Resource Identifier and a complex fragment identifier comprising a plurality of audio-visual resource-specific location steps;

(b) determining an audio-visual resource location using the Universal Resource Identifier;

(c) constructing an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) representation of the audio-visual resource based on the hierarchical logical model and information collected from the audio-visual resource location, the hierarchical logical model being used to create the explicit fragment references, wherein the XML representation of the audio-visual resource includes XML elements and XML attributes that correspond to a super-set of the resource fragments of the audio-visual resource that are addressable by the complex fragment identifier using an extended Xpath addressing scheme;

(d) evaluating a current resource-specific location step of the resource location steps against the XML representation of the audio-visual resource, the resource location step having a temporal or spatial axis, a node test and at least one predicate, the evaluating step comprising the steps of;

(d-1) selecting a set of nodes in the XML representation of the audio-visual resource dependent upon the current location step, said selected set of nodes representing the explicit fragment references; and

(d-2) projecting the selected set of nodes to the temporal or spatial axis specified by the current location step;

(e) modifying an XML representation of the selected set of nodes, when the current location step is for one of a spatial or a temporal axis, said modifying step comprising the steps of;

(e-1) evaluating the node test of the current location step to select the projections of the nodes on the axis;

(e-2) adding XML special attributes to the XML representation of the selected set of nodes; and

(e-3) applying the at least one predicate to refine the selected node set according to the added XML special attributes;

(f) selecting a next resource specific location step from the resource location steps as the current location step; and

(g) repeating said evaluating step (d) and modifying step (e) to provide a targeted degree of resolution for resolving the resource-specific location steps into a set of the explicit fragment references.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the evaluating step (d) is performed by an XPath evaluator that is extended by incorporation of node-tests and predicate functions necessary to support spatio-temporal axes of the logical model for the class of resources of which the audio-visual resource is a member.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the extension to the XPath evaluator modifies the XML representation to provide the targeted degree of resolution by adding at least one of XML attributes and XML elements that correspond to the resource fragment to the node set representing the explicit fragment references to denote a time point and a time interval.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the extension to the XPath evaluator modifies the XML representation to provide the targeted degree of resolution by adding at least one of XML attributes and XML elements that correspond to the resource fragment to the node set representing the explicit fragment references to denote shape, spatial location, spatial extent and/or spatial transformation over time.

5. An apparatus for determining explicit fragment references for a plurality of resource fragments of an audio-visual resource, wherein the resource fragments can be addressed using a hierarchical logical model for classes of resources of which the audio-visual resource is a member, and wherein the explicit fragment references are configured to direct at least one of a process and a device to each of the plurality of resource fragments, the apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory;

inputting means for inputting a URI reference comprising a Universal Resource Name and a complex fragment identifier comprising a plurality of audio-visual resource-specific location steps;

determining means for determining an audio-visual resource location using the Universal Resource Identifier;

constructing means for constructing an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) representation of the audio visual resource based on the hierarchical logical model and information collected from the audio-visual resource location, the hierarchical logical model being used to create the explicit fragment references, wherein the XML representation of the audio visual resource includes XML elements and XML attributes that correspond to a super-set of the resource fragments of the audio-visual resource that are addressable by the complex fragment identifier using an extended Xpath addressing scheme;

evaluating means for evaluating a current resource-specific location step of the resource location steps against the XML representation of the audio visual resource, the resource location step having a temporal or spatial axis, a node test and at least one predicate, the evaluating means comprising;

selecting means for selecting a set of nodes in the XML representation of the audio-visual resource dependent upon the current location step, said selected set of nodes representing the explicit fragment references; and

projecting means for projecting the selected set of nodes to the temporal or spatial axis specified by the current location step;

modifying means for modifying an XML representation of the selected set of nodes, when the current location step is for one of a spatial or temporal axis, said modifying means comprising;

evaluating means for evaluating the node test of the current location step to select the projections of the nodes on the axis;

adding means for adding XML special attributes to the XML representation of the selected set of nodes; and

applying means for applying the at least one predicate to refine the selected node set according to the added XML special attributes;

selecting means for selecting a next resource specific location step from the resource location steps as the current location step; and

repeating means for directing said evaluating means and said modifying means to provide a targeted degree of resolution for resolving the resource-specific location steps into a set of the explicit fragment references.

6. An apparatus for determining explicit fragment references for a plurality of resource fragments of an audio-visual resource, wherein the resource fragments can be addressed using a hierarchical logical model for classes of resources of which the audio-visual resource is a member, and wherein the explicit fragment references are configured to direct at least one of a process and a device to each of the plurality of resource fragments, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a program; and

a processor for executing the program, said program comprising;

code for inputting a URI reference comprising a Universal Resource Name and a complex fragment identifier comprising a plurality of audio-visual resource-specific location steps;

code for determining the audio-visual resource location using the Universal Resource Identifier;

code for constructing an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) representation of the audio visual resource based on the hierarchical logical model and information collected from the audio-visual resource location, the hierarchical logical model being used to create the explicit fragment references, wherein the XML representation of the audio-visual resource includes XML elements and XML attributes that correspond to the resource fragments of the audio-visual resource that are addressable by the complex fragment identifier using an extended Xpath addressing scheme; and

code for evaluating a current resource-specific location step of the resource location steps against the XML representation of the audio-visual resource, the resource location step having a temporal or spatial axis, a node test and at least one predicate, the evaluating step comprising;

code for selecting a set of nodes in the XML representation of the audio-visual resource dependent upon the current locations step, said selected set of nodes representing the explicit fragment references; and

code for projecting the selected set of nodes to the temporal or spatial axis specified by the current locations step;

code for modifying an XML representation of the selected set of nodes, when the current location step is for one of a spatial or a temporal axis, said modifying step comprising;

code for evaluating the node test of the current locations step to select the projections of the nodes on the axis;

code for adding XML special attributes to the XML representation of the selected set of nodes; and

code for applying the at least one predicate to refine the selected node set according to the added XML special attributes;

code for selecting a next resource specific location step from the resource location steps as the current location step; and

code for repeating execution of said code for evaluating and said code for modifying to provide a targeted degree of resolution for resolving the resource-specific location steps into a set of the explicit fragment references.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having recorded thereon a computer program for directing a processor to execute a method for determining explicit fragment references for a plurality of resource fragments of an audio-visual resource, wherein the resource fragments can be addressed using a hierarchical logical model for classes of resources of which the audio-visual resource is a member, and wherein the explicit fragment references are configured to direct at least one of a process and a device to each of the plurality of resource fragments, the program comprising:

code for inputting a URI reference comprising a Universal Resource Name and a complex fragment identifier comprising a plurality of audio-visual resource-specific location steps;

code for determining an audio-visual resource location using the Universal Resource Identifier;

code for constructing an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) representation of the audio visual resource based on the hierarchical logical model and information collected from the audio-visual resource location, the hierarchical logical model being used to create the explicit fragment references, wherein the XML representation of the audio-visual resource includes XML elements and XML attributes that correspond to the resource fragments of the audio-visual resource that are addressable by the complex fragment identifier using an extended Xpath addressing scheme; and

code for evaluating a current resource-specific location step of the resource location steps against the XML representation of the audio-visual resource, the resource location step having a temporal or spatial axis, a node test and at least one predicate, the evaluating step comprising;

code for selecting a set of nodes in the XML representation of the audio-visual resource dependent upon the current location step, said selected set of nodes representing the explicit fragment references; and

code for projecting the selected set of nodes to the temporal or spatial axis specified by the current location step;

code for modifying an XML representation of the selected set of nodes, when the current location step is for one of a spatial or a temporal axis, said modifying step comprising;

code for evaluating the node test of the current location step to select the projections of the nodes on the axis;

code for adding XML special attributes to the XML representation of the selected set of nodes; and

code for applying the at least one predicate to refine the selected node set according to the added XML special attributes;

code for selecting a next resource specific location step from the resource location steps as the current location step; and

code for repeating execution of said code for evaluating and said code for modifying to provide a targeted degree of resolution for resolving the resource-specific location steps into a set of the explicit fragment references.