Abstraction layer for online/offline resource access

• US 8,380,751 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Torr, Peter J
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen T.
• Application Number:
  US13/079,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20110179071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A resource abstraction layer for use in a media processing environment includes a configuration file and a set of computer-executable instructions. Both network-based and locally-accessible resources are indirectly accessible via the resource abstraction layer. The configuration file has at least two data structures—a first data structure storing “virtual resource identifiers,” which reference particular resource usable in connection with rendering a particular media presentation, and a second data structure storing “virtual location identifiers,” which reference one or more locations at which particular resources are stored. The set of computer-executable instructions facilitates use of the configuration file, and seamless indirect access by the media processing environment to particular resources, regardless of where such resources are located. Temporary resources may be rendered while a particular resource is being accessed via the resource abstraction layer.

Claims

1. A method for rendering a media presentation using a media processing unit, comprising:

accessing a configuration file associated with the media presentation, the configuration file including a virtual resource identifier and a virtual location identifier of a resource and a location, respectively, associated with the media presentation;

identifying a particular resource usable in connection with rendering the media presentation; and

based in data in the configuration file, obtaining a virtual location identifier for the particular resource so that the particular resource can be used by the media processing unit to render the media presentation.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

identifying an item of first data representing the particular resource;

using the configuration file to identify, based on the item of first data, an item of second data representing a virtual location identifier for the particular resource;

using the virtual location identifier to access the particular resource; and

arranging for the media processing unit to use the particular resource to render the media presentation.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the configuration file is stored at a network-side location.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein

a virtual resource identifier comprises a symbolic name and one or more file names, and

a virtual location identifier is selected from the group comprising a URL, a vector, and a pointer.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein identifying the configuration file further comprises parsing the configuration file, and wherein placeholder resources are used in connection with rendering the media presentation by the media processing unit until the step of parsing is completed.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein using the configuration information comprises identifying one or more items of second data representing one or more locations at which the particular resource is stored, and wherein the method further comprises:

using location selection criteria, selecting a virtual location identifier represented by a particular item of second data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the configuration file further includes a third data structure associated with second data structure, the third data structure storing items of third data, a particular item of third data representing a location selection criterion associated with a particular item of second data.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein using the configuration information to identify an item of second data representing a virtual location identifier for the particular resource comprises using a particular location selection criterion represented by a particular item of third data to identify the item of second data.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the location selection criterion comprises an order in which a particular location represented by a particular item of second data is to be accessed when a particular resource represented by a particular item of first data is usable in connection with rendering of the media presentation.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein identifying a particular resource comprises receiving a request for the particular resource, the request resulting in identification of an actual file name of the particular resource, the optionally actual file name identified via examination of an environmental condition and the virtual resource identifier.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein using the configuration information to identify, based on the item of first data, an item of second data representing a virtual location identifier for the particular resource, comprises

identifying a set of computer-executable instructions configured to accept an argument comprising a selected item of first data, and

arranging for execution of the set of computer-executable instructions, passing as the argument thereto the item of first data,

execution of the set of computer-executable instructions resulting in identifying the item of second data.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

prior to executing the set of computer-executable instructions, determining if the particular resource is already stored in a locally accessible computer-readable medium;

when the particular resource is already stored in a locally accessible computer-readable medium, not arranging for execution of the set of computer-executable instructions; and

when the particular resource is not already stored in a locally accessible computer-readable medium, arranging for execution of the set of computer-executable instructions.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein indirectly accessing the particular resource further comprises

copying the particular resource to a predetermined memory location, the predetermined memory location comprises a locally-accessible persistent or temporary computer-readable medium.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

optionally updating the configuration file to add an item of second data associated with the item of first data representing the particular resource, the item of second data comprising the predetermined local memory location.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein arranging for the media processing unit to use the particular resource to render the media presentation comprises a step selected from the group comprising:

providing the particular resource to the media processing unit for rendering;

providing the predetermined memory location to the media processing unit for use in retrieval of the particular resource by the media processing unit prior to rendering; and

providing the virtual location identifier to the media processing unit for use in retrieval of the particular resource by the media processing unit prior to rendering.

16. A method for rendering a media presentation using a media processing unit, comprising:

accessing a first data structure associated with the media presentation, said first data structure storing items of first data, a particular item of first data comprising a virtual resource identifier, the virtual resource identifier representing a resource usable in connection with rendering of the media presentation, and

accessing a second data structure associated with the first data structure, the second data structure storing items of second data, a particular item of second data representing a virtual location identifier, the virtual location identifier representing a location at which a particular resource represented by a particular item of first data is stored;

identifying a set of resources usable in connection with rendering the media presentation;

identifying a set of computer-executable instructions configured to accept a resource argument and, based on the items in the first and second data structures, return a response regarding a location of a resource associated with the resource argument;

prior to or during rendering of the media presentation or both, identifying a particular resource from the set of resources,

calling the set of computer-executable instructions with a resource argument comprising the particular identified resource;

receiving a response from the set of computer-executable instructions that either facilitates use of the particular resource in connection with rendering the media presentation or, if the particular resource is not available, facilitates use of a placeholder resource in connection with rendering the media presentation.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein when the response comprises a location of the particular resource.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the identified set of resources comprises a list of virtual resource identifiers representing resources usable in connection with rendering of the media presentation.

19. A media processing unit, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium; and

a processor responsive to the computer-readable storage medium and to a computer program, the computer program, when loaded into the processor, operable to perform a method comprising

identifying a configuration file associated with a media presentation, the configuration file comprising a plurality of data structures, including

a first data structure storing items of first data, a particular item of first data comprising a virtual resource identifier, the virtual resource identifier representing a resource usable in connection with rendering of the media presentation, and

a second data structure associated with the first data structure, the second data structure storing items of second data, a particular item of second data representing a virtual location identifier, the virtual location identifier representing a location at which a particular resource represented by a particular item of first data is stored;

identifying a set of resources usable in connection with rendering the media presentation;

identifying a set of computer-executable instructions configured to accept a resource argument and, based on the items in the first and second data structures, return a response regarding a location of a resource associated with the resource argument;

prior to or during rendering of the media presentation or both, identifying a particular resource from the set of resources,

calling the set of computer-executable instructions with a resource argument comprising the particular identified resource;

receiving a response from the set of computer-executable instructions that either facilitates use of the particular resource in connection with rendering the media presentation or, if the particular resource is not available, facilitates use of a placeholder resource in connection with rendering the media presentation.

20. The media processing unit according to claim 19, wherein the media processing unit is selected from the group comprising a client-side media processing unit.