Patent Application
20090327238
As digital media technology improves and the price of storage decreases, users increasingly host collections of digital media, such as music, images, videos, and the like, on their personal computers as well as on portable client devices. And with the advent of relatively high capacity storage on personal computers and portable client devices, users can store large numbers of media files. To administer and manage these media libraries, users employ media player applications which can display the contents of media libraries, both on the personal computer and on portable client devices. Media player applications can also perform a number of other functions, such as ripping media files from CDs and DVDs, organizing playlists, managing transfers between the personal computer and the portable client device, burning CDs and DVDs, and the like.
Despite the significant functionality of media player applications, however, the same generally do not enjoy the richness of experience obtained by users when browsing current digital media stores and social networking sites. In particular, current media player applications generally fall short of the graphic and informational richness of online sites. In addition, online sites enjoy the ability to be updated in real time, unlike media player applications, which generally download updates at some regular interval.
On the other hand, current digital media stores and social networking sites lack the responsiveness, directness, and power found in traditional desktop applications. Moreover, updates to current digital media stores and social networking sites generally do not address revisions of file information, such as updates to metatags such as artist or song names.
Arrangements are described which provide users with a unified digital media-centric experience that immerses the user within a larger digital media ecosystem. In some ways, the user experience is a merger of traditional desktop applications, current digital media stores, and social networking sites, because the resultant functionality is drawn from parts of each. The user experience is defined on-line allowing content and new experiences to be delivered post-product-release. The arrangement provides for seamless delivery of new and updated experiences without degradation of responsiveness even where the sources of displayed information are provided remotely.
In one aspect, arrangements provide one or more tangible machine-readable media having a set of machine-readable instructions embodied thereon that when processed by a computing device cause it to perform one or more methods.
One method that may be performed by the arrangement includes a method of gathering information from multiple remote sources, the multiple remote sources collectively employing multiple data storage conventions. Steps of the method include querying a remote source for information and receiving information from the remote source. The received information is compared to a plurality of stored data storage conventions. Another step is to determine which if any of the data storage conventions correspond to the received information, and, using the determined data storage convention, binding the data in the received information to a plurality of fields in an application.
Implementations of the arrangement may include one or more of the following. The information may correspond to metadata about a media file. The binding may be performed when other data in the plurality of fields are not otherwise being accessed. The data storage convention may correspond to a database format, an XML format, or any other format. At least a portion of the querying, receiving, comparing, determining, and binding may be performed by a data provider. The data provider may be a REST-based XML data provider that queries XML data from a REST service, a database data provider that queries database data from a local database, and so on. The method may further include registering and implementing the data provider.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. The concepts are further described in the Detailed Description section. Elements or steps other than those described in this Summary are possible, and no element or step is necessarily required. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to
For example, the application may implement a generic REST-based XML data provider that queries XML data from a REST service, or a generic database data provider that queries data from a local database. These providers can then be referenced in markup type, query, and data-mapping definitions to perform actual queries, and can then bind their results to visual elements in the user interface.
Following registration and implementation, the schematized objects may reference the data providers. The data types, their data mappings, and queries may be defined in markup schema files.
A next step is to query a remote source data store for information determined in step 96. As noted above, the information queried may not necessarily be specifically indicated at the time of querying. Rather, a general search for data (within certain defined boundaries) may be caused. Following the query, any data retrieved may be analyzed to determine a data storage convention appertaining to the retrieved data (step 102). For example, a comparison may be made of the data storage convention of the retrieved data to one or more stored data storage conventions. Using the determined data storage convention, the retrieved data may be bound to appropriate fields in the user interface (step 104). The binding may occur when the data is not otherwise being accessed. The process may then repeat.
In a specific example, if a user has two albums, while the application is displaying the songs in a first album, the songs in the second album may be updated in any information that is incomplete in their tags.
For example, if metadata is missing about an album name in a multimedia file for a song, a query may be made of various data stores pertaining to music to attempt to find the missing data, and in this way the information may be updated in a user's media library. As noted above the data store may be an XML data store, a database data store, or may even be unknown. If an unknown-format data store is encountered, the application may attempt to register and implement a new data provider. If the desired data is not obtained from one data store, another data store may be queried. These multiple queries may be performed in serial or even in parallel in some implementations.
For multimedia or other files, algorithms may be employed in additional attempts to determine missing data. Such algorithms may include using retrieved related data to attempt to deduce the missing data. For example, if a data store returns data for a content item, and the returned data is a song title and an artist, an algorithm may attempt to deduce the album title using the same or a different data store. Even if a unique match cannot be made, the algorithm may reduce the number of possibilities to a small number, a unique selection of which may then made by the user. In other implementations, audio file sound recognition software may be employed to calculate the identity of the song and thus what its appertaining metadata should be.
As noted above, the application registers the data providers referenced in schema definitions using the Splash framework's RegisterDataProvider(IDataProvider) method, where IDataProvider is as defined in
The implementations return a derived DataProviderQuery instance which is defined as shown in
Referring to
In a use of the arrangement, a data provider author implements a module that interacts with a data source, e.g., a local database, a REST XML query, and so on. The data provider is registered with the framework. The data provider author also exposes well-known query types, e.g., “artist” or “track” with different parameters to the query.
The markup author then, in addition to defining the data types such as “artist” or “track”, also defines queries that indicate to the framework that, in order to execute the query, the framework should communicate with the registered data provider of the same name. These queries are defined in the “Query” section of
The framework then communicates with the data provider using a dispatch mechanism as indicated in
These types and queries are then accessible through the markup, e.g., the Splash markup. They can be used like any other type in markup, as indicated in
The above description provides an arrangement for extensible binding of graphical data within applications. Variations may also be apparent. For example, while the arrangement has been primarily described in the context of the Splash markup rendering framework, any suitable framework may be employed. Moreover, while the arrangement has been primarily described in the context of a personal computer, the arrangement may be used with any client device, including (but not limited to): desktop computers, laptop or notebook computers, handheld computers, personal digital assistants, smartphones, mobile phones, tablet computers, mainframe computers, or the like. Even more, while the arrangement has been described in the context of media player applications, the same may be applied to updates in any application. Implementation of the arrangement may be automatic or may be controlled by user input such as via a setup menu. While sourcing from remote data stores have been described, the arrangement may also be employed to source data from local data stores. While XML-REST and database type data sources or stores have been disclosed, the arrangement may be employed with any type of data source, including other XML formats and other web services. Other data providers might implement text files, .ini files, .csv files, .xls files, and the like. Any of these, as well as others, may be implemented and used in the arrangement.
As shown, operating environment 119 includes processor 122, computer-readable media 124, and computer-executable instructions 126. One or more internal buses 120 may be used to carry data, addresses, control signals, and other information within, to, or from operating environment 119 or elements thereof.
Processor 122, which may be a real or a virtual processor, controls functions of the operating environment by executing computer-executable instructions 126. The processor may execute instructions at the assembly, compiled, or machine-level to perform a particular process.
Computer-readable media 124 may represent any number and combination of local or remote devices, in any form, now known or later developed, capable of recording, storing, or transmitting computer-readable data, such as the above-noted computer-executable instructions 126, including user interface and navigation functions 128 and media player application 131, as well as content items 132. In particular, the computer-readable media 124 may be, or may include, a semiconductor memory (such as a read only memory (“ROM”), any type of programmable ROM (“PROM”), a random access memory (“RAM”), or a flash memory, for example); a magnetic storage device (such as a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive, a magnetic drum, a magnetic tape, or a magneto-optical disk); an optical storage device (such as any type of compact disk or digital versatile disk); a bubble memory; a cache memory; a core memory; a holographic memory; a memory stick; a paper tape; a punch card; or any combination thereof. The computer-readable media may also include transmission media and data associated therewith. Examples of transmission media/data include, but are not limited to, data embodied in any form of wireline or wireless transmission, such as packetized or non-packetized data carried by a modulated carrier signal.
Computer-executable instructions 124 represent any signal processing methods or stored instructions. Generally, computer-executable instructions 126 are implemented as software components according to well-known practices for component-based software development, and are encoded in computer-readable media. Computer programs may be combined or distributed in various ways. Computer-executable instructions 126, however, are not limited to implementation by any specific embodiments of computer programs, and in other instances may be implemented by, or executed in, hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.
Input interface(s) 136 are any now-known or later-developed physical or logical elements that facilitate receipt of input to operating environment 119.
Output interface(s) 138 are any now-known or later-developed physical or logical elements that facilitate provisioning of output from operating environment 119.
Network interface(s) 142 represent one or more physical or logical elements, such as connectivity devices or computer-executable instructions, which enable communication between operating environment 119 and external devices or services, via one or more protocols or techniques. Such communication may be, but is not necessarily, client-server type communication or peer-to-peer communication. Information received at a given network interface may traverse one or more layers of a communication protocol stack.
Specialized hardware 144 represents any hardware or firmware that implements functions of operating environment 119. Examples of specialized hardware include encoders/decoders, decrypters, application-specific integrated circuits, clocks, and the like.
The methods shown and described above may be implemented in one or more general, multi-purpose, or single-purpose processors. Unless specifically stated, the methods described herein are not constrained to a particular order or sequence. In addition, some of the described methods or elements thereof can occur or be performed concurrently.
Functions/components described herein as being computer programs are not limited to implementation by any specific embodiments of computer programs. Rather, such functions/components are processes that convey or transform data, and may generally be implemented by, or executed in, hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.
It will be appreciated that particular configurations of the operating environment may include fewer, more, or different components or functions than those described. In addition, functional components of the operating environment may be implemented by one or more devices, which are co-located or remotely located, in a variety of ways.
Although the subject matter herein has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is also to be understood that the subject matter defined in the claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
It will further be understood that when one element is indicated as being responsive to another element, the elements may be directly or indirectly coupled. Connections depicted herein may be logical or physical in practice to achieve a coupling or communicative interface between elements. Connections may be implemented, among other ways, as inter-process communications among software processes, or inter-machine communications among networked computers.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any implementation or aspect thereof described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be constructed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations or aspects thereof
As it is understood that embodiments other than the specific embodiments described above may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims, it is intended that the scope of the subject matter herein will be governed by the following claims.
