Patent Application
20070038647
Digital portable media devices have expanded the reach of digital media content and provide the convenience of playback of digital media files. For example, portable media devices, such as MP3 players, cellular phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), and the like, play digital audio and/or video files and display digital graphics or images. These portable media devices typically have a memory storage area to store the media files or media objects. In managing the stored media objects, the portable media devices customarily build a database structure, such as a media library, in the fixed or local memory storage area available on the device. This storage may be in a solid state or magnetic (fixed disk) format.
Currently, some portable media devices reserve an amount of memory storage area for the media library to organize the media objects, in addition to storing the media objects. For example, the portable media devices may store a set of tables or an index table listing the media objects by information such as content genre, content artist, content duration, content title, content collection (album), or the like relating to the media objects.
However, in existing portable media devices where the memory storage area has a limited capacity, reserving and maintaining the media library in the memory storage area hinders the amount of media objects that can be stored in the same memory storage area. Some portable media devices are configured to accept portable or removable memory sources, such as flash memory cards (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory sticks, xD card), or the like, to store additional media objects. These portable media devices, however, fail to provide a full and rich media library management capability to manage media objects stored in one or more storage sources.
A simplistic approach to providing a richer media management experience involves trying to “pre-budget” an amount of space in the fixed or local memory storage on the device to hold information about the media objects available on each of the removable storage devices inserted in the device. Since removable storage continue to increase in storage limits, any attempt to “pre-budget” enough space on the memory storage area of the portable media device to store the maximum possible number of entries will result in placing a maximum size limit on the removable storage that can be used in the device. In addition, users typically want more space so this artificial limit may make the device unappealing to the users as the size of compatible removable storage grows larger than the maximum size the portable media device supports. With users having multiple cards or removable memory sources, a fixed amount of reserved memory or an expected limit of memory on the portable media device is impracticable to accommodate a large database in the portable media device.
Embodiments of the invention overcome the shortfalls of current systems by supporting storing a media library or media database content on removable read/write media instead of storing it on the local memory storage area of a portable media device. In particular, embodiments of the invention permit maintaining a database that includes information relating to the media objects in the most informative manner for the user. Embodiments of the invention enable portable media devices with a limited local storage to support removable flash storages for maintaining a media library that efficiently aggregates and manages media objects stored in the local storage, the removable storage sources, and/or other content repositories through some form of network connection. Embodiments of the invention also provide for intelligent background updating of the media database or media library to make sure that the portable media device stays in sync with the contents of the removable storage.
By finding, retrieving, and storing metadata of media objects stored in removable storage sources, alternative embodiments of the invention efficiently represent media objects to the user of the portable media device with a full and rich user experience with a complex view of a collection of available digital media objects. In addition, embodiments of the invention, in response to a query from a user, provide a query result identifying locations (either local or external) of media objects that are available to the user. In particular, embodiments of the invention represent the removable storage sources and remote media repositories to the host application of a portable media device.
Alternatively, the invention may comprise various other methods and apparatuses.
Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring first to
Still referring to
Unlike existing portable media devices which purposefully reserve a portion of the local storage media source 106 to store media library or an organizational database to organize or manage media objects stored in the local storage media source 106, computing device 102 overcomes the shortcomings of known art by identifying the one or more external storage media sources 108 and by organizing one or more media library collections in each of the external storage media sources 108. As such, the need to reserve storage in local storage media source 106 is removed (thus expanding the usability of local storage media source 106), and embodiments of the invention efficiently manage media objects stored in external storage media sources 108.
Still referring to
In an alternative embodiment, a set of basic primitives is defined for external storage media sources 108 and are operational across the sources represented to enable host application 104 to gain easy access to the different metadata stored in external storage media sources 108 via interface 112.
In one embodiment, playback of digital media objects involves reproducing both the content of the media objects as well as the media information associated with the content of the media objects. While host application 104 is configured to playback the content of the media objects, computing device 102 includes a media manager 114 for managing the media information by retrieving metadata associated with the content of the media objects or with the media objects. In one embodiment, media manager 114 is capable of managing media objects in various media formats in each of the different media sources, such as local, external, removable, or remote. In an alternative embodiment, media manager 114 notifies host application 104 or user 110 of changes of media objects in local storage media source 106 or external storage media sources 108.
Still referring to
In one embodiment, media manager 114 may retrieve metadata relating to media information stored in media sources by performing a bind operation between host application 114 of computing device 202 and a media source. For example, the bind operation involves initializing a temporary memory structure with some amount of data from the information stored in the media source. This information may be stored on the media source, such as a simple delimited text file, an XML file, or a binary format specific to a particular database implementation, or some other proprietary binary data storage mechanism. In another embodiment, the information used to initialize the temporary in memory structure may require a conversion of the bind operation or bind requests into a more formal network standard which transfers the requests remotely to another computing device located somewhere on a intranet, internet, or other network. Next, the bind operation is completed when the initialized structure provides a binding between the media library manager and the media metadata available on the media source. Following the bind operation the media source typically enters a servicing mode or a stand-by mode. In an alternative embodiment, media manager 114 may perform a bind operation on a media source that also supports some form of indexing or fast retrieval structure or implementation.
For example, after retrieving metadata from media sources, media manager 114 is in a standby mode or a pure management mode where media manager 114 is to notify host application 104 of changes of media objects on the media sources. In an alternative embodiment, media manager 114 may enter an aggregation mode by aggregating the retrieved metadata to enable host application 104 to present a single result set containing aggregated results across all available media sources rather than a result set representing media information from a single media source, such as shown in
Referring now to
In another embodiment, regardless of the mode (e.g., pure management mode or aggregation mode) that media manager 114 operates, media manager 114 defines a secondary set of application programming interfaces (APIs) enabling consistent access (e.g., query) to the metadata available in the media sources, either local or remote. In an alternative embodiment, computing device 202 receives a query from a user for querying the metadata and provides a result in response to the received query from the user. As illustrated, a search box 230 is provided to user 110 for searching media objects managed by media manager 114. In another embodiment, the query language used to communicate between computing device 202 and the plurality of media sources may be as complex as a fully functional query language similar to Structured Query Language( SQL) or as simple as a way to request different pre-defined results based on a couple of variables. In another embodiment, a simple query language may be defined to identify a media source having media information and to establish a set of property restrictions as Boolean expressions. By providing this rich and full user experience, user 110 may efficiently operate computing device 202 to manage and organize media objects stored in the plurality of media sources.
In an alternative embodiment, a query API may be defined to be broadly used across different media sources. For example, the semantics for accessing a local database stored in a local storage media source having metadata information may be quite different from those necessary for requesting information from an external storage media source. By focusing the API on the minimal set of functionality needed to efficiently represent media information, alternative embodiments of the invention build a platform that can scale across a wide range of metadata sources. As such, the minimal set of functionality of the API may be implemented in each media source, either local or external, to map the media sources to whatever semantics that are appropriate for the particular data source. As such, user 110 may use computing device 202 to conveniently retrieve and query media information stored in the media sources.
In one embodiment where there is only one media source, either local or external, storing media objects, media manager 114 may organize the displayed metadata as an ordered list, un-ordered list, or other format that may be defined by the media source.
In an alternative embodiment, media manager 114 may cause the consistency of one or more media sources to be validated in an effort to detect changes to contents in the one or more media sources. For example, as discussed above in the standby or pure management mode,
In yet another embodiment, media manager 114 may also notify user 110 when one or more external storage media sources is not writable. For example,
In a further alternative embodiment, when the media library or the organized media structure on one of the external storage media sources 108 exceeds or is close to the storage capacity of the external storage media source, the alternative embodiment of the invention dynamically enables the user 110 to browse through all available storage media sources to find the media object in each of the storage media sources before referencing the media object in the media library on the storage media source.
In yet a further embodiment, media manager 114 may dynamically adjust speed of retrieving or aggregating metadata from one or more external media sources. In this particular embodiment, during retrieval of metadata, media manager 114 returns some basic information about a specific set of results without actually returning the full result set. For example, if user 110 is connected to a network based external storage media source over a relatively slow connection (e.g., dial-up), media manager 114 may optimize the network traffic to provide the best possible user experience. In another example, for a large set of retrievable metadata, media manager 114 may initially return information about the number and type of items available, and only return the name or other details of the media objects upon demand from user 110, such as when user 110 presses the play button.
Other display configurations or formats, apart from those illustrated in
It is to be understood that while embodiments of invention retrieve metadata relating to media information stored in the media sources, other similar type of data may also be retrieved to be retrieved and aggregated by media manager 114 without departing from the scope of the invention.
The computer 130 typically has at least some form of computer readable media. Computer readable media, which include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media, may be any available medium that may be accessed by computer 130. By way of example and not limitation, computer readable media comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. For example, computer storage media include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that may be used to store the desired information and that may be accessed by computer 130. Communication media typically embody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media. Those skilled in the art are familiar with the modulated data signal, which has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media, are examples of communication media. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer readable media.
The system memory 134 includes computer storage media in the form of removable and/or non-removable, volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. In the illustrated embodiment, system memory 134 includes read only memory (ROM) 138 and random access memory (RAM) 140. A basic input/output system 142 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer 130, such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 138. RAM 140 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 132. By way of example, and not limitation,
The computer 130 may also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. For example,
The drives or other mass storage devices and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in
A user may enter commands and information into computer 130 through input devices or user interface selection devices such as a keyboard 180 and a pointing device 182 (e.g., a mouse, trackball, pen, or touch pad). Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are connected to processing unit 132 through a user input interface 184 that is coupled to system bus 136, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB). A monitor 188 or other type of display device is also connected to system bus 136 via an interface, such as a video interface 190. In addition to the monitor 188, computers often include other peripheral output devices (not shown) such as a printer and speakers, which may be connected through an output peripheral interface (not shown).
The computer 130 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 194. The remote computer 194 may be a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to computer 130. The logical connections depicted in
When used in a local area networking environment, computer 130 is connected to the LAN 196 through a network interface or adapter 186. When used in a wide area networking environment, computer 130 typically includes a modem 178 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 198, such as the Internet. The modem 178, which may be internal or external, is connected to system bus 136 via the user input interface 184, or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to computer 130, or portions thereof, may be stored in a remote memory storage device (not shown). By way of example, and not limitation,
Generally, the data processors of computer 130 are programmed by means of instructions stored at different times in the various computer-readable storage media of the computer. Programs and operating systems are typically distributed, for example, on floppy disks or CD-ROMs. From there, they are installed or loaded into the secondary memory of a computer. At execution, they are loaded at least partially into the computer's primary electronic memory. The invention described herein includes these and other various types of computer-readable storage media when such media contain instructions or programs for implementing the steps described below in conjunction with a microprocessor or other data processor. The invention also includes the computer itself when programmed according to the methods and techniques described herein.
For purposes of illustration, programs and other executable program components, such as the operating system, are illustrated herein as discrete blocks. It is recognized, however, that such programs and components reside at various times in different storage components of the computer, and are executed by the data processor(s) of the computer.
Although described in connection with an exemplary computing system environment, including computer 130, the invention is operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. The computing system environment is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the invention. Moreover, the computing system environment should not be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplary operating environment. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with the invention include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, mobile telephones, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
The invention may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include, but are not limited to, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.
An interface in the context of a software architecture includes a software module, component, code portion, or other sequence of computer-executable instructions. The interface includes, for example, a first module accessing a second module to perform computing tasks on behalf of the first module. The first and second modules include, in one example, application programming interfaces (APIs) such as provided by operating systems, component object model (COM) interfaces (e.g., for peer-to-peer application communication), and extensible markup language metadata interchange format (XMI) interfaces (e.g., for communication between web services).
The interface may be a tightly coupled, synchronous implementation such as in Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition (J2EE), COM, or distributed COM (DCOM) examples. Alternatively or in addition, the interface may be a loosely coupled, asynchronous implementation such as in a web service (e.g., using the simple object access protocol). In general, the interface includes any combination of the following characteristics: tightly coupled, loosely coupled, synchronous, and asynchronous. Further, the interface may conform to a standard protocol, a proprietary protocol, or any combination of standard and proprietary protocols.
The interfaces described herein may all be part of a single interface or may be implemented as separate interfaces or any combination therein. The interfaces may execute locally or remotely to provide functionality. Further, the interfaces may include additional or less functionality than illustrated or described herein.
In operation, computer 130 executes computer-executable instructions such as those illustrated in
The order of execution or performance of the methods illustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwise specified. That is, elements of the methods may be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methods may include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particular element before, contemporaneously with, or after another element is within the scope of the invention.
When introducing elements of the present invention or the embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.
As various changes could be made in the above system and method without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
