New Nokia Digital media metadata management patent

Abstract
Network-side and client-side systems and techniques for managing metadata items describing digital media content available from a number of digital media content sources are described. Disparate metadata items are collected and transcribed based on a common format. The common format facilitates computerized cataloging, searching, and presentation of relevant metadata and/or digital content via a wide variety of client-side devices. The common format includes: a portion for storing descriptive data derived from the original metadata items; a portion for storing data specific to the digital media content source supplying the original metadata; and a services specifier portion used for accessing specific digital media content. The common format may be used to identify relationships between transcribed items of metadata based on virtually unlimited selection criteria, and to facilitate the creation and presentation to users of data sets of related metadata and/or digital media content.

Description
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BACKGROUND

[0001]Providers of digital media content (for example, video, audio, images, graphics, documents, spreadsheets, and multimedia content) use metadata to describe available digital media content to potential recipients. Metadata is any descriptive or identifying information in computer-processable form that is associated with an item of digital media content.

[0002]Commercial digital media providers often supply metadata to consumers using proprietary formats or protocols. In some cases, consumers need special-purpose electronic devices for receiving the metadata. For example, broadcast or downloadable digital media content may be described in catalogs or program guides published by particular media service providers via various communication networks such as cable networks, satellite communication networks, radio frequency networks, and the Internet.

[0003]Non-commercial digital media content (for example, personal media content such as photos, music, videos, playlists, and the like) is frequently serendipitously described by creators, using formats or protocols as varied as the manners in which the media content may be created or published.

[0004]It is desirable to collect and manage metadata that describes digital media content available from a variety of sources, and to represent such metadata in a manner that allows people using a wide variety of general-purpose electronic devices to discover and access relevant metadata and associated digital media content, while at the same time preserving the monetary opportunities available to commercial digital media providers.

SUMMARY

[0005]Aspects of managing metadata items that describe digital media content are described herein. Disparate items of time-based and non-time-based metadata from a number of digital media content sources are identified and collected. The disparate metadata items are transcribed to a common format, which in one portion includes a common schema for the metadata items. The common schema is used to facilitate the computerized cataloging, discovery, searching, and presentation of relevant metadata and/or digital media content. Relevant metadata and/or digital media content can be accessed via a variety of network-side or client-side environments to provide a personal experience to a user. In addition, the common format provides information to enable potentially richer and proprietary access to the content and its associated metadata by contacting the digital media content source directly.

[0006]Using the common schema, relationships between transcribed items of metadata (and corresponding digital media content) are identified, and data sets are formed. Data sets are built (and saved or established "on the fly") based on virtually unlimited metadata selection criteria and combinations thereof, such as user information, client-side or server-side operating environment characteristics or capabilities, business rules, temporal references, content-related information, advertising criteria, and the like, which may be predetermined or determined dynamically. A unified catalog of transcribed metadata items is optionally formed. Data sets may be stored in a single computer or using distributed computing techniques, and may be stored in client-side or network-side electronic memories such as temporary memories (for example, cache memories) or permanent memories, for unified presentation to, and navigation by, a user.

[0007]A network-side metadata management system (a Web service, for example) employs a number of protocol adapters/interfaces for communicating with specific particular digital media content sources and specific types of client-side devices. Such communication may be initiated by the metadata management system or a particular source, and data push or pull techniques may be employed. Client-side metadata management systems may be thin clients, such as Web browsers, or rich clients.

[0008]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.