Abstract: Various systems and methods described above permit a user's content experience (e.g. music playing experience) to be monitored and for metadata describing this experience to be collected. This metadata can be dynamically updated as a user experiences media content and then used to impart to the user a personalized experience that is tailored to that specific user. A user's metadata can, in some instances, provided across a wide variety of computing devices on which the user may experience the media content, thus standardizing the user's personalized media experience. In addition, intelligent or “smart” playlists can be provided which, in some instances, can be dynamically and automatically updated to reflect current user experiences, thus providing a highly personalized and enjoyable content experience.

Abstract: Various systems and methods described above permit a user's content experience (e.g. music playing experience) to be monitored and for metadata describing this experience to be collected. This metadata can be dynamically updated as a user experiences media content and then used to impart to the user a personalized experience that is tailored to that specific user. A user's metadata can, in some instances, provided across a wide variety of computing devices on which the user may experience the media content, thus standardizing the user's personalized media experience. In addition, intelligent or “smart” playlists can be provided which, in some instances, can be dynamically and automatically updated to reflect current user experiences, thus providing a highly personalized and enjoyable content experience.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein provide access to multimedia content of varying types from a variety of sources using a uniform resource locator (URL).

Abstract: Various systems and methods described above permit a user's content experience (e.g. music playing experience) to be monitored and for metadata describing this experience to be collected. This metadata can be dynamically updated as a user experiences media content and then used to impart to the user a personalized experience that is tailored to that specific user. A user's metadata can, in some instances, provided across a wide variety of computing devices on which the user may experience the media content, thus standardizing the user's personalized media experience. In addition, intelligent or “smart” playlists can be provided which, in some instances, can be dynamically and automatically updated to reflect current user experiences, thus providing a highly personalized and enjoyable content experience.

Abstract: Various systems and methods described above permit a user's content experience (e.g. music playing experience) to be monitored and for metadata describing this experience to be collected. This metadata can be dynamically updated as a user experiences media content and then used to impart to the user a personalized experience that is tailored to that specific user. A user's metadata can, in some instances, provided across a wide variety of computing devices on which the user may experience the media content, thus standardizing the user's personalized media experience. In addition, intelligent or “smart” playlists can be provided which, in some instances, can be dynamically and automatically updated to reflect current user experiences, thus providing a highly personalized and enjoyable content experience.

Abstract: Media processing methods, systems and application program interfaces (APIs) in which a destination component, also referred to as a destination, provides an application with a simple and unified way of rendering, archiving, broadcasting (or other types of media output processing) media from an origin to a target of choice, without requiring the application to have intimate knowledge about underlying components, their connectivity and management. For example, applications can use a destination to help manage the rendering or archiving (or other processing) of the particular media.

Abstract: Media processing methods, systems and application program interfaces (APIs) are described. In but one embodiment, a media engine component, also referred to as a media engine, provides a simple and unified way of rendering media from an origin to a destination of choice without requiring intimate knowledge about the underlying components, their connectivity and management. Clients of the media engine need not worry about how to render the particular media, but rather can simply focus on what media to render and where to render the media. In at least one embodiment, a media session is provided and is encapsulated by the media engine and provides a mechanism by which additional components are made transparent to the application and, in at least some embodiment, the media engine. In some embodiments, the media engine and media session provide a simple API for building, configuring, and manipulating a pipeline of components (e.g.

Abstract: An Application programming interface (API) provides functions for generating applications, documents, media presentations and other content. These functions allow developers to obtain services from an operating system, object model service, or other system or service.

Abstract: Meta data associated with multiple pieces of content (e.g., songs, movies, other audio/video clips, etc.) stored on multiple pieces of media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, etc.) is maintained in a meta data store. The meta data store also includes meta data associated with other pieces of content stored elsewhere, such as songs stored in files on a local hard drive that have been ripped from a CD or DVD. These other pieces of content are associated with the content on the pieces of media, such as being ripped versions of the same song tracks. This association is maintained in the meta data store, so that whenever a change is made to meta data for one piece of content (e.g., for a track on a CD), then the meta data for the associated piece(s) is also changed (e.g., the ripped version stored in a file on the hard drive).

Abstract: An image container file has at least first and second multimedia streams (MSs). The first MS includes first image data representing an image. The second MS includes arbitrary data, which can for example, correspond to: a different representation of the same image; annotations to the first image data; second image data that together with the first image data form a new image with greater dynamic range, resolution, field of view or other attributes that can be derived from processing two or more independent images; or an executable file related to the first MS. The image container file can also include an extensible metadata to hold information describing one or more multimedia streams of the image container file. Further, the image container file may include DRM information to provide information related to obtaining a license to access encrypted data or verifying the authenticity of encrypted or unencrypted data.

Abstract: Various systems and methods described above permit a user's content experience (e.g. music playing experience) to be monitored and for metadata describing this experience to be collected. This metadata can be dynamically updated as a user experiences media content and then used to impart to the user a personalized experience that is tailored to that specific user. A user's metadata can, in some instances, provided across a wide variety of computing devices on which the user may experience the media content, thus standardizing the user's personalized media experience. In addition, intelligent or “smart” playlists can be provided which, in some instances, can be dynamically and automatically updated to reflect current user experiences, thus providing a highly personalized and enjoyable content experience.

Abstract: A set of interfaces and data structures (i.e., a demultiplexer API) for representing a demultiplexer of multimedia data is presented. The data structure utilizes a number of fields, each containing an element of a command. In one embodiment, at least seven commands are formed for proper operation of the demultiplexer, including Initialize, SetPresentationDescriptor, GetPresentationDescriptor, GetPendingPresentationDescriptor, ProcessInput, ProcessOutput, and Flush commands. The demultiplexer API allows the consumer to use muxed stream data such as DV in a uniform manner to generate elementary stream data such as audio and video (compressed or uncompressed) and allows demultiplexers to be used as an independent component.

Abstract: A distributed media session is described, which when executed, resolves a distributed topology from a request to stream data from a source device to a client device over a network. The distributed topology references a plurality of software components that, when executed, fulfill the request. At least one of the plurality of software components is executable on each of the source device and the client device.

Abstract: A system and methods provide handling of variable rate playback in a multimedia computer architecture. The systems and methods provide data structures and interfaces that enable a computer architecture and components therein with the ability to playback data at speeds faster and slower than real-time, to playback data in reverse, and to change the rate of playback at any point during playback. One embodiment is a method for providing low-latency, glitch-free changes in a multimedia architecture. Other embodiments are directed to defining multimedia component responsibilities for making rate changes, allowing rate changes to work with standard playback types, coder-decoders, and renderers. The methods include determining a minimum of the maximum reported playback rates and determining minimum and maximum playback rates in a set of modes including: reverse skip mode, reverse key frame mode, reverse full mode, forward full mode, forward key frame mode, and forward skip mode.

Abstract: A method and system provides interfaces, data structures and events for representing a “sink” of multimedia data to interact with objects in a multimedia system to control multimedia objects. The interfaces and data structures enable efficient management for media objects that must interface directly with each other. One embodiment is directed to providing a common interface and a single API to a plurality of media objects. In an embodiment, the API is a control layer that isolates the media objects from each other and provides a single point of control, allowing media objects to be added or removed without affecting any other media objects. The control layer allows users to become familiar with only one API instead of many thereby facilitating the tasks of programming and documentation.

Abstract: An application programming interface for a multimedia processing system creates a topology symbolically providing data flow information. A method provides a topology interface including receiving a plurality of media parameters identifying at least an identifier, a node type, a data type and a duration, and in response, creating a topology capable of being passed to a media processor as an extensible symbolic representation of an intended media flow. A computer-readable medium stores a topology function includes a first input parameter representing a unique identifier, a second input parameter representing a state of a topology, a third parameter representing a descriptor for the topology, a fourth parameter representing one or more characteristics about a node of the topology, and executable instructions adapted to provide a topology capable of being passed to a media processor as an extensible symbolic representation of an intended media flow calculated based on at least one of the input parameters.

Abstract: A multimedia processing system and methods provide flexibility and modularity by separating data flow information from maintaining of stream state for multimedia components. The system includes a media processor component to process received media data, a media session to determine a timeline for events to occur for performing media processing and a topology loader component to load a topology that describes a flow for the received media data to enable processing via an extensible symbolic abstraction of media objects. The topology loader ensures that events described in the topology occur. The system also includes core layer components such as media sink components to determine a media stream for output from the multimedia processing system and a media source component coupled to supply media data for processing. The topology created in the system symbolically provides data flow information, independent of maintaining a streaming state of control information.

Abstract: Hierarchical storage systems for holding objects used for evidentiary purposes, and methods of manipulating such systems are described. A logical store is provided and one or more physical stores are associated with and accessible through the logical store. Access to the physical stores can take place through the logical store with a single call to an appropriate application programming interface. Associations within and amongst stores can be define. One particular type of association is a context link which enables one evidentiary object in one physical store to get its context from another evidentiary object in another physical store.

Abstract: A computing system, which is in communication with a multimedia source and that includes at least one application for processing multimedia content from the multimedia source, includes an Application Programming Interface (API) for obtaining basic multimedia information that may be required by applications to process the multimedia content. By doing this, the invention enables multimedia application(s) to easily obtain the basic information from the API in a predetermined and standard manner, without having to obtain the information directly from the multimedia source, thereby reducing the functionality that has to be programmed directly into the application(s) for obtaining the basic information, and thereby reducing the cost, time, and resources that are required for creating the multimedia application(s).

Abstract: Various systems and methods described above permit a user's content experience (e.g. music playing experience) to be monitored and for metadata describing this experience to be collected. This metadata can be dynamically updated as a user experiences media content and then used to impart to the user a personalized experience that is tailored to that specific user. A user's metadata can, in some instances, provided across a wide variety of computing devices on which the user may experience the media content, thus standardizing the user's personalized media experience. In addition, intelligent or “smart” playlists can be provided which, in some instances, can be dynamically and automatically updated to reflect current user experiences, thus providing a highly personalized and enjoyable content experience.