Distributed Video Content Management via Metadata Mediation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing content management systems for rich media content are tied to monolithic, centrally managed infrastructures and do not support self-organized, cooperative sharing of video media assets across distributed Web servers and sites, limiting flexible and granular management and access to video content.

Innovation Solution

A distributed meta-data content management system that enables cooperative management of diverse video content repositories across heterogeneous hardware infrastructure, allowing for dynamic creation of distributed Web pages for global access, with features like streaming, progressive download, and fine-grained access control, using a control database to manage user, content, and organizational relationships.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a monolithic, centrally managed media storage and delivery infrastructure is used, then system control and management are simplified, but flexibility and ability to support distributed cooperative sharing are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem controlVSAvoiddistributed cooperative sharing capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the monolithic infrastructure into distributed segments - multiple independent media storage repositories and Web servers that can operate autonomously while being integrated through a shared database. Each organization can maintain its own media assets and access controls locally, yet participate in cooperative sharing networks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A shared database acts as an intermediary layer between distributed media repositories and users. It stores metadata, access control information, and sharing relationships, enabling coordinated access across decentralized storage systems without requiring centralized control of the media assets themselves.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If centralized content delivery network is used, then content delivery coordination is simplified, but granularity and flexibility of access control are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent delivery coordinationVSAvoidaccess control granularity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Access control is implemented locally at each media repository and Web server rather than centrally. Each organization can define its own granular access policies for its media assets, specifying which users or groups can access which content, while the overall system maintains simplified coordination through database-based metadata management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If distributed heterogeneous media infrastructure is used, then flexibility and scalability are improved, but system integration and management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinfrastructure flexibilityVSAvoidsystem integration

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs a universal database schema and metadata structure that can represent diverse media types, organizations, users, and access relationships in a unified manner. This common data model enables integration of heterogeneous media repositories from different organizations with varying structures and protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The shared database serves as an intermediary layer that abstracts away the heterogeneity of underlying media repositories. It provides a standardized interface for metadata storage and access control management, allowing distributed systems to interact through common protocols without exposing integration complexity to end users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If fine-grained access control is implemented across distributed systems, then security and access management are improved, but system complexity and overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess control securityVSAvoidaccess control implementation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Access control logic is extracted from individual media repositories and centralized in the database layer. The database stores access control lists and sharing relationships, allowing fine-grained security policies to be defined and managed in one place while being automatically enforced across all distributed media systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9262545B2Distributed video content management and sharing system

Publication Date: 2016.02.16 PANOPTO

AI summary

The present invention relates to a system which enables cooperative rich media content management, sharing, and publishing across a distributed set of Web sites, Web servers, and media servers based on control information in an online database. Media files are housed on any number of heterogeneous media repositories. The system of the present invention is used for managing, sharing, and publishing rich media content including video, images, animations, audio, etc. Authorized viewers access media files through dynamically generated content and media links embedded on Web sites. Content administrators publish media entries to any number of such distributed Web sites, and can set viewer permissions for individual video entries when published on specific Web sites. Content administrators can also dynamically establish media sharing and access relationships.