Master Identifier System for Media File Deduplication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The lack of a uniform approach to describing and cross-referencing metadata for media content leads to duplicate files being downloaded and stored on mobile devices, causing inefficiencies in wireless network usage and storage space, as well as tedious management for users.
Innovation Solution
A system where a server node generates and manages master identifiers for media content files based on their metadata, and a client node reconciles identities by matching metadata with these identifiers, preventing duplicate files from being stored.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If media content is described using proprietary identification schemes from multiple sources, then each source can maintain its own metadata format, but duplicate files are downloaded and stored, consuming network bandwidth and storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized metadata repository and identifier service as an intermediary between media content sources and client devices. This mediator translates proprietary metadata formats from different sources into a unified identification scheme, allowing clients to query and verify content uniqueness before downloading, thereby preventing duplicate downloads and reducing network bandwidth consumption
2Adaptability or versatility
If media content is described using proprietary identification schemes from multiple sources, then each source can maintain its own metadata format, but duplicate files are downloaded and stored, consuming storage space on mobile devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification of media content uniqueness by querying the centralized metadata repository before the actual download occurs. The client device checks the identifier against existing content in the repository, and only downloads the file if it is confirmed to be a new, non-duplicate piece of content, thereby preventing unnecessary storage of duplicate files
3Adaptability or versatility
If no uniform approach to metadata description exists, then diverse metadata formats can coexist, but cross-referencing and translation between different media content management systems is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal metadata identification service that can handle multiple proprietary metadata formats from different sources. The centralized repository accepts metadata in various formats, translates them into a unified identification scheme, and provides a single point of query for all clients, thereby eliminating the need for individual translation implementations at each client device and reducing overall system complexity
4Adaptability or versatility
If duplicate media content files are stored with different identifiers, then content from multiple sources can be maintained, but user management of these files becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the identification and management functions for media content from multiple sources into a single unified system. By assigning a unique identifier from the centralized repository to each piece of content and using this identifier for all queries and downloads, the system consolidates what would otherwise be separate, manually manageable files into a single, automatically managed content library, greatly simplifying user operations
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods are provided for managing the identity of media content data. A server node processes metadata associated with a plurality of media content data files to generate a corresponding master identifier for each of the media content data files. A client node then provides the server node a first set of metadata corresponding to a media content data file that has no associated master identifier. In turn, the server node processes the first set of metadata to identify a corresponding master identifier and a second set of associated metadata, which it provides to the client node. The client node processes the second set of metadata to identify a matching set of metadata stored in its database of identification data and metadata. If found, the client node associates the master identifier with a second media content data file corresponding to the matching set of metadata.