Media Object Property Retrieval via Batch Enumeration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protocols for communicating with portable media devices are inefficient, as they require separate requests for each media object property, leading to significant access bottlenecks and delays when transferring large collections of media objects, such as hundreds or thousands of audio files, due to slower access times on the device's storage subsystems compared to the client's resources.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows an initiator to send an enumeration request encoding the selection and retrieval of properties for multiple media objects in a single command, using a media transfer protocol that enables flexible exchange of objects and their properties on an aggregate level, thereby reducing the need for separate requests and improving cycle times for accessing and viewing content lists.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate requests are sent for each media object property, then the device can provide accurate property information for each object, but the access time and processing delays increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate property requests into a single aggregate request that retrieves properties for multiple media objects simultaneously. The system sends one enumeration request that encodes selection criteria for multiple objects, and receives a consolidated response containing properties for all matching objects, eliminating the need for sequential individual requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary filtering and selection of desired properties on the client side before sending the enumeration request. The request pre-specifies which properties are needed (e.g., artist, album, track number) and which objects match the selection criteria, so the device can prepare and return only the relevant property data without requiring multiple back-and-forth exchanges.
2Measurement precision
If the device processes and responds to each property request sequentially, then accurate property data is retrieved, but the throughput and productivity are reduced due to the device's slower storage access compared to the client
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple property retrieval operations are merged into a single batch operation. The client sends one enumeration request that encompasses multiple objects and property types, and the device processes all requests in parallel rather than sequentially, significantly improving throughput while maintaining data accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a one-to-one request-response model to a many-to-many model where a single request can retrieve properties for multiple objects across different dimensions (different objects, different property types). This dimensional expansion allows the client to leverage its faster processing capabilities while the device handles bulk operations more efficiently.
3Loss of information
If all media objects are parsed to locate a single object of interest, then the complete property set is available, but the access time increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and applies selection criteria to filter the media object list before retrieval. The enumeration request includes filters that identify only the objects matching specific criteria (e.g., particular artist, album, or track number ranges), so the device can directly retrieve properties for only those matching objects without parsing through the entire media library.
Solution Approach 2:
The client performs preliminary filtering of the media object list based on selection criteria before sending the enumeration request. This pre-filtering reduces the number of objects the device needs to process, allowing rapid location and retrieval of properties for only the relevant objects while maintaining complete property information for those objects.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and related techniques are provided in the present invention, which generate an interrogation request from an initiator device, to a mobile or other media player. The binary objects which encode the content may include or have associated with them a set of corresponding object properties which help to define each object. According to embodiments of the invention, the initiator may communicate with the responding device using a media-aware protocol such that the initiator may identify one or all of the set of properties paired with all of the objects to be returned. The initiator may then present the objects along with the corresponding properties to a user to manipulate. Because properties may be retrieved in conjunction with, at the same time and using a unified retrieval scheme, the need to query each object identifier one by one for associated properties is removed.