Multimedia File Backup via Distributed Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for backing up multimedia files are often expensive, require user expertise, and carry risks such as data loss due to hardware failure, theft, or service discontinuation, and may not need exact copies, as minor differences in files are often imperceptible to users.
Innovation Solution
A distributed network system that divides multimedia files into segments, tags them for identification, and distributes them across multiple computers, allowing for recovery with less than 100% of segments to maintain minimal noticeable degradation, using transformations like Fourier transforms and SVD for efficient backup and recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multimedia files are backed up to a single location (second drive, DVDs, or single on-line service), then backup simplicity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to risks from hardware failure, theft, fire, or service discontinuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides multimedia files into multiple segments and distributes them across different backup computers in a network. Each segment is tagged with identification information indicating its source file and location. This segmentation approach maintains backup simplicity from the user's perspective while dramatically improving reliability by eliminating single-point-of-failure risks. If one backup computer fails, other segments can be recovered from different computers.
2Loss of information
If exact copies of multimedia files are created for backup, then data completeness is improved, but storage requirements and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial backup by storing only segments of multimedia files rather than complete copies. The system allows users to specify an acceptable recovery percentage (e.g., 90-95%) and reconstructs files by assembling available segments. This partial action approach reduces storage requirements and backup costs while maintaining sufficient data completeness for practical purposes, as minor differences in recovered segments are often imperceptible to users.
3Reliability
If backup systems require user expertise and knowledge to execute, then backup reliability is improved through proper configuration, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service backup functionality where the system automatically handles file segmentation, distribution to backup computers, and reconstruction without requiring user expertise. The system autonomously manages the complex tasks of dividing files into segments, tagging them with identification information, distributing them across the network, and later reassembling them during recovery. Users simply initiate backup and recovery operations through simple interfaces, eliminating the need for technical knowledge while maintaining reliable backup effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
Each of plural multimedia files desired to be backed up are transformed into vector representations and divided into segments, and the segments are sent to respective participating computers in a network as a means of backing up the files. The multimedia files can be recovered and may be reconstituted with less than 100% of the segments with minimal deleterious noticeability upon subsequent display of the content in the files.