Hierarchical Multimedia Composition with Inheritance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current media editorial workflows are inefficient in creating multiple versions of multimedia content from a master program, as they fail to support the propagation of changes made to the master to downstream versions and do not leverage existing work effectively, leading to duplication of effort and wasted work when new versions are required.
Innovation Solution
A computer-based system that creates a hierarchical structure of multimedia compositions using inheritance relationships, allowing derivative programs to inherit elements from master programs, propagate changes automatically, and provide a user interface for editing and viewing, enabling efficient creation and editing of families of related programs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If current editorial workflows are used to create multiple versions from a master program, then each version can be independently created and customized, but changes made to the master program cannot be propagated to downstream versions, leading to duplication of work and inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes inheritance relationships in advance between master programs and derivative programs, defining which elements should be propagated. This preliminary setup enables automatic propagation of changes later without manual intervention, resolving the contradiction by preparing the structural framework beforehand that allows efficient version creation while preventing work duplication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates derivative programs by copying elements from master programs through inheritance relationships. Instead of manually recreating content for each version, the system automatically copies and inherits elements, allowing changes to propagate efficiently. This copying mechanism maintains independence of versions while eliminating duplication of effort in creating and updating content.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a master program is created and distributed to multiple groups for creating versions, then each group can customize their version, but additional changes to the master program cause previously performed work to be wasted and require starting customization from scratch
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-defines inheritance relationships that specify which elements from the master program should be inherited by derivative programs. This preliminary configuration enables automatic propagation of master changes to derivatives without manual intervention, maintaining adaptability for customization while dramatically improving productivity when updates are needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where changes made to master programs are automatically detected and propagated to derivative programs through the established inheritance relationships. This feedback loop ensures that derivative programs remain synchronized with their masters while preserving customization capabilities, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and productivity.
3Ease of operation
If editors start fresh from the master program to create new deliverable versions, then each version can be independently created, but previously performed work cannot be leveraged and must be repeated
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes inheritance relationships in advance that define how elements flow from master to derivative programs. This preliminary structural setup enables automatic propagation of changes and work products, maintaining operational independence for each version while eliminating the need to recreate work, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The inheritance relationship mechanism serves multiple functions: it enables automatic propagation of changes, maintains version independence, and allows work to be leveraged across multiple derivative programs. This universal mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing a single system that achieves both independent version creation and work reuse simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-based method for media composition of a family of related time-based media programs. The method involves creating a master program with time-based elements of video and/or audio as well as time-based and non-time-based metadata, creating a derivative program that includes derivative elements, defining an inheritance relationship between the master program and the derivative program that specifies elements of the master program to be inherited by the derivative program, and causing the derivative program to inherit the specified elements from the master program in accordance with the inheritance relationship. User interfaces are provided for creating, editing, and viewing hierarchical trees of related programs.