Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1996-05-31
2001-01-30
Jankus, Almis R. (Department: 2772)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181336
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to management and processing of multimedia works and more particularly to providing a uniform and consistent environment for the orderly development and archival of diverse multimedia works.
2. Related Art
The authoring of multimedia works can be a very expensive, time consuming and complicated process. Such projects can involve huge production teams, enormous budgets, and the resources of entire production studios for significant amounts of time. Such multimedia works not only include computerized feature films such as those produced by major Hollywood studios and the like, but they can also include interactive movies, video games and other entertainment and educational type content that can run on personal computers, dedicated game consoles, kiosk machines and the like. It is becoming more common that the production of such multimedia titles consume monetary budgets and other resources not unlike those commonly associated with major Hollywood feature film productions.
Multimedia data, such as collections of digital animations come in a variety of heterogeneous formats and structures. Typically, during the creation of a multimedia project, many different tools and application programs are used to create, edit, and otherwise process various types of multimedia data. In general each of the application programs, such as multimedia content authoring tools, operate on particular types and/or formats of data. Such types and formats of data are typically not compatible with all the various application programs used in the production process.
Additionally, each tool generally requires its own unique file structures, hierarchies, and naming conventions, etc., to manage, store and retrieve data. Each tool may also use different methods to catalog, search, and preview data. Likewise, each tool may use a different method (or no method at all), to track different versions of multimedia data. In addition, many tools operate on different computer platforms and environments that are not compatible with each other. In a typical shared development process, such inconsistencies make it difficult to coordinate and share resources among various members of the development team. In addition, such inconsistencies make it difficult to catalog and archive data in an efficient, safe, and consistent manner. Problems arising from such inconsistencies can be very costly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed toward a system and method for providing a consistent and efficient production environment for the development of various types of multimedia works and for the orderly archiving of the multimedia works to facilitate their re-use in later projects. Examples of multimedia works can include feature animation films, computer animation films, video games, interactive movies, news clips, educational multimedia products, corporate multimedia productions, multimedia sales catalogs and the like. The present invention assists artists, computer programmers, production managers, editors, directors, and producers in tracking and managing all multimedia data created and used during the process of multimedia productions and in finding and re-using assets from previous productions.
Multimedia data, as the term is used herein, includes any and all types of data used to produce any and all types of multimedia works. Each instance of multimedia data need not comprise multiple data components or different types of media. Indeed multimedia data can comprise data of a single media type. For example, a JPEG data file is an industry standard for a compressed data format that comprises a single still video image. Even though a JPEG file comprises a single media type, it is considered to be multimedia data because it can be used as part of a multimedia production. Likewise, a multimedia authoring tool that can be used to create JPEG files may be referred to herein as a multimedia tool. Multimedia data can also comprise multiple types of media. For example, an MPEG data file is an industry standard for a compressed data format that comprises full-motion video as well as audio data components. Thus, an MPEG data file is another example of multimedia data.
The present invention provides an integrated platform for a variety of diverse computerized utilities and application programs that operate on and/or create various types of multimedia data. Such computerized utilities and application programs can include video film editors, painting programs, three-dimensional modeling utilities, animation tools, and other multimedia data tools, running on a variety of computer systems and platforms.
The present invention provides a means for bringing compatibility and uniformity to diverse multimedia production environments. As stated, a multimedia production environment typically comprises a plurality of diverse types of production tools. The present invention accomplishes compatibility and uniformity among such diverse multimedia production tools by providing them with common program resources. The common program resources include a plurality of utilities and services related to the management, organization and storage of multimedia data. Such program resources are used to facilitate the creation of a consistent and uniform multimedia production environment.
The program resources provided by the present invention also include a plurality of user interface components. Such user interface components provided by the present invention can include dialog boxes, scrollable list boxes, data entry tables, data browsing facilities and the like. By using a common set of user interface components, diverse multimedia production tools can achieve a common overall look and feel and thereby create a more consistent and uniform production environment from the user's perspective.
Also provided is a means for modifying and/or adding extensions to the plurality of utilities and services provided by the present invention. This feature allows production studios to quickly adapt to the rapidly changing environment of multimedia data and multimedia production tools.
Further, the present invention provides services and utilities for indexing, storing, retrieving, searching, and generally managing and manipulating all of the multimedia data created or used during the production process. The present invention provides for implementation of these features through the use of one or more data base management systems (DBMSs). Typically, DBMSs that are supported by the present invention are of the commercial-off-the self variety. This feature facilitates the use of presently existing and/or readily available DBMSs. However, support for additional DBMSs can easily be added. Likewise, the services and utilities provided by the present invention, which interact with the supported DBMSs, can easily be modified and/or extended. Thus, a production studio simply attaches, in a ‘plug-and-play’ (PNP) fashion, one or more supported DBMS(s), and the file management features of the present are automatically implemented.
All multimedia data created and used during the production process are organized by the present invention into data objects that are referred to herein as ‘assets’. An asset is a data object that is defined by the present invention in a particular manner. Each asset comprises two components, namely, a contents component and a metadata component. The metadata component comprises information about an asset, such as its storage location, creation date, creator(s), etc. The contents component comprises the actual multimedia data, which is typically a digital representation of, for example, a visual and/or audio data object. For example, an asset representing a JPEG type image file as described above, comprises a metadata component and a contents component. The contents component is the JPEG file itself, which is a digital representation of a still video image. The creator's name, the date of creation, and the fact that the file is a 240 ×320
Chiu Sheng-Yang
Hollar Jeffrey D.
Menon Sathis N.
Jankus Almis R.
Silicon Graphics Inc.
Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.
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