Content conversion apparatus and method
| Title: | Content conversion apparatus and method |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 8,799,332 |
| Publication Date: | August 05, 2014 |
| Appl. No: | 13/325571 |
| Application Filed: | December 14, 2011 |
| Abstract: | Disclosed herein is a content conversion apparatus and method. The content conversion apparatus includes a table generation unit for generating a media dependent table and a weight table. An information management unit receives information about a terminal and information about a player of the terminal from the terminal and manages the received information. A content conversion unit generates a content information table, related to content that is to be converted, using the media dependent table, the weight table, the terminal information and the player information, and converts the content using the content information table so as to transmit converted content to the terminal. |
| Inventors: | Lee, Hyun-Jeong (Daejeon, KR); Sung, Jung-Sik (Daejeon, KR) |
| Assignees: | Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (Daejeon, KR) |
| Claim: | 1. A content conversion apparatus, comprising: a table generation unit for generating, using a processor, a media dependent table and a weight table including weights assigned based on characteristics of media specified in the media dependent table; an information management unit for receiving information about a terminal and information about a player of the terminal from the terminal and managing, using the processor, the received information; and a content conversion unit for generating, using the processor, content information tables, related to content that is to be converted, using the media dependent table, the weight table, the terminal information and the player information, and converting the content using the content information table so as to transmit converted content to the terminal, wherein using the weight table comprises considering a weight of a video codec and an audio codec in the media dependent table in converting the content. |
| Claim: | 2. The content conversion apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the content conversion unit generates a player-based content information table using the media dependent table, the weight table and the player information, generates a terminal-based content information table using the player-based content information table and the terminal information, and converts the content using the terminal-based content information table. |
| Claim: | 3. The content conversion apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the player-based content information table comprises: information including one or more of a comparison result key, a service key, a player key and a file format; video attribute values including one or more of the video codec, a weight of the video codec, a video mode, a flag of the video mode, a minimum value, maximum value and flag of a video bit rate, a minimum value, maximum value, and flag of a video mode variable bit rate, a minimum value, maximum value and flag of a video frame rate, a video resolution, a flag of the video resolution, a video aspect ratio, and a flag of the video aspect ratio; and audio attribute values including one or more of the audio codec, a weight of the audio codec, a minimum value and maximum value of an audio sample rate, a minimum value and maximum value of an audio bit rate, and an audio channel. |
| Claim: | 4. The content conversion apparatus of claim 3 , wherein: the player-based content information table refers to the comparison result key, and the comparison result key is a value required to store a difference between an item supported by the player so that the content is played and an item required by a server that provides the content, in a file and to cause the file to be accessed. |
| Claim: | 5. The content conversion apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the player-based content information table is periodically registered, modified or deleted to correspond to registration, modification or deletion of one or more of a service profile, a service comparison rule, a player, a player comparison rule, and a terminal profile. |
| Claim: | 6. The content conversion apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the terminal-based content information table comprises: information including one or more of a comparison result key, a service key, a player key, a terminal unique key and a file format; video attribute values including one or more of the video codec, a video mode, a video bit rate, a video mode variable bit rate, a video frame rate, a video resolution and a video aspect ratio; and audio attribute values including one or more of the audio codec, an audio sample rate, an audio bit rate and an audio channel. |
| Claim: | 7. The content conversion apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the table generation unit generates the media dependent table including a file format-based media dependent table, a video codec-based media dependent table, and an audio codec-based media dependent table, and generates a weight table including a video codec-based weight table and an audio codec-based weight table. |
| Claim: | 8. The content conversion apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the file format-based media dependent table comprises a list of one or more file formats, and also comprises a list of one or more video codecs and a list of one or more audio codecs, wherein the video codecs and the audio codecs support each file format. |
| Claim: | 9. The content conversion apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the video codec-based media dependent table comprises: video attribute values including one or more of the video codec, a weight of the video codec, a video mode, a flag of the video mode, a minimum value, maximum value and flag of a video bit rate, a minimum value, maximum value and flag of a video mode variable bit rate, a minimum value, maximum value and flag of a video frame rate, a video resolution, a flag of the video resolution, a video aspect ratio, and a flag of the video aspect ratio; audio attribute values including one or more of the audio codec and a flag of the audio flag; and file format attribute values including one or more of a file format and a flag of the file format. |
| Claim: | 10. The content conversion apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the audio codec-based media dependent table comprises audio attribute values including one or more of the audio codec, a weight of the audio codec, a minimum value and maximum value of an audio sample rate, a minimum value and maximum value of an audio bit rate, and a number of audio channels, a file format, and the video codec. |
| Claim: | 11. The content conversion apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the video codec-based weight table comprises one or more of information about being free or charged for, a weight related to being free or charged for, a number of supportable file formats, and a weight related to the number of supportable file formats. |
| Claim: | 12. The content conversion apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the audio codec-based weight table comprises one or more of information about being free or charged for, a weight related to being free or charged for, a number of supportable file formats, and a weight related to the number of supportable file formats. |
| Claim: | 13. The content conversion apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a content conversion determination unit for determining whether conversion of content selected by a server, which receives input from a user and provides the content, is required, whether the conversion of the content is supported, and whether the conversion of the content is possible. |
| Claim: | 14. A content conversion method, comprising: generating, using a processor, a media dependent table and a weight table including weights assigned based on characteristics of media specified in the media dependent table; receiving information about a terminal and information about a player of the terminal from the terminal and managing the received information; generating, using the processor, content information tables, related to content that is to be converted, using the media dependent table, the weight table, the terminal information and the player information; converting, using the processor, the content using the content information table; and transmitting converted content to the terminal, wherein in generating the content information tables, using the weight table comprises considering a weight of a video codec and an audio codec in the media dependent table in converting the content. |
| Claim: | 15. The content conversion method of claim 14 , wherein the converting the content comprises: generating a player-based content information table using the media dependent table, the weight table and the player information; generating a terminal-based content information table using the player-based content information table and the terminal information; and converting the content using the terminal-based content information table. |
| Claim: | 16. The content conversion method of claim 14 , wherein the generating the media dependent table and the weight table comprises: generating a media dependent table including a file format-based media dependent table, a video codec-based media dependent table, and an audio codec-based media dependent table; and generating a weight table including a video codec-based weight table and an audio codec-based weight table. |
| Claim: | 17. The content conversion method of claim 14 , further comprising, after the receiving the terminal information and the player information of the terminal from the terminal and managing the received information: at a server that provides the content, receiving input from the user and selecting the content; determining whether conversion of the selected content is required; and if it is determined that the conversion of the selected content is not required, setting up a direct connection between the terminal and the server, and terminating execution of the method. |
| Claim: | 18. The content conversion method of claim 17 , further comprising, if it is determined that the conversion of the selected content is required: determining whether information about the terminal is present in a previously generated terminal-based content information table, and if it is determined that the terminal information is present, receiving the content from the server and proceeding to the converting the content, whereas if it is determined that the terminal information is not present, determining whether the player of the terminal supports conversion of the selected content; and if it is determined that the player of the terminal does not support the conversion of the selected content, terminating execution of the method. |
| Claim: | 19. The content conversion method of claim 18 , further comprising, if it is determined that the player of the terminal supports the conversion of the selected content: extracting attributes of the selected content required to convert the selected content; determining whether the conversion of the selected content is possible using the attributes of the selected content; and if it is determined that the conversion of the selected content is impossible, terminating execution of the method, whereas if the conversion of the selected content is possible, proceeding to the generating the content information table. |
| Claim: | 20. The content conversion method of claim 14 , further comprising, after transmitting the converted content to the terminal: playing the transmitted content; determining whether playing of the transmitted content has terminated; if it is determined that the playing of the transmitted content has terminated, terminating execution of the method. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 707/809 |
| Patent References Cited: | 7606909 October 2009 Ely et al. 8127011 February 2012 Monette 2006/0041431 February 2006 Maes 2007/0049333 March 2007 Jeong et al. 2007/0079010 April 2007 Heredia et al. 2007/0160350 July 2007 Ikeda et al. 2007/0291106 December 2007 Kenrick et al. 2008/0107170 May 2008 Ong et al. 2008/0208607 August 2008 Ma et al. 2008/0298237 December 2008 Dos Remedios et al. 2010/0005183 January 2010 Ding et al. 2010/0257569 October 2010 O'Hanlon 2010/0268836 October 2010 Jabri et al. 2011/0125809 May 2011 Woods et al. 2012/0044985 February 2012 Tao et al. 2012/0206645 August 2012 Ozawa 2012/0232911 September 2012 Wu et al. 2013/0276034 October 2013 O'Hanlon 2111008 October 2009 1020070059887 June 2007 1020090115958 November 2009 1020090121949 November 2009 1020090128195 December 2009 2007/066980 June 2007 |
| Other References: | Dahab et al., Two Approaches to Pay-per-use Software Construction, IEEE 2000. cited by examiner |
| Assistant Examiner: | Levitian, Karina |
| Primary Examiner: | Chbouki, Tarek |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP Laurentano, Esq., Anthony A. |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.08799332 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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