Automatic, multi-stage rich-media content creation using a framework based digital workflow - systems, methods and program products

Abstract

An automatic, multi-stage rich media content creation system includes a network based server executing an operating system, a text editing program, typically XML editor, and an authoring or batch processing program for combining Rich Media in a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file. Video, stills, panoramas, sound, film, etc are combined as raw Rich Media from one or more sources and transmitted to the server in a framework over a digital network. The raw Rich Media is incorporated into the framework as a series of related frames. The raw Rich Media is stored on a storage device, typically a disk at the network based server. A creator using a standard graphical or text editing tools has access to the raw media assets on the disk for preparing a textual specification description, typically XML in an electronic template of desired Rich Media content. The template and raw media assets are transmitted by the creator to the server for combining the raw media assets and the XML textual specification in the template as a composed MVR file using the batch-processing program. The composed MVR file and textual specification may be returned to the creator for further editing of the specification, if necessary, and/or stored on the server disk for access by other creators. The template based, composed or edited MVR file of Rich Media content and related textual specification can be transmitted to other servers on the network for automatic, multistage creation of Rich Media content by several user groups. One user group can create a template based, composed or edited MVR file which another group accesses via the network to inject other content into the template for revising the XML text specification to create another embodiment of the Rich Media content.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method of multi-stage creation of Rich Media Content, comprising the steps of: 
 a) accessing the Rich Media assets using a processor as an authoring tool to create a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file of selected stored Rich Media assets in a text based format;    b) creating a template for structuring Rich Media Content; and    c) combining the template and the Rich Media Content description file in the processor to create a MVR file executable on a multimedia player.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 d) injecting other content into the Rich Media Content description file by another user.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 e) creating an XML based MVR file.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 f) using a textual editor to create an MVR-XML file.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 g) using an MVR-XML file as a data interchange among other Rich Media Content creation applications.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 h) managing the creation of the template and Rich Media Content description file in stages by different users.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 i) operating the processor in a batch mode to combine the template and the Rich Media Content description file into a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file executable on a multimedia player.  
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the processor runs in a batch mode for combining the template and the Rich Media Content description file.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the Rich Media Content description file is created in stages by different users injecting content into the template.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the MVR file is a Rich Media container in a binary format.  
     
     
         11 . A system for multi-stage creation of editable Rich Media content executable on a multimedia player, comprising: 
 a) processor means for accessing selected Rich Media and creating a multimedia repository file of the selected Rich Media content in an text based format;    b) means for creating and storing a template for assembling the Rich Media content; and    c) processor means for combining the template and the description file into a multimedia repository file executable on a multimedia player.    
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 d) means managing the creation of the template and Rich Media Content description file in stages by different users.  
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 e) means operating the processor in a batch mode to combine the template and the Rich Media Content description file into a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file executable on a multimedia player.  
 
     
     
         14 . A program medium executable in a computer system for multi-stage creation of Rich Media Content, comprising: 
 a) program code in a medium for accessing the Rich Media assets using a processor as an authoring tool to create a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file of selected stored Rich Media assets in an text based format;    b) program code in a medium for creating a template for structuring Rich Media Content; and    c) program code in a medium for combining the template and the Rich Media Content description file in the processor to create an MVR file executable on a multimedia player; and    d) injecting other content into the Rich Media Content description file by another user.    
     
     
         15 . The medium of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 e) program code creating an XML based MVR file.  
 
     
     
         16 . The medium of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 f) program code creating an MVR-XML file using a textual editor.  
 
     
     
         17 . The medium of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 g) program code using an MVR-XML file as a data interchange among other Rich Media Content creation applications.  
 
     
     
         18 . The medium of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 h) program code managing the creation of the template and Rich Media Content description file in stages by different users.  
 
     
     
         19 . The medium of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 i) program code operating the processor in a batch mode to combine the template and the Rich Media Content description file into a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file executable on a multimedia player.  
 
     
     
         20 . The medium of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 j) program code running the processor in a batch mode for combining the template and the Rich Media Content description file.