Media identifier registry

Abstract

A media identifier registry for managing metadata records. The registry stores a unique logical identifier for each of the records as well as a base type corresponding to each of the logical identifiers. The base types are representative of the information contained in the respective metadata records for the corresponding logical identifiers. The registry further defines associations between the logical identifiers and base types. Improvements in identifying media content and related information according to the invention permit building a media data warehouse capable of aggregating data from many different sources, uniquely identify the same piece of content from different data providers, in different cultures, and in different physical forms to allow a consistent set of data to be stored and retrieved.

1 . A method of managing metadata comprising: 
 maintaining a database of metadata records, said metadata records each corresponding to one or more media files and containing information relating to content of the corresponding media files, said media files having associated physical identifiers based on physical properties of the media files and being adapted for rendering by a media player program executed on one or more client computers;    generating a unique logical identifier for each of the metadata records, said logical identifiers being configured for use in querying the metadata database, wherein said logical identifiers are independent of physical identifiers associated with said media files;    defining a base type corresponding to each of the logical identifiers, said base types being representative of the information contained in the respective metadata records for the corresponding logical identifiers;    storing the logical identifiers and the base types in an ID registry; and    defining associations between the logical identifiers and the base types.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising at least one of the following: 
 retrieving from the metadata database each metadata record that corresponds to a specific media file being rendered by the media player program executed on one of the client computers, said metadata record being retrieved as a function of the logical identifier, and    formatting the retrieved metadata record for rendering by the media player program, said retrieved metadata record being formatted by a server associated with the metadata database, said server and said client computer executing the media player program being coupled to a data communication network, and further comprising returning the formatted metadata record to the client computer via the data communication network for rendering with the corresponding specific media file.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising at least one of the following: 
 storing information representative of the base types in respective bit fields associated with the corresponding logical identifiers;    mapping each of the logical identifiers to one or more identifiers from a different domain of identifiers; and    maintaining data integrity by one-to-one mapping of unique identifiers from the different domain of identifiers to the logical identifiers.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising mapping each of the logical identifiers to the one or more physical identifiers in the ID registry, the physical identifiers each being representative of physical characteristics of one of the media files.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising searching the metadata database for metadata records corresponding to a specific media file being rendered by the media player program executed on one of the client computers, said metadata database being searched as a function of the logical identifier mapped to the physical identifier that represents physical characteristics of the specific media file.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the specific media file includes one of the following: digital content of one or more tracks of a compact disc and wherein the physical identifier is representative of offset of the tracks on the disc, and digital content of a digital versatile disc wherein the physical identifier is representative of menu information on the disc.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the information relating to the content of the media files contained in the metadata records is provided by a third party data provider, said third party data provider using provider identifiers for identifying the information, and further comprising mapping the logical identifiers to the provider identifiers in the ID registry.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising at least one of the following: 
 defining an associations table of the ID registry, said associations table having a schema containing a column for the logical identifiers, a column for collection identifiers representative of a media collection, and a column for ordinal values representative of order within the media collection; and    defining a mapping table, said mapping table having a schema containing a column for the logical identifiers, a column for the provider identifiers, and a column for the base types, wherein mapping the logical identifiers to the provider identifiers includes mapping a single logical identifier to a plurality of provider identifiers.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising embedding each logical identifier in a specific media files being rendered by the media player program executed on one of the client computers, said embedded logical identifier being independent of physical characteristics of the specific media file.  
   
   
       10 . A system for managing metadata comprising: 
 a server coupled to a data communications network;    a database of metadata records, said metadata records each corresponding to one or more media files having associated physical identifiers based on physical properties of the media files and containing information relating to content of the corresponding media files, said media files being adapted for rendering by a media player program executed on one or more client computers, said client computers being coupled to the data communications network; and    an ID registry storing a unique logical identifier for each of the metadata records, said logical identifiers being configured for use by the server in querying the metadata database, wherein said logical identifiers are independent of physical identifiers associated with said media files, said ID registry further storing a base type corresponding to each of the logical identifiers and associated therewith in the ID registry, said base types being representative of the information contained in the respective metadata records for the corresponding logical identifiers.    
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the ID registry includes at least one of the following: 
 information representative of the base types stored in respective bit fields associated with the corresponding logical identifiers, wherein the base type is selected from one or more of the following: performer, primary artist, album, track, title, and genre,    a mapping table, said mapping table having a schema containing a column for the logical identifiers, a column for the provider identifiers, and a column for the base types, and    an associations table, said associations table having a schema containing a column for the logical identifiers, a column for collection identifiers representative of a media collection, and a column for ordinal values representative of order within the media collection    
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10:   wherein the server is responsive to one of the logical identifiers for retrieving from the metadata database each metadata record that corresponds to a specific media file being rendered by the media player program executed on one of the client computers,    wherein the ID registry maps each of the logical identifiers to one or more identifiers from a different domain of identifiers; and    wherein the ID registry maps each of the logical identifiers to one or more physical identifiers in the ID registry, said physical identifiers each being representative of physical characteristics of one of the media files.    
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the server searches the metadata database for metadata records corresponding to a specific media file being rendered by the media player program executed on one of the client computers, said metadata database being searched as a function of the logical identifier mapped to the physical identifier that represents physical characteristics of the specific media file.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 10  wherein at least a portion of the information relating to the content of the media files contained in the metadata records is provided by a third party data provider, said third party data provider using provider identifiers for identifying the information, and wherein the logical identifiers are mapped to the provider identifiers in the ID registry.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 10  wherein each logical identifier is embedded in a specific media file being rendered by the media player program executed on one of the client computers, said embedded logical identifier being independent of physical characteristics of the specific media file, and wherein the logical identifiers are globally unique identifiers.  
   
   
       16 . One or more computer-readable media having a data structure stored thereon comprising: 
 a first field containing unique logical identifiers, said logical identifiers each corresponding to a metadata record, said metadata records each corresponding to one or more media files having associated physical identifiers based on physical properties of the media files and containing information relating to content of the corresponding media files, said media files being adapted for rendering by a media player program executed on one or more client computers; said logical identifiers being configured for use in querying the metadata database wherein said logical identifiers are independent of physical identifiers associated with said media files; and    a second field containing base types associated with the logical identifiers, said base types each corresponding to one of the logical identifiers, said base types being representative of the information contained in the respective metadata records for the corresponding logical identifiers.    
   
   
       17 . The data structure of  claim 16:   wherein the second field stores information representative of the base types in respective bit fields associated with the corresponding logical identifiers,    wherein the base type is selected from one or more of the following: performer, primary artist, album, track, title, and genre, and    wherein each of the logical identifiers is mapped to one or more identifiers from a different domain of identifiers.    
   
   
       18 . The data structure of  claim 16  further comprising a third field containing physical identifiers, said physical identifiers each being representative of physical characteristics of one of the media files, said logical identifiers each being mapped to one or more of the physical identifiers.  
   
   
       19 . The data structure of  claim 16  wherein the logical identifiers are globally unique identifiers, and wherein at least a portion of the information relating to the content of the media files contained in the metadata records is provided by a third party data provider, said third party data provider using provider identifiers for identifying the information, and further comprising a fourth field containing provider identifiers, said logical identifiers being mapped to the provider identifiers.  
   
   
       20 . The data structure of  claim 19  wherein the fields define at least one of the following: 
 a mapping table, said mapping table having a schema containing a column for the logical identifiers, a column for the provider identifiers, and a column for the base types, and    an associations table, said associations table having a schema containing a column for the logical identifiers, a column for collection identifiers representative of a media collection, and a column for ordinal values representative of order within the media collection.