Multimedia management system (mms)

Abstract

A multimedia management system (MMS) manages media acquisition, storage and retrieval, quickly retrieving relevant media records with minimal effort and may also provide controlled and/or restricted on-line access to media records. The reduction in effort to control, manage and access information rich media allows the use of media to become a more efficient and prolific means of general media documentation for intra- and inter-communication between entities such as businesses, government organizations, and institutions, as well as for individuals. Moreover, the system also provides media acquisition aids, acquisition device management aids and display aids that further improve the efficiency of accessing relevant media in a timely manner further reducing barriers to using digital media as a practical media documentation tool.

1 . A media management system, comprising:
 metadata tags identifying categories of media segmentation; and   a processor configured to:   receive a selection of one of the metadata tags store the selected metadata tag;   detect acquisition of media records;   assign the selected metadata tag to the media records; and   continue to assign the selected metadata tag to the media records until the selected metadata tag is deselected.   
     
     
         2 . The media management system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 display a required media list including a group of the metadata tags;   receive a first selection of one of the metadata tags in the required media list;   display an active indicator associated with the selected one of the metadata tags;   assign one of the metadata tags associated with the selected one of the metadata tags to the media records captured after receiving the first selection;   display a completed indicator after the media records are captured and assigned the metadata tag associated with the selected one of the metadata tags;   receive a second selection of an additional one of the metadata tags in the required media list;   display an active indicator associated with the additional one of the metadata tags;   assign one of the metadata tags associated with the additional one of the metadata tags to the media records captured after receiving the second selection; and   display a completed indicator after the media records are captured and assigned the metadata tag associated with the additional selected one of the metadata tags.   
     
     
         3 . The media management system of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 provide a list of optional media types for the selected one of the metadata tags in addition to a required media type; and   display an indicator showing which of the optional media types were acquired in addition to the required media type.   
     
     
         4 . The media management system of  claim 1 , wherein the metadata tags include:
 primary metadata tags identifying primary categories of media segmentation; and   secondary metadata tags identifying sub-categories of media segmentation, wherein the processor is further configured to receive inputs selectively linking the secondary metadata tags with the primary metadata tags and assign one of the primary metadata tags and linked secondary metadata tags to media records so the media records each have one assigned primary category and one or more associated assigned sub-categories.   
     
     
         5 . The media management system of  claim 4 , including third level metadata tags identifying lower level categories for the sub-categories in the secondary metadata tags. 
     
     
         6 . The media management system of  claim 1 , wherein the metadata tags have multiple tiers and the processor is further configured to prevent a user from selecting more than one metadata tag from each one of the multiple tiers. 
     
     
         7 . The media management system of  claim 1 , the processor is further configured to:
 associate pre-assigned storage locations with metadata lists of the metadata tags;   receive selection of one of the storage locations;   activate one of the metadata lists associated with the selected one of the storage locations; and   store the acquired media records in the selected one of the storage locations.   
     
     
         8 . The media management system of  claim 7 , the processor further configured to:
 receive selection of one of the metadata tags from the activated one of the metadata lists; and   assign the selected one of the metadata tags to the acquired media records.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to merge the assigned metadata tag with existing metadata assigned to the media records. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 sort by acquisition values the media records assigned the selected metadata tag, wherein at least some of the sorted media records include location information; and   assign the location information from one of the sorted media records with a newest or oldest one of the acquisition values to the selected metadata tag.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a current location from a device capturing the media records;   receive selection of a group of metadata tags to be sorted based on proximity to the current location;   for each one of the group of metadata tags, identify one of the media records assigned that one of the group of metadata tags with a location identifier closest to the current location;   assign the location identifier to that one of the group of metadata tags; and   sort the group of metadata tags based on proximity of the assigned location identifier to the current location.   
     
     
         12 - 34 . (canceled)