Information management apparatus providing efficient management of multimedia titles in a client-server network

An information management apparatus comprising an information management server and a plurality of client terminals respectively connected for data interchange with said information management server, said information management server comprising:

• data storage means (2003) including
• file storage means (2301) for storing a plurality of sets of data tiles respectively expressing a plurality of multimedia titles, each of sets formed of a scenario file and a plurality of subject matter data files, and
• title management information storage means (2303) for storing title management information in the form of respective title management information entries for each of said multimedia titles, each of said title management information entries containing at least information which identifies a corresponding multimedia title;
• script processing means (2002) for executing script conversion of data prior to storage in said file storage means and script conversion of data which are read out of said file storage means;
• title processing means (2001) including
• title registration means (2101) for executing registration processing of a multimedia title in response to a request from one of said client terminals, received in conjunction with a scenario file for said multimedia title, and for and storing title management information relating to said multimedia title in said title management information storage means, said scenario file including respective names and storage location information for subject matter data files constituting said multimedia title,
• subject matter management means (2501) for receiving from said title registration means said storage location information contained in said scenario file received from said requesting client terminal, for supplying said storage location information to said script processing means for conversion of said storage location information to corresponding converted storage location information which is in a form compatible with said information management server, for then using said converted storage location information to acquire each of said subject matter data files of said multimedia title for which registration is requested, and for storing said subject matter data files in said file storage means at specific locations, for inserting into said received scenario file storage location information expressing said specific locations, to thereby obtain a converted scenario file, and storing said converted scenario file in said file storage means, and
• title acquisition and output means (2102) responsive to a request from one of said client terminals to acquire one of said multimedia titles for obtaining a scenario file corresponding to said multimedia title from said file storage means, supplying said scenario file to said script processing means, to be subjected to script conversion for converting said storage location information of the scenario file into a form which is compatible with said requesting client terminal, and supplying a resultant scenario file to said requesting client terminal;
• said script processing means (2002) comprising
• conversion procedure data storage means (2203) having stored therein data expressing a plurality of respectively different script conversion procedures,
• conversion procedure selection means (2201) controllable for selecting a specified one of said script conversion procedures stored in said conversion procedure data storage means, and
• script conversion means (2201) for determining an appropriate one of said script conversion procedures in accordance with an identity of a client terminal which is requesting execution of title registration processing or title acquisition processing, for controlling said conversion procedure selection means to acquire said appropriate script conversion procedure from said conversion procedure data storage means, and for executing script conversion by utilizing said script conversion procedure.

An information management apparatus comprising an information management server (3), at least one client terminal (1), and common data storage means (2), connected for mutual data communication,

• said common data storage means (2) comprising subject matter data storage means (201, 202, 203), temporary title data storage means (204) and title data storage means (205), said subject matter data storage means comprising a plurality of subject matter data storage means which are dedicated to storage of respectively different types of monomedia data,
• said client terminal comprising
• data input means (102) operable by a user for inputting data to be used in creating a multimedia title, said input data comprising a plurality of respectively different types of monomedia data,
• subject matter preparation means (103) operable by said user for arbitrarily modifying said input data to form respective sets of subject matter data for said multimedia title, said sets comprising a plurality of sets of said respectively different types of monomedia data, and for storing said sets as respective subject matter data files in respectively corresponding ones of said plurality of subject matter data storage means,
• authoring means (104) operable by said user for arbitrarily selecting respective ones of said stored subject matter data files and for generating scenario data which specify a succession of events constituting said multimedia title and relate said events to specific ones of said selected subject matter data files, and for storing said scenario data as a scenario file in said temporary data storage means,
• scenario analysis means (105) for obtaining said scenario file from said temporary title data storage means and analyzing said scenario file to obtain respective file names of said selected subject matter data files,
• memory means (107) having stored therein a predetermined subject matter data storage device list, said list specifying respective storage device information for said selected subject matter data files with respect to said subject matter data data storage means, said storage device information being expressed in a form which is compatible with a mode of expressing storage location information employed by said information management server,
• subject matter list generating means (106) for operating on said subject matter data storage device list and said file names or said selected subject matter data files to generate a subject matter list, said subject matter list expressing respective storage location information for each of said selected subject matter data files with respect to said subject matter data storage means, and for storing said subject matter list as a file in said temporary title data storage means,
• client terminal control means (101) for overall control of said input means, subject matter preparation means, authoring means, scenario analysis means and subject matter list generating means, and responsive to said storing of said subject matter list for sending data expressing a title registration request to said information management server, said title registration request including information identifying said subject matter list file;
• said information management server comprising
• title registration means (302) for reading out said scenario file from said temporary title data storage means, reading out said subject matter list from said temporary title data storage means and utilizing storage location information of said subject matter list to read out said selected subject matter data files for said subject matter data storage means, and storing said scenario file and selected subject matter data files in said title data storage means, and
• server control means (301) for receiving said title registration request and controlling said title registration means in accordance with contents of said title registration request.

An information management apparatus comprising an information management server (3), at least one client terminal (1), and common data storage means (2) connected for mutual data communication,

• said common data storage means (2) comprising subject matter data storage means (201, 202, 203), temporary title data storage means (204), and title data storage means (205), said subject matter data storage means comprising a plurality of subject matter data storage means which are dedicated to storage of respectively different types of monomedia data,
• said client terminal comprising
• data input means (102) operable by a user for inputting data to be used in creating a multimedia title, said input data comprising a plurality of respectively different types of monomedia data,
• subject matter preparation means (103) operable by said user for arbitrarily modifying said input data to form respective sets of subject matter data for said multimedia title, said sets comprising a plurality of sets of said respectively different types of monomedia data, and for storing said sets as respective subject matter data files in respectively corresponding ones of said plurality of subject matter data storage means,
• authoring means (104) operable by said user for arbitrarily selecting respective ones of said stored subject matter data files and for generating scenario data which specify a succession of events constituting said multimedia title and relate said events to specific ones of said selected subject matter data files, and for storing said scenario data as a scenario file in said temporary title data storage means,
• client terminal control means (101) for overall control of said input means, subject matter preparation means, authoring means, scenario analysis means and subject matter list generating means, and responsive to said storing of said subject matter list for sending data expressing a title registration request to said information management server, said title registration request including information identifying said subject matter list file;
• said information management server comprising
• scenario analysis means (304) for obtaining said scenario file from said temporary title data storage means and analyzing said scenario file to obtain respective file names of said selected subject matter data files,
• memory means (107) having stored therein a predetermined subject matter data storage device list, said list specifying respective storage device information for said selected subject matter data files with respect to said subject matter data data storage means, said storage device information being expressed in a form which is compatible with a mode of expressing storage location information employed by said information management server,
• subject matter list generating means (305) for operating on said subject matter date storage device list and said file names of said selected subject matter data files to generate a subject matter list, said subject matter list expressing respective storage location information for each of said selected subject matter data files with respect to said subject matter data storage means, and for storing said subject matter list as a file in said temporary title data storage means,
• title registration means (302) for reading out said scenario file from said temporary title data storage means, reading out said subject matter list from said temporary title data storage means and utilizing storage location information of said subject matter list to read out said selected subject ratter data files from said subject matter data storage means, and storing said scenario file and selected subject matter data files in said title data storage means, and
• server control means (301) for receiving said title registration request and controlling said title registration means in accordance with contents of said title registration request.