# US 8,150,892 B2 · Process and system for locating a media asset based on audit trail information incorporated into the asset itself > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,150,892 B2 - Document ID: US8150892B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/082,277 - Filed: 2011-04-07 - Published: 2011-07-28 - Granted: 2012-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 2003-08-12 - Assignees: AOL Inc. - Inventors: Vidur Apparao; John Bandhauer; Christopher Waterson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8150892B2 ## CPC - G06F 16/284: {Relational databases} - G06F 16/21: Design, administration or maintenance of databases - G06F 16/27: Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor - G06F 16/48: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually - Y10S 707/99945: Object-oriented database structure processing - Y10S 707/99948: Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract An enhanced metadata structure and associated process is provided which captures and stores metadata gathered about the source and usage of a media asset or file. The source and usage metadata is integrated, such as by encoding within the enhanced media file, as the media asset is transferred and used. The integrated metadata accumulates, as a trail of source information and usage information in the enhanced media asset, and can be extracted upon arrival at a target computer system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process, comprising the steps of: performing a search of audit trail information associated with a media asset, wherein the media asset is sequentially transferred from a first source node of a plurality of nodes to at least one recipient node of the plurality of nodes, wherein the audit trail information is cumulatively integrated within the media asset at the source node and at each of the recipient nodes that act as subsequent source nodes to transfer the media asset to a subsequent recipient node, wherein the audit trail information comprises any of source information or usage information, wherein the source information comprises information regarding each of the respective source nodes, wherein the usage is associated with respective users at any of the source node or recipient nodes where usage occurs, and wherein the usage comprises any of a processing of the media asset, a modification of the media asset, or an addition of information to the media asset; and locating the media asset, based upon the search. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of: extracting the audit trail information from the located media asset. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the extraction step comprises any of selective extraction, or secure extraction with a password. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the search is performed at one of the plurality of nodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein at least one of the nodes comprises any of a terminal, a computer, a portable computer, a portable digital assistant, a wired device, or a wireless device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the media asset comprises any of image content, video content, text content, sound content, page layout content, pixel-based content, vector-based content, animation content, data content, or multimedia content. ### Claim 7 A process, comprising the steps of: performing a search of audit trail information associated with a media asset, wherein the media asset is sequentially transferred from a first source node of a plurality of nodes to at least one recipient node of the plurality of nodes, wherein the audit trail information is cumulatively integrated within the media asset at the source node and at each of the recipient nodes that act as subsequent source nodes to transfer the media asset to a subsequent recipient node, wherein the audit trail information comprises any of source information or usage information, wherein the source information comprises information regarding each of the respective source nodes, wherein the usage is associated with respective users at any of the source node or recipient nodes where usage occurs, and wherein the usage comprises any of a processing of the media asset, a modification of the media asset, or an addition of information to the media asset; locating the media asset, based upon the search; and displaying the audit trail information of the located media asset. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the displayed audit trail information is displayed at any of a periphery of a media asset window associated with the located media asset, or as an information overlay that appears at any point in a display of the located media asset. ### Claim 9 A system, comprising: a terminal having a respective user associated therewith, wherein the terminal comprises a processor programmed to perform a search of audit trail information associated with a media asset, wherein the media asset is sequentially transferred from a first source node of a plurality of nodes to at least one recipient node of the plurality of nodes, wherein the audit trail information is cumulatively integrated within the media asset at the source node and at each of the recipient nodes that act as subsequent source nodes to transfer the media asset to a subsequent recipient node, wherein the audit trail information comprises any of source information or usage information, wherein the source information comprises information regarding each of the respective source nodes, and wherein the usage is associated with respective users at any of the source node or recipient nodes where usage occurs, wherein the usage comprises any of a processing of the media asset, a modification of the media asset, or an addition of information to the media asset; and means for locating the media asset, based upon the search. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed to extract the audit trail information from the located media asset. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the extraction comprises any of selective extraction, or secure extraction with a password. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the terminal comprises one of the plurality of nodes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the nodes comprises any of a computer, a portable computer, a portable digital assistant, a wired device, or a wireless device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the media asset comprises any of image content, video content, text content, sound content, page layout content, pixel-based content, vector-based content, animation content, data content, or multimedia content. ### Claim 15 A system, comprising: a terminal having a respective user associated therewith, wherein the terminal comprises a processor programmed to perform a search of audit trail information associated with a media asset, wherein the media asset is sequentially transferred from a first source node of a plurality of nodes to at least one recipient node of the plurality of nodes, wherein the audit trail information is cumulatively integrated within the media asset at the source node and at each of the recipient nodes that act as subsequent source nodes to transfer the media asset to a subsequent recipient node, wherein the audit trail information comprises any of source information or usage information, wherein the source information comprises information regarding each of the respective source nodes, and wherein the usage is associated with respective users at any of the source node or recipient nodes where usage occurs, wherein the usage comprises any of a processing of the media asset, a modification of the media asset, or an addition of information to the media asset; and means for locating the media asset, based upon the search; wherein the processor is programmed to display the audit trail information of the located media asset. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the displayed audit trail information is displayed at any of a periphery of a media asset window associated with the located media asset, or as an information overlay that appears at any point in a display of the located media asset. ### Claim 17 A system, comprising: a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes comprising a processor associated therewith for processing a media asset, each of the plurality of nodes having a respective user associated therewith; means for sequentially transferring a media asset from a first source node of the plurality of nodes to at least one recipient node of the plurality of nodes, wherein the processors are programmed to cumulatively integrate audit trail information within the media asset at the source node and at each of the recipient nodes that act as subsequent source nodes to transfer the media asset to a subsequent recipient node, wherein the audit trail information comprises any of source information or usage information, wherein the source information comprises information regarding each of the respective source nodes, and wherein the usage is associated with respective users at any of the source node or recipient nodes where usage occurs, wherein the usage comprises any of a processing of the media asset, a modification of the media asset, or an addition of information to the media asset; means for performing a search of the audit trail information; and means for locating the media asset, based upon the search. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising: means for extracting the audit trail information from the located media asset. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes comprises the means for performing the search. ### Claim 20 A system, comprising: a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes comprising a processor associated therewith for processing a media asset, each of the plurality of nodes having a respective user associated therewith; means for sequentially transferring a media asset from a first source node of the plurality of nodes to at least one recipient node of the plurality of nodes, wherein the processors are programmed to cumulatively integrate audit trail information within the media asset at the source node and at each of the recipient nodes that act as subsequent source nodes to transfer the media asset to a subsequent recipient node, wherein the audit trail information comprises any of source information or usage information, wherein the source information comprises information regarding each of the respective source nodes, and wherein the usage is associated with respective users at any of the source node or recipient nodes where usage occurs, wherein the usage comprises any of a processing of the media asset, a modification of the media asset, or an addition of information to the media asset; means for performing a search of the audit trail information; means for locating the media asset, based upon the search; and means for displaying the audit trail information of the located media asset.