Patent ID: 8024356

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for tracking a processing of image data in a collaborative environment comprising: (a) obtaining a dependency graph comprising two or more nodes, wherein: (i) the two or more nodes comprise at least one source node for at least one input source clip of a sequence of images and at least one operator node for performing an operation on the at least one source node to produce at least one output clip; (ii) the dependency graph represents dependencies and processing performed on media content to produce the at least one output clip; and (iii) the dependency graph comprises a schematic view of a process tree, wherein an output clip of a source node and an operator node is the source for a subsequent node of the two or more nodes; (b) storing metadata for each node of the dependency graph in a relational database, wherein: (i) the relational database is accessible across a network to multiple users; and (ii) each node of the dependency graph is independently tracked by the relational database; and (c) utilizing the relational database to: (i) provide a collaborated controlled access, to the dependency graph, between two or more users; (ii) track a state of processing completion of each of the two or more nodes across the two or more collaborating users including tracking a state of processing completion of an operation on the at least one input source clip and tracking the identity of a user who is responsible for completing the operation on the at least one input source clip, wherein the state of processing completion and identity of the user are made available to all users participating in the collaborative environment; (iii) automatically and dynamically maintain and update links between at least two of the two or more nodes when any one of the nodes attached to said links has been modified.