METHOD OF SEARCHING ACROSS MEDIA AND SOURCE TYPES

• US 20020059163A1
• Filed: 07/15/1999
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spotware Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spotware Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: SMITH, KIM C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

A method, system, signal, user interface, and software for searching information across different media types and sources is disclosed. The method includes identifying a search criteria and subsequently searching for information across one or more media types or sources based upon the search criteria. The search may also be conducted giving regard to user interaction information such as most recently viewed, most frequently viewed, preferences, etc. The media information may be stored locally or remotely and is presented to a user using a single user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

inputting a search criteria; and

searching at least one database of content information based upon the search criteria wherein the content information corresponds to information from a plurality of content sources of one or more types.

2. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the database further includes like associations to the content information based upon like criteria.

3. The method, as recited in claim 2, wherein the like associations are preprocessed.

4. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the content information further includes user interaction information.

5. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the database includes at least one local database.

6. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the database includes at least one remote database.

7. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the database further includes like associations for same content source types.

8. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the database includes like associations for all content source types.

9. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the search criteria is independent of content source and type.

10. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the searching further includes filtering search results based upon the content source availability.

11. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the searching further includes filtering search results based upon the content information availability.

13. The system, as defined in claim 12, wherein said user interface further includes a display configured to display a cursor and a cursor control device configured to control said cursor displayed on said display for inputting the search criteria.

14. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the database further includes like associations to the content information based upon like criteria.

15. The system, as recited in claim 14, wherein the like associations are preprocessed.

16. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the content information further includes user interaction information.

17. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the database includes at least one local database.

18. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the database includes at least one remote database.

19. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the database further includes like associations for same content source types.

20. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the database includes like associations for all content source types.

21. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the search criteria is independent of content source and type.

22. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the searching further includes filtering search results based upon the content source availability.

23. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein the searching further includes filtering search results based upon the content information availability.

25. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the database further includes like associations to the content information based upon like criteria.

26. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 25, wherein the like associations are preprocessed.

27. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the content information further includes user interaction information.

28. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the database includes at least one local database.

29. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the database includes at least one remote database.

30. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the database further includes like associations for same content source types.

31. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the database includes like a associations for all content source types.

32. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the search criteria is independent of content source and type.

33. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the searching further includes filtering search results based upon the content source availability.

34. The computer readable medium, as recited in claim 24, wherein the searching further includes filtering search results based upon the content information availability.

12. A system using media information comprising:

at least one processor;

memory operably coupled to said processor; and

a user interface configured to input a search criteria and search at least one database of content information based upon the search criteria wherein the content information corresponds to information from a plurality of content sources of one or more types.

24. A computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions, the program of instructions implementing a method comprising the steps of:

inputting a search criteria; and

searching at least one database of content information based upon the search criteria wherein the content information corresponds to information from a plurality of content sources of one or more types.