Method and apparatus for digital media management, retrieval, and collaboration

• US 20020194198A1
• Filed: 04/21/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ben Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Emotion, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Simonsen, Keith, Griffin, Robert, Flank, Sharon
• Granted Patent: US 7,177,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The software according to the invention incorporates a glossary management tool that makes it easy for each client to customize terminology to the needs of a particular business. With this tool, termed a glossary manager, a company can customize a number of feature names in the system to provide a more familiar context for their users. A system administrator can also customize the manner in which “thumbnail” or “preview” images are presented. The system performs clustering on search queries, and searches media records multi-modally, using two or more approaches such as image searching and text searching. An administrator can tune search parameters. Two or more streams of metadata may be aligned and correlated with a media file, facilitating later searching. The system evaluates itself. It folds popularity information into rankings of search results.

Claims

1. A method for use with a system storing myriad digital media files, the method comprising the steps of:

generating myriad first thumbnail images, each first thumbnail image corresponding to one of the digital media files, each first thumbnail image having lower resolution and smaller dimensions then the corresponding digital media file, each first thumbnail image having first dimensions;

displaying a subset of the first thumbnail images, the subset comprising more than one and less than all of the myriad first thumbnail images, the subset created as a result of input from a first user;

receiving a configuration command from a second user, the configuration command indicative of second dimensions differing from the first dimensions;

generating myriad second thumbnail images, each second thumbnail image corresponding to one of the digital media files, each second thumbnail image having lower resolution and smaller dimensions then the corresponding digital media file, each second thumbnail image having second dimensions;

displaying a subset of the second thumbnail images, the subset comprising more than one and less than all of the myriad second thumbnail images, the subset created as a result of input from a third user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and third users are the same user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and third users are different users.

4. A method for use with a system storing myriad digital media files, the method comprising the steps of:

generating myriad first thumbnail images, each first thumbnail image corresponding to one of the digital media files, each first thumbnail image having lower resolution and smaller dimensions then the corresponding digital media file, each first thumbnail image having first dimensions;

displaying a subset of the first thumbnail images, the subset comprising more than one and less than all of the myriad first thumbnail images, the subset created as a result of input from a first user;

a configuration command from a second user, the configuration command indicative of second resolution differing from the first resolution;

generating myriad second thumbnail images, each second thumbnail image corresponding to one of the digital media files, each second thumbnail image having lower resolution and smaller dimensions then the corresponding digital media file, each second thumbnail image having second resolution;

displaying a subset of the second thumbnail images, the subset comprising more than one and less than all of the myriad second thumbnail images, the subset created as a result of input from a third user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first and third users are the same user.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first and third users are different users.

7. A method for use with a system for managing digital media files, the method comprising the steps of:

using face recognition to recognize faces portrayed in the digital media files, yielding metadata with respect to the digital media files indicative of the recognized faces;

analyzing the metadata indicative of the recognized faces to detect duplicate files among the digital media files; and

displaying the duplicate files for a user.

8. A method for use with a system for managing digital media files, the method comprising the steps of:

using image recognition to recognize images portrayed in the digital media files, yielding metadata with respect to the digital media files indicative of the recognized images;

analyzing the metadata indicative of the recognized images to detect duplicate files among the digital media files; and

the duplicate files for a user.

9. A method for use with a system for managing digital media files, the method comprising the steps of:

using scene detection to detect scenes portrayed in the digital media files, yielding metadata with respect to the digital media files indicative of the detected scenes;

analyzing the metadata indicative of the detecting scenes to detect duplicate files among the digital media files; and

displaying the duplicate files for a user.