Method and apparatus for digital media management, retrieval, and collaboration
First Claim
1. A method for use with a system storing digital media records, the system comprising a search engine the operation of which is defined by a plurality of stored parameters, the stored parameters defining, for the search engine, an extent to which the search engine expands search terms, the system communicatively coupled to an internet and providing a hypertext transfer protocol server interface to the internet, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving from a first user, via a hypertext transfer protocol client session, a change to one of the parameters;
storing the change to the one of the stored parameters;
from a second user, via a hypertext transfer protocol client session, a search request;
passing the search request to the search engine;
performing, by the search engine, a search determined by the search request and determined by the stored parameters, and deriving search results therefrom;
reporting the search results to the second user.
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Accused Products
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.
85 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for use with a system storing digital media records, the system comprising a search engine the operation of which is defined by a plurality of stored parameters, the stored parameters defining, for the search engine, an extent to which the search engine expands search terms, the system communicatively coupled to an internet and providing a hypertext transfer protocol server interface to the internet, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving from a first user, via a hypertext transfer protocol client session, a change to one of the parameters;
storing the change to the one of the stored parameters;
from a second user, via a hypertext transfer protocol client session, a search request;
passing the search request to the search engine;
performing, by the search engine, a search determined by the search request and determined by the stored parameters, and deriving search results therefrom;
reporting the search results to the second user.
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2. A method for use with a system storing digital media records, the system comprising a search engine searching said digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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displaying all or part of a first digital media record to a user;
receiving, from the user, first information indicative of a selection of less than all of the displayed portion of the first digital media record;
receiving, from the user, second information indicative of text;
performing, by the search engine, a search of the digital media records with respect to the first information and the second information, and deriving search results therefrom; and
displaying the search results to the user. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for use with a system storing digital media records and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records;
the first search results;
receiving, from the first users, information indicative of subsequent actions by the first users selecting particular ones of the selected digital media records;
receiving a second search request from a second user;
performing, by the search engine, a search based upon the second search request, yielding respective second search results, the second search results defining second selected digital media records;
ranking the second selected digital media records downward for at least one second selected digital media record that was selected by at least one first user.
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8. A method for use with a system storing digital media records and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records;
logging the first search results;
receiving, from the first users, information indicative of subsequent actions by the first users selecting particular ones of the selected digital media records;
receiving a second search request from a second user;
performing, by the search engine, a search based upon the second search request, yielding respective second search results, the second search results defining second selected digital media records;
ranking the second selected digital media records downward for at least one second selected digital media record that was selected by at least a predetermined number of first users.
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9. A method for use with a system storing digital media records and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records logging the first search results;
receiving, from the first users, information indicative of subsequent actions by the first users selecting particular ones of the selected digital media records;
receiving a second search request from a second user;
performing, by the search engine, a search based upon the second search request, yielding respective second search results, the second search results defining second selected digital media records;
ranking the second selected digital media records downward for at least one second selected digital media record that was selected at least a predetermined number of times by first users.
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10. A method for use with a system storing digital media records and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records;
displaying said first selected digital media records presented in an order, said order defining a first-presented first selected digital media record;
logging the event of a first user purchasing said first-presented first selected digital media record;
reporting, to a second user, the frequency of occurrence of the logged events.
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11. A method for use with a system storing digital media records for purchase and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records;
displaying said first selected digital media records presented in an order, said order defining a first-presented first selected digital media record;
logging the event of a first user issuing several consecutive search requests, and receiving respective first selected digital media requests greater in number than a predetermined threshold for said several consecutive search requests;
to a second user, the frequency of occurrence of the logged events. - View Dependent Claims (12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20)
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13. A method for use with a system storing digital media records and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records;
logging the first search results;
receiving, from the first users, information indicative of subsequent actions by the first users expressing interest in particular ones of the selected digital media records;
receiving a second search request from a second user;
performing, by the search engine, a search based upon the second search request, yielding respective second search results, the second search results defining second selected digital media records;
ranking the second selected digital media records upward for at least one second selected digital media record that was for which at least one first user expressed interest.
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17. A method for use with a system storing digital media records and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records;
logging the first search results;
receiving, from the first users, information indicative of subsequent actions by the first users expressing interest in particular ones of the selected digital media records;
receiving a second search request from a second user;
performing, by the search engine, a search based upon the second search request, yielding respective second search results, the second search results defining second selected digital media records;
ranking the second selected digital media records upward for at least one second selected digital media record that was for which at least a predetermined number of first users expressed interest.
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21. A method for use with a system storing digital media records and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records;
logging the first search results;
receiving, from the first users, information indicative of subsequent actions by the first users expressing interest in particular ones of the selected digital media records;
receiving a second search request from a second user;
performing, by the search engine, a search based upon the second search request, yielding respective second search results, the second search results defining second selected digital media records;
ranking the second selected digital media records upward for at least one second selected digital media record for which first users expressed interest at least a predetermined number of times. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for use with a system storing digital media records and comprising a search engine searching said stored digital media records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving first search requests from a plurality of first users;
performing, by the search engine, searches based upon the first search requests, yielding respective first search results, each first search result defining first selected digital media records;
logging the first search results;
receiving, from the first users, information indicative of subsequent actions by the first users expressing interest in particular ones of the selected digital media records;
receiving a second search request from a second user;
performing, by the search engine, a search based upon the second search request, yielding respective second search results, the second search results defining second selected digital media records;
the second selected digital media records upward for at least one second selected digital media record for which expression of interest satisfies a predetermined threshold, wherein expression of interest comprises a weighted function of two or more of the following events;
the user placing the selected digital media record into an online shopping cart, the user purchasing rights to use the selected digital media record, and the user placing the selected digital media record into an online projects folder or other work space.
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Specification