Media indexing beacon and capture device

• US 20040015467A1
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Fano, Andrew E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A system and method for indexing media files includes capturing a subject in a media file with a media capture device.. The media capture device also receives index information from a media indexing beacon, wherein the index information is related to the subject in the media file. The system and method associates the index information with the media file. The media file may then be provided to a media storage device containing other media files having index information associated therewith, whereupon the media files are searchable based on the index information and pertinent media files may be retrieved.

Claims

1. A method for media indexing comprising:

capturing a subject in a media file;

automatically receiving index information from an external source related to the subject; and

associating the index information with the media file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of associating the index information with the media file further comprises:

encoding the index information into the media file.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the media file and the index information to a media file storage device which comprises a plurality of stored media files having index information associated therewith; and

storing the media file along with the plurality of stored media files;

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the media file storage device stores the media file and index information, the method further comprising at least one of the following:

searching the plurality of stored media files using the index information and enabling a commercial system with the plurality of stored media files using the index information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the index information, prior to being associated with the media file, is transmitted from a media indexing beacon.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of receiving the index information is in response to an index information request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the index information comprises at least one of the following:

a time indicator, a landmark indicator, an event indicator, a global positioning system indicator, commercial information, a universal resource locator, and a proximity indicator.

8. A method for media indexing comprising:

storing index information relating to a subject; and

transmitting the index information relating to the subject to a media capture device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

prior to transmitting the index information to the media capture device,

receiving an index information request which is generated by the media capture device.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the media capture device receives the index information and associates the index information with a media file.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the index information is wirelessly transmitted to the media capture device.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the index information comprises at least one of the following:

a time indicator, a landmark indicator, an event indicator, a global positioning system indicator, commercial information, a universal resource locator and a proximity indicator.

13. A method for media indexing comprising:

capturing a subject in a media file with a media capture device;

providing index information from a media indexing beacon to the media capture device, wherein the index information relates to the subject in the media file; and

associating the index information with the media file.

14. The method of claim 13, prior to providing index information from the media indexing beacon, further comprising

detecting a user input to capture the media file;

and

providing an index information request to the media indexing beacon.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing the media file having the index information associated therewith to a media file storage device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the media file storage device comprises a plurality of stored media files having index information associated therewith, the method further comprising:

searching the plurality of stored media files using the index information.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the index information comprises at least one of the following:

a time indicator, a landmark indicator, an event indicator, a global positioning system indicator, commercial information, a universal resource locator and a proximity indicator.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the index information enables a media file to be utilized by at least one commercial system, wherein the at least one commercial system comprises at least one of the following:

a workflow system, a procurement system, a retail sales system, and a safety inspection/auditing system.

19. A media capture and indexing system comprising:

a media indexing beacon which generates a beacon signal containing index information relating to a subject; and

a media capture device that captures the subject in a media file and receives the beacon signal from the beacon and associates the index information with the media file.

20. The media capture and indexing system of claim 19 wherein the media capture device captures a plurality of media files each having index information associated therewith, the system further comprising:

a media file storage device that receives the plurality of media files, wherein the plurality of media files may be indexed based on the index information.

21. The media capture and indexing system of claim 19 wherein the media indexing beacon further comprises:

at least one index buffer comprising the index information; and

a transmitter operably coupled to the at least one index buffer, wherein the transmitter provides the index information to the media capture device.

22. The media capture and indexing system of claim 21 wherein the media indexing beacon further comprises a receiver that receives an index information request from the media capture device, wherein the transmitter transmits the index information in response to the index information request.

23. The media capture and indexing system of claim 19 wherein the media capture device further comprises:

a media input module which generates the media file in response to a media file generation request;

a processor operably coupled to the media input module to receive the media file; and

an index information receiver operably coupled to the processor, wherein the index information receiver receives the beacon signal and provides the index information to the processor, wherein the processor associates the index information with the media file.

24. The media capture and indexing system of claim 23 wherein the index information receiver further contains a transmitter that transmits an index information request to the media indexing beacon.

25. An apparatus for media indexing comprising:

means for storing index information relating to a subject means for transmitting a beacon signal wherein the beacon signal comprises index information relating to the subject.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising

a media capture device that captures the subject in a media fie, wherein the media capture device receives the index information from the beacon signal and associates the index information with the media file.

27. An apparatus for media indexing comprising:

means for capturing a subject in a media file;

means for receiving index information related to the subject; and

means for associating the index information with the media file.

28. The apparatus for media indexing of claim 27 further comprising:

a media indexing beacon that provides a media indexing beacon containing the index information to the means for receiving.

29. A computer readable medium having stored thereon:

a media file of a subject; and

index information, associated with the media file, wherein the media file and index information are stored on the medium at substantially the same time.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein the media file is captured by a media capture device.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein the index information is transmitted by a media indexing beacon.