Domain specific search engine

• US 20040199491A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bhatt, Nikhil
• Application Number:
  US10/461,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199491A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/61 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

The invention described herein is directed to a search engine configured to locate data within a defined domain. The user may input keywords and graphically select one or more attributes for conducting a search. The system then utilizes the keywords and other attributes and classification terms to define one or more search domains (e.g., dimensions). The keywords are tightly associated with an index that represents data within the search domain. For instance, one embodiment of the invention utilizes metadata to build an index that associates a set of files (e.g., audio files) with a number of distinct classifications expressed in the form of the exposed set of keywords. To this end, the method involves a mechanism for defining and collecting metadata.

Claims

1. A method for locating sound files comprising:

specifying a directory having a plurality of sound files;

parsing each of said plurality of sound files to extract tag information;

generating one or more words and word pairs from said tag information;

generating one or more keywords from said one or more words and word pairs, wherein said keywords are utilized to build an index associating each one of said plurality of sound files with said keywords; and

providing said one or more keywords to a user for use as query in searching for a desired sound file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said directory is a network path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said directory is the World-Wide-Web.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said directory is a computer storage media.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said each of said plurality of sound files has tag information appended to an audio content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said each of said plurality of sound files has an associated tag information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said tag information comprises property tags.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said tag information comprises search tags.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said tag information comprises descriptors.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said searching for a desired sound file produces a second plurality of sound files.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of said second plurality of sound files is within a predefined number of semitones of said project.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating one or more keywords comprises running said one or more words and word pairs through a translation process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said translation process comprises equating said one or more words and word pairs with at least one keyword.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said equating comprises a translation table lookup.

15. An apparatus for locating sound files on a computer system comprising:

a first graphical user interface on a computer system for specifying a directory having a plurality of sound files;

an indexer on said computer system parsing each of said plurality of sound files to extract tag information, said indexer generating one or more words and word pairs from said tag information;

a translator associated with said indexer for generating one or more keywords from said one or more words and word pairs; and

said indexer providing said one or more keywords at a second graphical user interface for use as query in searching for a desired sound file for a project.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said directory is a network path.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said directory is the World-Wide-Web.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said directory is a computer storage media.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said each of said plurality of sound files has tag information appended to an audio content.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said each of said plurality of sound files has an associated tag information.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said tag information comprises property tags.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said tag information comprises search tags.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said tag information comprises descriptors.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said searching for a desired sound file produces a second plurality of sound files.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of said second plurality of sound files is within a predefined number of semitones of said project.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said generating one or more keywords comprises said translator running said one or more words and word pairs through a translation process.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said translation process comprises equating said one or more words and word pairs with at least one keyword.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said equating comprises a translation table lookup.