Integrating and enhancing searching of media content and biometric databases

• US 20040243567A1
• Filed: 03/03/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/436 using biological or physiological data of a human being, e.g. blood pressure, facial expression, gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• 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 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The digital era is creating problems with identity and content theft. The solutions require searching different databases containing similar data. The novel method demonstrates how to search these different databases for similar information via TransMetaWarp routers and/or databases. Embodiments provide different balances of security and privacy issues, such as search-only TransMetaWarp routers and master TransMetaWarp databases. The system is applicable to biometrics for identity cards, such as drivers'"'"' licenses, as well as metadata, such as content title, creator information, and tour information, or content identification for entertainment content.

Claims

1. A router method that transforms search criteria to search one or more different databases for similar data, the method comprising:

receiving a search request including search criteria from a requesting user;

converting the search criteria into one or more different search criteria for corresponding different databases such that formats of the different search criteria are compatible with the different databases to which the different search criteria are submitted;

submitting the different search criteria to the corresponding databases that generate search results in the different databases, the search results being forwarding to the requesting user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the different databases have different database protocols.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the different databases have different database formats.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the different databases have different classification schemes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the different databases have different data formats.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the search criteria comprises a biometric template.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the biometric template comprises a fingerprint template.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the biometric template comprises a face recognition template.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said results include a digital image of an ID card.

10. The method of claim 9 where said ID card is driver license.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said results include a DL number.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the search request comprises a search for entertainment content metadata.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the results are transformed to appropriate form for the requesting user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein some of the results are not returned to the requesting user due to a security restriction associated with the requesting user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the security restriction comprises a security clearance level of the requesting user.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the results are routed through a requesting database.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the security restriction comprises a security classification of a requesting database.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the router includes a database that automatically and periodically saves content transformed to a master database format.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein conversion includes a mathematical transformation of the search criteria.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein conversion includes perceptual metadata warping.

21. A medium on which is stored instructions for performing a router method that transforms search criteria to search one or more different databases for similar data, the method comprising:

receiving a search request including search criteria from a requesting user;

converting the search criteria into one or more different search criteria for corresponding different databases such that formats of the different search criteria are compatible with the different databases to which the different search criteria are submitted;

submitting the different search criteria to the corresponding databases that generate search results in the different databases, the search results being forwarding to the requesting user.