Method and apparatus for automatic detection of data types for data type dependent processing

• US 20050015402A1
• Filed: 12/14/2002
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Horentrup, Jobst, Adolph, Dirk, Winter, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• 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

A method for automatic detection of data types for data type dependent processing has two orthogonal classification systems defined, and determines for incoming data items a data type according to the first classification system and another data type according to the second classification system. The first classification system comprises the data types Essence (E), Metadata (M) and Container (C). The second classification system comprises the data types Physical Data (PD) and Abstract Data (AD). A default data type may be defined for data items not being uniquely classifiable. Advantageously, the inventive method can be used when different classes of data items require different methods for processing, e.g. content searching.

Claims

1. Method for automatic detection of data types for data type dependent processing by a technical device, characterized in comprising the steps of:

a) receiving data of different data types,

b) analyzing said received data,

c) detecting the format of the received data,

d) using said detected format for evaluating whether said data contain

at least one machine-interpretable link and associated data,

any other data except data of said first type, or

a mixture of said machine-interpretable link and associated data with said other data,

e) evaluating whether said technical device is able to interpret said data for reproducing a physical representation of said data, and

f) supplying the result of said first evaluation and the result of said second evaluation to a device or process for data type dependent processing of said data.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein for data being interpretable by said technical device is also indicated whether the format type of said data is one of a number of specified format types.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein for data being not interpretable by said technical device is also indicated if it is text.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein said technical device is a data sorting device, a database management system or a data content browser.

5. Apparatus for automatic detection of data types for data type dependent processing according to claim 1.

6. Method for automatic detection of data types as to categorize data according to said data types, comprising the steps of:

receiving data;

determining if said received data is a container data type;

determining said received data is at least one of a metadata data type and essence data type, when said received data is not determined to be of said container data type; and

determining said received data is at least one of physical data type and abstract data type, after said step of determining whether said received data is metadata data type and essence data type.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein said received data is determined to be said container data type when a portion of data selected from said received data has been previously determined being said metadata data type.

8. Method according to claim 6, wherein said container data type comports to an HTML compatible data format.

9. Method according to claim 6, wherein said received data is determined to be said metadata data type when said data comprises a link with an essence related to said link.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein said received data is determined to be said essence data type instead of said metadata data type.

11. Method according to claim 6, wherein said received data is determined to be said physical data type when said received data is capable of being of being interpreted by a device implementing said method.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein said received data is determined to be abstract data type instead of said physical data type.

13. Method according to claim 11, wherein said interpretation by said device is displaying said received data as a picture.