Classification of media files based on symbols
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for storing and selecting media files, such as digital images, video clips or music files, on the basis of symbols (S). The symbols comprise an identifier (11, 422) and visual data (428, 438, 448). For each media file (400) there is association data (402) for associating user-selected symbols (420, 430, 440) with the media file. The association data (402) comprises an identifier (404) of the media file and an identifier (408-412) of each associated symbol. For example, a photograph of a camel family in the New York zoo can be associated with the symbols for camel (420), family (430) and New York (440). The invention simplifies media file classification and retrieval in portable user devices without a full alphanumeric keyboard. The user may obtain more symbols from an external source, such as a dedicated symbol server.
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Citations
90 Claims
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1-45. -45. (canceled)
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46. A method for storing one of a plurality of media files with an apparatus operable to store media files, the method comprising:
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storing in the apparatus a plurality of symbols, wherein each symbol comprises at least a symbol identifier, and visual data;
displaying visual data of at least a subset of the symbols to a user;
receiving an indication of a user-selected symbol;
creating association data indicating association of the user-selected symbol with the media file;
repeating at least the two previous steps until termination by the user; and
transferring to the apparatus one or more symbols in response to a user act. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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47. A method for selecting media files with an apparatus operable to store media files, the method comprising:
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storing in said apparatus a plurality of media files and a plurality of symbols, wherein each symbol comprises at least a symbol identifier and visual data;
creating an association of each of the plurality of media files with one or more symbol identifiers;
receiving a user selection of symbols, wherein the reception of the user selection comprises;
(a) presenting the visual data of a symbol to the user;
(b) in response to the user selecting the symbol, adding the symbol identifier of the symbol to a set of query parameters;
(c) repeating the two previous steps until termination by the user;
forming a query on the basis of the set of query parameters;
querying the plurality of media files for media files that match the query; and
transferring to the apparatus one or more symbols in response to a user act. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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58. An apparatus for storing media files, the apparatus comprising:
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a media file memory area for storing a plurality of media files;
a symbol memory area for storing a plurality of symbols, wherein each symbol comprises at least a symbol identifier and visual data;
a user interface for symbol selection by a user, the user interface comprising;
(a) a display for presenting the contents and/or identifier of a media file and the visual data of at least a subset of the plurality of symbols;
(d) a cursor control for user navigation among the presented visual data and for receiving an indication of one or more user-selected symbols;
a software routine and association data for associating the presented media file with the identifier of each user-selected symbol; and
means for transferring to the apparatus one or more symbols in response to a user act. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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59. An apparatus for retrieving one or more media files, the apparatus comprising:
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a media file memory area for storing a plurality of media files;
a symbol memory area for storing a plurality of symbols, wherein each symbol comprises at least a symbol identifier, and visual data;
an association data for associating each of the plurality of media files with one or more symbol identifiers;
a user interface for symbol selection by a user, the user interface comprising;
(a) a display for presenting the visual data of at least a subset of the plurality of symbols;
(d) a cursor control for user navigation among the presented visual data and for receiving an indication of one or more user-selected symbols;
a software routine for querying the association data for media files that are associated with the symbol identifiers that correspond to the user-selected symbols; and
means for transferring to the apparatus one or more symbols in response to a user act.
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76. A symbol server for sending one or more symbols to a terminal for storing media files, the symbol server comprising:
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a symbol data base for storing a plurality of symbols, wherein each symbol comprises at least a symbol identifier and visual data;
means for receiving a symbol request from the terminal; and
means for sending one or more symbols that match the symbol request to the terminal. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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- 85. A symbol data set for indicating classification of one or more media files, the symbol data set comprising a plurality of symbols, each symbol comprising at least a symbol identifier, a plaintext description and visual data.
Specification