Commercial shape search engine

• US 20060036577A1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NextPat Limited
• Original Assignee: NextPat Limited
• Inventors: Agabra, David S., McKinley, William D., Knighton, Mark S., DeLaurentis, Peter J., Moyer, Todd C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Embodiments including a system for searching through a database using two or three dimensional data or data derived from the two three dimensional data. The database may be populated by searching a network environment to compile two dimensional image or three dimensional model data. A search for two or three dimensional data may be utilized to determine related advertisements that may be shown on a results page in connection with the search results. A database being searched may contain pricing data related to products that are associated with two or three dimensional data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accepting a specification via a distributed network;

using a search process that refers to data that is at least in part three dimensional digital content to find information related to the specification; and

identifying advertising data relating to at least one of the specification and the information found by the search process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the three dimensional digital content includes information relating to an image of a surface of a subject of the content.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing previously recorded information relating to a user specifying the search; and

modifying at least one of the search process and the specification using the previously recorded information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the advertising comprises at least one of a promotional graphic that appears concurrently with the search result, a promotional text that appears concurrently with the search result, a link to promotional information that appears concurrently with the search result, a link to promotional information inserted into the search result, and a promotional email to a user specifying the search.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein using the search process comprises at least one of:

a comparing the specification to an index;

scoring the similarity of the specification to entries in a database;

creating a list of search results based on the scoring; and

sorting search results according to relevancy.

6. A method comprising:

accepting a specification via a distributed network, the specification including at least one of three dimensional digital content and data that is automatically derived from three-dimensional digital content;

using a search process to find information related to the specification; and

identifying advertising data relating to at least one of the specification and the information found by the search process.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the three dimensional digital content includes information relating to an image of a surface of a subject of the content.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

accessing previously recorded information relating to a user specifying the search; and

modifying at least one of the search process or the specification using the previously recorded information.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the advertising comprises at least one of a promotional graphic that appears concurrently with the search result, a promotional text that appears concurrently with the search result, a link to promotional information that appears concurrently with the search result, a link to promotional information inserted into the search result, and a promotional email to a user specifying the search.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein using the search process comprises at least one of:

comparing the specification to an index;

scoring the similarity of the specification to entries in a database;

creating a list of search results based on the scoring; and

sorting search results according to relevancy

9. A method comprising:

accepting a specification via a distributed network;

using a search process that refers to data that is at least in part digital graphical image to find information related to the specification; and

identifying advertising data relating to at least one of the specification and the information found by the search process.

12. A method comprising:

accepting a specification via a distributed network, the specification including at least one of a digital graphical image and data that is automatically derived from a digital graphical image;

using a search process to find information related to the specification; and

identifying advertising data relating to at least one of the specification and the information found by the search process.

13. A method comprising:

accepting a specification via a distributed network, the specification including at least one of three dimensional digital content and data that is automatically derived from three dimensional digital content;

using a search process to find information related to the specification; and

providing search results including pricing data for each entry in the search results.

14. A method comprising:

accepting a specification via a distributed network, the specification including at least one of a digital graphical image and data that is automatically derived from a digital graphical image;

using a search process to find information related to the specification; and

providing search results including pricing data for each entry in the search results.

15. A method comprising:

receiving data over a distributed network, the data including at least one of a two dimensional raster image and information automatically derived from the two dimensional raster image; and

defining a search specification based on the received data; and

conducting a search using the search specification.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein conducting a search comprises:

comparing the search specification to a plurality of aspects of a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) digital models; and

selecting a 3D digital model as a search result if comparison of the specification with an aspect achieves a match within a confidence interval.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein defining comprises:

identifying a target in the two dimensional raster image data; and

masking data that is not part of the target.

18. A method comprising:

receiving data over a distributed network, the data including at least one of a two dimensional digital photographic image and information automatically derived from the two dimensional digital photographic image; and

defining a search specification based on the received data; and

conducting a search using the search specification.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein conducting a search comprises:

comparing the search specification to a plurality of aspects of a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) digital models; and

selecting a 3D digital model as a search result if comparison of the specification with an aspect achieves a match within a confidence interval.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein defining comprises:

identifying a target in the two dimensional digital photographic image data; and

masking data that is not part of the target.

21. A method comprising:

providing a user interface to permit public access over the internet to allow a user to submit a search specification and view search results;

accepting the search specification, the specification including at least one of three dimensional digital content and data that is automatically derived from three-dimensional digital content; and

using a search process to find photographic image data related to the specification.

22. A method comprising:

identifying a node on a distributed network containing an unmapped data;

accessing the node to identify within the unmapped data a three dimensional digital content (3D content);

analyzing the 3D content to extract attributes of interest;

creating a record of the attributes together with a link to the node;

storing the record on a resource connected to the distributed network; and

organizing the record within a plurality of records based on the attributes to facilitate searching the plurality of records.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein organizing comprises:

indexing the records.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the 3D content includes information relating to an image of a surface of a subject of the content.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein indexing comprises:

identifying a number of links to the node and ranking the node at least in part based on the number of links.