Metadata triggered notification for content searching

• US 20070067290A1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VL Collective IP, LLC (VideoLabs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Makela, Kaj
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location

Abstract

A method is provided for browsing a plurality of objects in search of one or more objects of interest, wherein a notification is triggered when a user focuses on, or otherwise activates or selects, an object having certain pre-defined metadata characteristics. A user device capable of enabling the user to search the plurality of objects using such a method is also provided, and a system and computer program product for searching a plurality of objects for one or more objects of interest are further provided.

Claims

1. A method of searching a plurality of objects for one or more objects of interest using a user device, said method comprising:

providing one or more metadata watch rules, said rules defining one or more metadata characteristics of the objects of interest;

receiving a selection of an object from the plurality of objects, said object having metadata associated with it;

applying the metadata watch rules to the object selected; and

triggering a notification where the metadata associated with the object selected matches at least one of the one or more metadata characteristics defined by the metadata watch rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects comprise a plurality of media objects, and wherein the object selected comprises a media object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a mobile device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of media objects is stored on the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects is accessible by the user device via a communications network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing one or more metadata watch rules comprises creating the metadata watch rules based on information provided by a user associated with the user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing one or more metadata watch rules comprises automatically creating the metadata watch rules based on contextual information related to the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the metadata watch rules to the object selected comprises:

reading the metadata associated with the object selected; and

comparing the metadata associated with the object selected to the one or more metadata characteristics defined by the metadata watch rules.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

displaying a representation of respective media objects of the plurality on a display screen of the user device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the selection of the media object comprises placing a cursor of the user device on top of or in close proximity to the representation of the media object on the display screen.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the selection of the media object comprises touching the display screen in the vicinity or on top of the representation of the media object using a pointer associated with the user device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving a selection of an object comprises receiving a message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein reading the metadata associated with the object selected comprises reading metadata indicating a sender of the message.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving a selection of an object comprises receiving an incoming phone call.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein reading the metadata associated with the object selected comprises reading metadata indicating a caller associated with the incoming phone call.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a selection of an object comprises scanning a unique identifier corresponding with the object.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a selection of an object comprises using a radio frequency (RF) scanner associated with the user device to find an RF transmitter in the object.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a selection of an object comprises using a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader associated with the user device to read an RFID tag in the object.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

permitting definition of the notification to be triggered.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is selected from a group consisting of a sound, a text message, a graphic, a vibration, a voice message, an audio clip, a video clip and a multimedia presentation.

21. A user device capable of being used to search a plurality of objects for one or more objects of interest, said user device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing one or more metadata watch rules defining one or more metadata characteristics of the objects of interest, said memory further storing an application executable by the processor, wherein the application is capable, upon execution, of applying the metadata watch rules to a selected object, and of triggering a notification where metadata associated with the selected object matches at least one of the one or more metadata characteristics defined by the metadata watch rules.

22. The user device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of objects comprises a plurality of media objects, and wherein the selected object comprises a selected media object.

23. The user device of claim 21, wherein the application is further capable, upon execution, of enabling the one or more metadata watch rules to be defined.

24. The user device of claim 21, wherein the application is further capable, upon execution, of automatically creating the one or more metadata watch rules based on contextual information related to the user device.

25. The user device of claim 21, wherein the application is further capable, upon execution, of enabling selection of the object.

26. The user device of claim 25 further comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) scanner, wherein enabling selection of the object comprises enabling use of the RF scanner to find an RF transmitter in the object.

27. The user device of claim 25 further comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, wherein enabling selection of the object comprises enabling use of the RFID reader to read an RFID tag in the object.

28. The user device of claim 25 further comprising a display screen, wherein the plurality of objects comprises a plurality of media objects and the selected object comprises a media object, and wherein enabling selection of a media object comprises displaying a representation of respective media objects of the plurality on the display screen, said representations capable of being selected by a user of the user device.

29. The user device of claim 21, wherein applying the metadata watch rules to the object selected comprises reading the metadata associated with the selected object and comparing the metadata read to the one or more metadata characteristics defined by the one or more metadata watch rules.

30. The user device of claim 21, wherein the application is further capable, upon execution, of enabling definition of the notification to be triggered.

31. The user device of claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects is stored in a database accessible by the user device.

32. The user device of claim 22, wherein the memory further stores at least one of the plurality of media objects.

33. A system for searching a plurality of objects for one or more objects of interest, said system comprising:

means for providing one or more metadata watch rules, said rules defining one or more metadata characteristics of the objects of interest;

means for enabling selection of an object from the plurality of objects, said object having metadata associated with it;

means for applying the metadata watch rules to the object selected; and

means for triggering a notification where the metadata associated with the object selected matches at least one of the one or more metadata characteristics defined by the metadata watch rules.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the plurality of objects comprises a plurality of media objects, and wherein the object selected comprises a media object.

35. The system of claim 33 further comprising:

means for storing the one or more metadata watch rules.

36. The system of claim 34 further comprising:

means for displaying a representation of respective media objects of the plurality to the user, wherein enabling selection of a media object comprises enabling selection of a representation of the media object.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for applying the metadata watch rules further comprises:

means for reading the metadata associated with the object selected; and

means for comparing the metadata read to the one or more metadata characteristics defined by the one or more metadata watch rules.

38. A computer program product for searching a plurality of objects for one or more objects of interest, wherein the computer program product comprises at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for providing one or more metadata watch rules, said rules defining one or more metadata characteristics of the objects of interest;

a second executable portion for enabling selection of an object from the plurality of objects, said object having metadata associated with it;

a third executable portion for applying the metadata watch rules to the object selected; and

a fourth executable portion for triggering a notification where the metadata associated with the object selected matches at least one of the one or more metadata characteristics defined by the metadata watch rules.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the plurality of objects comprises a plurality of media objects, and wherein the object selected comprises a media object0.

40. The computer program product of claim 39 further comprising:

a fifth executable portion for displaying a representation of respective media objects, wherein enabling the selection of a media object comprises enabling selection of a representation of the media object.

41. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein applying the metadata watch rules comprises reading the metadata associated with the object selected, and comparing the metadata read to the one or more metadata characteristics defined by the one or more metadata watch rules.

42. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the notification triggered is selected from a group consisting of a sound, a text message, a graphic, a vibration, a voice message, an audio clip, a video clip and a multimedia presentation.