VIDEO SEARCHING ENGINE AND METHODS

• US 20080154889A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vquence Pty., Limited
• Original Assignee: Vquence Pty., Limited
• Inventors: PFEIFFER, Silvia
• Application Number:
  US11/961,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154889A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A video search system and method adapted to be queried by a user for accessing video data. The method comprising the steps of: providing an index containing a plurality of index data each indicative of one or more video data element accessible on a data network for defining a collection of the video data elements; receiving a user query from the user; matching the user query to one or more the index data defining a result set of index data; ranking the result set for defining a ranked result set of index data; generating a slicecast of video data elements indicative of the ranked result set; and presenting the slicecast to the user. A user interface adapted to present the slicecast of results preferably comprises a first current playlist video element area for playback of an extracted portion of a current playlist video item and a second list of playlist element area including a series of playlist videos for playback by a user.

Claims

1. A video search method adapted to be queried by a user for accessing video data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an index containing a plurality of index data each indicative of one or more video data element accessible on a data network for defining a collection of said video data elements;

(b) receiving a user query from said user;

(c) matching said user query to one or more said index data defining a result set of index data;

(d) ranking said result set for defining a ranked result set of index data;

(e) generating a slicecast of video data elements indicative of said ranked result set; and

(f) presenting said slicecast to said user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating a slicecast includes the steps of

(a) creating for each video data element a video snippet of a predetermined length;

(b) ordering said video snippets into a first predetermined order associated with said ranked result set; and

(c) combining said ordered video snippets to form a slicecast.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein presenting said slicecast includes providing an interactive interface that includes the steps of:

(d) displaying a first section for images indicative of a predetermined number of said video snippets in said first predetermined order;

(e) displaying a second section for playing in turn said snippets from each of said video data elements indicative of said ranked result set.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said video snippets are substantially 7 to 12 seconds long.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said videos snippets are displayed in a click-through format.

6. The method of claim 2, further including the step of providing a HTML insertable object having the rendering characteristics of

(a) displaying a first section for images indicative of a predetermined number of said video snippets in said first predetermined order;

and

(b) displaying a second section for playing in turn said snippets from each of said video data elements indicative of said ranked result set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein as said second section plays a current video snippet, said first section displays images indicative of said video snippets before and after said current video snippet in said first predetermined order.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said HTML insertable object includes said slicecast.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said slicecast is in an XML format.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said slicecast is pre-cached for presenting to said user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating said slicecast includes inserting one or more advertising video elements.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said videos elements further include advertisements in the form of at least one of icons, bugs, banner, audio or video advertisements.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing an index includes the steps of:

(a) providing an tag set;

(b) searching a video host site for video elements associated with tags in said tag set;

(c) indexing videos elements returned by said host site.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein further including the steps of:

(d) interrogating video elements returned by said host site to identify additional tags associated with said video elements;

(e) adding additional tags to said tag set; and

(f) repeating steps (a) through (c).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more advertising video elements are indexed.

16. A method of claim 1, wherein said ranking said result set includes ranking said video data based on any one or more indicator selected from the set comprising:

weighting the number of query terms that are included;

weighting the relative location of query terms that are included;

weighting the frequency of occurrence of query terms that are included; and

weighting the functional location of query terms that are included.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said index includes data indicative of any one or more videos and their metrics selected from the set comprising:

view count;

completeness count;

average view duration; and

click count.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said index includes data indicative of any one or more videos and their metrics elected from the set comprising:

multiplicity measurement;

volume measurement;

virality indicator;

spread rank;

geographical reach;

controversy indicator;

attractiveness indicator;

relevance rank; and

influence indicator.

19. A video search system adapted to be queried by a user for access to videos, the system comprising:

an index indicative of collected video elements;

a user interface associated with said index for providing keyword searching capabilities;

said user interface adapted to present a slicecast of results;

said user interface further comprising a first current playlist video element area for playback of an extracted portion of a current playlist video item and a second list of playlist element area including a series of playlist videos for playback by a user.

20. The video search system of claim 19, further comprising a crawler adapted to retrieve and index video elements located on a data network.

21. The video search system of claim 20, wherein said crawler is further adapted to iteratively retrieve data elements from a host site on said data network.

22. A computer-readable carrier medium carrying a set of instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to carry out a video search method adapted to be queried by a user for access to video data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an index containing a plurality of index data each indicative of one or more video data element accessible on a data network for defining a collection of video data elements;

(b) receiving a user query from said user;

(c) matching said user query to one or more said index data defining a result set of index data;

(d) ranking said result set for defining a ranked result set of index data;

(e) generating a slicecast of video data elements indicative of said ranked result set; and

(f) presenting said slicecast to said user.