Framework for corrrelating content on a local network with information on an external network

• US 20080235393A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Messer, Alan, Kunjithapatham, Anugeetha, Rathod, Priyang, Sheshagiri, Mithun, Nguyen, Phuong
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A correlation system and method implement a framework for correlating content available from a local network with information on an external network. The system identifies information related to content available on the local network of interest to the user and also identifies one or more external sources that contain such related information. Then the system extracts data related to the identified information from the external sources, and determines correlations between the identified information and the data extracted from the external network.

Claims

1. A method of correlating data on a local network with data from one or more external sources, comprising the steps of:

providing an information gatherer for identifying information related to content available on the local network, of interest to the user, and identifying one or more external sources that contain such related information;

providing an extractor for extracting data related to said identified information from the external sources; and

providing a correlator for determining correlations between the identified information and the data extracted from the external network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting said correlations to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying information related to content available on the local network, of interest to the user further includes identifying information of interest to the user based on a query submitted by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying information related to content available on the local network, of interest to the user further includes determining content currently or previously accessed by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying information related to content available on the local network, of interest to the user further includes identifying context information related to the content of interest to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining correlations further includes finding data in the extracted data that is most relevant to said identified information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein extracting data related to said identified information from the external sources further includes:

gathering context information related to the identified information of interest to the user;

using the context information and said identified information to construct a query;

constructing a plan to resolve the query; and

executing the plan to extract data related to said identified information from the external sources.

8. The method of claim 7 further including determining additional correlations between the identified information and extracted data based on the context information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the local network comprises a home network including consumer electronic devices.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the external sources comprise the Internet.

11. A correlation system for correlating data in a local network with data in one ore more external sources, comprising:

a contextual information gatherer that is configured to identify information related to content available on the local network of interest to the user;

a data extractor that is configured to extract data related to said identified information from the external sources; and

a correlation module in a device in the network, that is configured to determine correlations between the identified information and the data extracted from the external network.

12. The correlation system of claim 11 further comprising a user interface that is configured to present the correlations to the user.

13. The correlation system of claim 11 wherein the contextual information gatherer is further configured to identify information of interest to the user based on a query submitted by the user.

14. The correlation system of claim 11 wherein the contextual information gatherer is further configured to identify information of interest to the user based on content currently or previously accessed by the user.

15. The correlation system of claim 11 further comprising:

a query execution planner that is configured to form a query based on the identified information, wherein the data extractor is further configured to extract data related to said identified information from the external sources based on the query.

16. The correlation system of claim 11 wherein the correlation module is further configured to determine correlations by finding data in the extracted data that is most relevant to said identified information.

17. The correlation system of claim 15 wherein:

the contextual information gatherer is further configured to gather further context information related to the identified information of interest to the user; and

the query execution planner is further configured to form a query based on the context information and said identified information, and construct a plan to resolve the query.

18. The correlation system of claim 17 further comprising a plan executor that is configured to execute the plan by controlling the data extractor to extract data related to said identified information from the external sources.

19. The correlation system of claim 18 wherein the correlation module further comprises a correlation constructor that is configured to analyze the extracted data to find correlations between the extracted data and the identified information and the context information.

20. The correlation system of claim 19 wherein the plan identifies Internet sources and the data extractor is further configured to extract data from the identified Internet sources.

21. The correlation system of claim 11 wherein the local network comprises a home network including consumer electronic devices.

22. The correlation system of claim 11 wherein the external sources comprise the Internet.

23. A consumer electronics device capable of being connected to a local network, comprising:

a contextual information gatherer that is configured to identify information related to content available on the local network of interest to the user;

a data extractor that is configured to extract data related to said identified information from the external sources; and

a correlation module that is configured to determine correlations between the identified information and the data extracted from the external network.

24. The consumer electronics device of claim 23 further comprising a user interface that is configured to present the correlations to the user.

25. The consumer electronics device of claim 23 wherein the contextual information gatherer is further configured to identify information of interest to the user based on a query submitted by the user.

26. The consumer electronics device of claim 23 wherein the contextual information gatherer is further configured to identify information of interest to the user based on content currently or previously accessed by the user.

27. The consumer electronics device of claim 23 wherein the correlation module includes a query execution planner that is configured to form a query based on the identified information, wherein the data extractor is further configured to extract data related to said identified information from the external sources based on the query.

28. The consumer electronics device of claim 23 wherein the correlation module is further configured to determine correlations by finding data in the extracted data that is most relevant to said identified information.

29. The consumer electronics device of claim 27 wherein:

the contextual information gatherer is further configured to gather further context information related to the identified information of interest to the user; and

the query execution planner is further configured to form a query based on the context information and said identified information, and construct a plan to resolve the query.

30. The consumer electronics device of claim 29 further comprising a plan executor that is configured to execute the plan by controlling the data extractor to extract a related to said identified information from the external sources.

31. The consumer electronics device of claim 30 wherein the correlation module further comprises a correlation constructor that is configured to analyze the extracted data to find correlations between the extracted data and the identified information and the context information.

32. The consumer electronics device of claim 31 wherein the plan identifies Internet sources and the data extractor is further configured to extract data from the identified Internet sources.

33. The consumer electronics device of claim 23 wherein the local network comprises a home network including consumer electronic devices.

34. The consumer electronics device of claim 23 wherein the external sources comprise the Internet.