METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ARCHIVING AND RETRIEVING ITEMS BASED ON EPISODIC MEMORY OF GROUPS OF PEOPLE

• US 20090183091A1
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 6S Incorporated
• Original Assignee: 6S Incorporated
• Inventors: SHARPE, Elizabeth, FRASER, John Leslie
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/761
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information

Abstract

A method and system are provided for archiving and retrieving digital media items based on episodic memory for predefined associated groups of one or more people. The method and system may comprise identifying one or more groups to which an archiving user belongs; receiving a user input identifying select groups to which a digital media item to be archived; receiving archiving input data identifying the digital media item to be archived for the group; generating index information using the received user archiving input; storing the index information in association with the identified digital media item; repeating the reception of archiving input data, the generation of the index information and the storing of the index information for the digital media item; receiving retrieval input data representing a selection of candidate values; and using the selections and the identified group to retrieve and output digital media items that match the selection.

Claims

1. A method of managing media items in a media retrieval system, comprising:

when a user opens a new session with the retrieval system, authenticating the user as a member of a pre-registered group,

importing media items from the user,

determining whether the media items have been tagged with valid selections of persons associated with the group, event types associated with the group or dates,

for each media item that has been tagged, storing the respective media item in an archive associated with the group, the archiving protecting the media item against subsequent deletion,

for each media item that has not been tagged, storing the respective media item in a temporary workspace associated with the group, the temporary workspace storing the respective media item for a predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising if, before the predetermined period of time elapses, a group member tags a media item in the temporary workspace with a valid selection of persons associated with the group, event types associated with the group or dates, moving the respective media item from the temporary workspace to the archive, wherein the moved item is protected against subsequent deletion.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting untagged media items from the temporary workspace after the predetermined period of time elapses.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon request of a user to copy a media item from a storage space of a first group to a storage space of a second group:

identifying a group member that uploaded the respective media item to the system,

if the user is the group member, copying the media item from the storage space of the first group to the storage space of the second group, and

if the user is not the group member, rejecting the request.

5. A method of browsing media items in a media retrieval system, comprising:

when a user opens a new session with the retrieval system, authenticating the user as a member of a pre-registered group,

identifying media items stored by the system associated with the group and uploaded to the system within a recent period of time of a predetermined duration,

presenting the identified media items to a user in a first display interface, and

responsive to user command identifying a valid user selection of;

persons associated with the group, event types associated with the group or dates, presenting other media items that match the user selection in a playback mode presented via a second display interface.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, if multiple identified media items are stored with tags identifying a common event type associated with the group, the first display interface includes an album icon representing the event type.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, if multiple identified media items are identifying as being uploaded by a common group member, the first display interface includes an icon representing the multiple media items as a group.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second display interface presents multiple media items in sequence and includes a command interface through which a user can add a post, an auxiliary media item to a currently-presented media item.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing a text item as the auxiliary media item in association with the currently-presented media item.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing an audio file as the auxiliary media item in association with the currently-presented media item.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing an image file as the auxiliary media item in association with the currently-presented media item.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the second display interface presents multiple media items in sequence and includes a command interface through which a user can cause display of a post, an auxiliary media item associated with a currently-presented media item.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the second display interface includes a command interface through which a user can command the system to present media items in order by a date tag.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the second display interface includes a command interface through which a user can command the system to present media items that have not been presented to the user previously.