METHOD, SYSTEM AND CONTROLLER FOR SEARCHING A DATABASE

• US 20120143857A1
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Someones Group Intellectual Property Holdings Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Someones Group Intellectual Property Holdings Pty Limited
• Inventors: Gronow, Brett James, Deverell, Keith David, Pak, Jonathan David, Bates, Christopher Glendon, Wolf, David Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

A database searching system, method and controller is provided for interactively searching a database of data items in a descriptor space with a user, comprising a display for viewing by the user; a position selector for manipulation and activation by the user; a reference set selector for selecting a reference set (64a-64d) of two or more data items; a reference set coordinate obtainer for obtaining descriptor coordinates for each of the reference data items; a search results identifier for identifying a search results set of data items in the database which are close to or between one or more members of the reference set in the descriptor space; and a search results display controller for displaying the search results set on the display so that closeness on the display between particular data items is generally indicative of closeness in the descriptor space.

Claims

1. A method of searching, with a user via a user interface, a database containing data items in a descriptor space, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a reference set of two or more reference data items;

obtaining descriptor coordinates for each of the reference data items;

identifying a search results set of data items in the database which are close to or between one or more members of the reference set in the descriptor space; and

displaying the search results set of data items on the display so that closeness on the display between particular data items is indicative of closeness in the descriptor space.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the reference set of two or more data items with the search results set of data items on the display.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of enabling the user to select one or more of the reference data items by the user dragging data items to one of a set of corresponding reference locations.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting one or more of the reference data items automatically from the database.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of using a random element for automatically selecting the one or more reference data items.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of creating a display pane when displaying the search results set and the reference set on the display.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of creating a display pane when displaying the search results set and the reference set on the display;

and wherein the corresponding reference locations are at edges or corners of the display pane.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of organizing the search results set data items and the reference set of two or more data items for display so that a position of each data item on the display reflects the position of the data item in the descriptor space.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

using a defined grid of corresponding locations for display of the reference data items and the search results set of data items; and

wherein the step of identifying a search set data item comprises the steps of;

computing a weight for each reference data item as a function of relative distance on the display between each of the corresponding locations for display of each of the reference data items and the each of the corresponding locations for display of each data item in the search results set of data items;

using the weight to compute a target position in the descriptor space as a weighted average of the descriptor coordinates of each reference data item; and

identifying the search set data item as closest in the database to the target position.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the function for computing the weight for each reference data item is the same for each reference data item and is the inverse square of the relative distance.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference data items and the search results set of data items comprise digital media.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the digital media comprise images.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the digital media comprise audio media.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the user to select from outside the database one or more of the reference data items.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a restriction criterion from the user; and

restricting the search results set to data items that satisfy or are close to the restriction criterion.

19. Computer program code which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement the method of searching of claim 1.

20. A computer readable medium comprising the computer program code of claim 19.

16. A database searching system for interactively searching a database of data items in a descriptor space with a user, the database searching system comprising:

a display for viewing by the user;

a position selector for manipulation and activation by the user;

a reference set selector for selecting a reference set of two or more data items;

a reference set coordinate obtainer for obtaining descriptor coordinates for each of the reference data items;

a search results identifier for identifying a search results set of data items in the database which are close to or between one or more members of the reference set in the descriptor space; and

a search results display controller for displaying the search results set on the display so that closeness on the display between particular data items is generally indicative of closeness in the descriptor space.

18. A image searching system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a processor executing code stored in memory wherein at least one of the reference set selector, reference set display controller, reference set coordinate obtainer, search results identifier and search results display controller is implemented at least in part, by said processor executing said code stored in a memory.

17. A database searching controller for interactively searching a database of data items in a descriptor space with a user viewing a display and having a position selector for manipulation and activation, the database searching controller comprising:

a reference set selector for selecting a reference set of two or more data items;

a reference set coordinate obtainer for obtaining descriptor coordinates in a descriptor space for each of the reference data items;

a search results identifier for identifying a search results set of data items in the database which are close to or between one or more members of the reference set in the descriptor space; and

a search results display controller for displaying the search results set on the display so that closeness on the display between particular data items is indicative of closeness in the descriptor space.

21. (canceled)