TEXTUAL QUERY BASED MULTIMEDIA RETRIEVAL SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method of searching a first database of multimedia files, the method comprising:
- (i) receiving from a user data specifying at least one textual term;
(ii) using the textual term to search a second database of multimedia files, each multimedia file in the second database being associated with respective text, said search identifying a first set of multimedia files in the second database for which the respective text is related to the textual term and said second database being different from said first database;
(iii) constructing a first multimedia file classifier engine using the first set of multimedia files; and
(iv) searching the first database of multimedia files using the first multimedia file classifier engine, thereby identifying one or more multimedia files in the first database related to the textual term;
wherein the method further includes at least once performing the steps of;
(a) receiving from a user relevance data which specifies, for each of a second set of one or more multimedia files in the first database, an indication of whether the second set of multimedia files are respectively related to the textual term; and
(b) using the relevance data to modify the first multimedia file classifier engine to form a modified classifier engine, and repeating said step (iv) using the modified classifier engine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are proposed for identifying multimedia files in a first database which are related to a textual term specified by a user. The textual term is used to search a second database of multimedia files, each of which is associated with a portion of text. The “second database” is usually composed of files from the databases of a very large number of servers connected via the internet. The multimedia files identified in the search are ones for which the corresponding associated text is relevant to the textual term. The identified multimedia files are used to generate a classifier engine. The classifier engine is then applied to the first database of multimedia files, thereby retrieving multimedia files in the first database which are relevant to the textual term. The user can optionally specify whether the retrieved multimedia files are relevant or not, and this permits a feedback process to improve the classifier engine.
38 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of searching a first database of multimedia files, the method comprising:
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(i) receiving from a user data specifying at least one textual term; (ii) using the textual term to search a second database of multimedia files, each multimedia file in the second database being associated with respective text, said search identifying a first set of multimedia files in the second database for which the respective text is related to the textual term and said second database being different from said first database; (iii) constructing a first multimedia file classifier engine using the first set of multimedia files; and (iv) searching the first database of multimedia files using the first multimedia file classifier engine, thereby identifying one or more multimedia files in the first database related to the textual term; wherein the method further includes at least once performing the steps of; (a) receiving from a user relevance data which specifies, for each of a second set of one or more multimedia files in the first database, an indication of whether the second set of multimedia files are respectively related to the textual term; and (b) using the relevance data to modify the first multimedia file classifier engine to form a modified classifier engine, and repeating said step (iv) using the modified classifier engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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9. (canceled)
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14. A computer apparatus having a processor and a memory, the memory storing program instructions operative, when implemented by the processor, to cause the processor to search a first database of multimedia files, by:
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(i) receiving from a user data specifying at least one textual term; (ii) using the textual term to search a second database of multimedia files, each multimedia file in the second database being associated with respective text, said search identifying a first set of multimedia files in the second database for which the respective text is related to the textual term and said second database being different from said first database; (iii) constructing a first multimedia file classifier engine using the first set of multimedia files; (iv) searching the first database of multimedia files using the first multimedia file classifier engine, thereby identifying one or more multimedia files in the first database related to the textual term; and at least once performing the steps of; (a) receiving from a user relevance data which specifies, for each of a second set of one or more multimedia files in the first database, an indication of whether the second set of multimedia files are respectively related to the textual term; and (b) using the relevance data to modify the first multimedia file classifier engine to form a modified classifier engine, and repeating said step (iv) using the modified classifier engine.
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15. A recording medium, such as a tangible recording medium, storing program instructions operative to cause a processor performing the instructions to search a first database of multimedia files, by:
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(i) receiving from a user data specifying at least one textual term; (ii) using the textual term to search a second database of multimedia files, each multimedia file in the second database being associated with respective text, said search identifying a first set of multimedia files in the second database for which the respective text is related to the textual term and said second database being different from said first database; (iii) constructing a first multimedia file classifier engine using the first set of multimedia files; (iv) searching the first database of multimedia files using the first multimedia file classifier engine, thereby identifying one or more multimedia files in the first database related to the textual term; and at least once performing the steps of; (a) receiving from a user relevance data which specifies, for each of a second set of one or more multimedia files in the first database, an indication of whether the second set of multimedia files are respectively related to the textual term; and (b) using the relevance data to modify the first multimedia file classifier engine to form a modified classifier engine, and repeating said step (iv) using the modified classifier engine.
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Specification