Multimedia database for use over networks
First Claim
1. A database using text and multimedia, the database containing at least one image with salient information represented therein, comprising:
- a) a query processing module for transforming user queries into search transformations that are usable in both searching and indexing information in the database;
b) an attentional selection module for extracting the salient information represented in the at least one image contained within the multimedia database, said attentional selection module automatically inferring the salient information represented in the at least one image;
c) a declarative memory, communicating with said attentional selection module, for categorizing, organizing, and recording the salient information extracted from the at least one image by said attentional selection module;
d) an indexer, communicating with both said query processing module and said declarative memory, for using the search transformations from said query processing module to search said declarative memory for an answer to a user query wherein answers to said queries are conveyed back to a user who can confirm to what extent said answer is relevant to said user'"'"'s query and a newly formed representation is conveyed back to said declarative memory and combined with existing representations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a multimedia database for use in distributed network environments. A query processing module transforms user queries into search transformations that can be used for indexing; an attentional selection module records salient information represented in images by a hierarchy of feature maps, saliency maps and combined saliency maps; a declarative memory comprises active modules that update the representations acquired over time for the same images, as well as across images, to cluster, categorize and organize information extracted from different images by the attentional selection module; and an indexing mechanism utilizes the search transformations from the query processing module to search the declarative memory for an answer to a user query. The multimedia database is used in distributed network environments wherein a server can select and coordinate information flow between multiple database sites and user sites, provide effective multimedia representation, create indexes on multimedia content of said database sites to derive a set of target multimedia database sites and, enable database queries descriptions and final search results to be conveyed to a user, records information needed for database selection, generates useful query patterns based on memorization of responses patterns from various databases based on user queries, and directs interactive dialogue between a user and multimedia databases.
355 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A database using text and multimedia, the database containing at least one image with salient information represented therein, comprising:
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a) a query processing module for transforming user queries into search transformations that are usable in both searching and indexing information in the database; b) an attentional selection module for extracting the salient information represented in the at least one image contained within the multimedia database, said attentional selection module automatically inferring the salient information represented in the at least one image; c) a declarative memory, communicating with said attentional selection module, for categorizing, organizing, and recording the salient information extracted from the at least one image by said attentional selection module; d) an indexer, communicating with both said query processing module and said declarative memory, for using the search transformations from said query processing module to search said declarative memory for an answer to a user query wherein answers to said queries are conveyed back to a user who can confirm to what extent said answer is relevant to said user'"'"'s query and a newly formed representation is conveyed back to said declarative memory and combined with existing representations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for use with a database containing at least one image with salient information represented therein and including a declarative memory, comprising:
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a) transforming user queries into search transformations that are usable in both searching and indexing information in the database; b) extracting the salient information from the at least one image, said extracting including automatically inferring the salient information represented in the at least one image; c) categorizing, organizing and recording the extracted salient information for the declarative memory; and d) using the search transformations to search the declarative memory for an answer to a user query wherein answers to said queries are conveyed back to a user who can confirm to what extent said answer is relevant to said user'"'"'s query. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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Specification