File wrapper containing cataloging information for content searching across multiple platforms
First Claim
1. A content-wrapper for binding searchable metadata to content files, the content-wrapper comprising:
- a content-file in an arbitrary computer-readable format;
a plurality of metadata tags describing content in the content-file, the metadata tags bound to the content-file by the content-wrapper within a single computer-readable file, the plurality of metadata tags containing textual information readable by search software; and
wherein the metadata tags are read by the search software but the content-file is not read by the search software,whereby the search software searches the metadata tags bound with the content-file having the arbitrary computer-readable format.
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Abstract
Arbitrary content-files on arbitrary computing platforms are enclosed by content-wrappers. The content-wrapper also binds searchable metadata that describes the content-files within the content-wrapper, as well as user-defined metadata. The metadata can include a title, author, date, and keywords that describe the content-file. The metadata provides searchable text for arbitrary content-files, including non-textual content-files such as graphics, audio, video, and multimedia content. Thus non-textual as well as textual data can be searched. The format of the original content-file is unimportant since the content-file is wholly embedded within the content-wrapper, or a reference (such as a URL) to the content is embedded within the content-wrapper. Content-wrappers can thus enclose any kind of file or even a data stream. Content-wrappers are designed for different computers and operating systems such as Microsoft-Windows-based PC'"'"'s, UNIX workstations, and Apple Macintosh computers. Since the searchable metadata resides with the content-files on distributed platforms, a centralized search database is not needed. Instead, a search is conducted by successively reading the searchable metadata in wrappers on each computer connected to a network. A mapping metadata tag is used to provide a broad category that groups together various local names for metadata tags with similar meaning. Different applications can use different local names for metadata, yet the mapping metadata tag allows these local names to be searched together as a single criteria.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A content-wrapper for binding searchable metadata to content files, the content-wrapper comprising:
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a content-file in an arbitrary computer-readable format; a plurality of metadata tags describing content in the content-file, the metadata tags bound to the content-file by the content-wrapper within a single computer-readable file, the plurality of metadata tags containing textual information readable by search software; and wherein the metadata tags are read by the search software but the content-file is not read by the search software, whereby the search software searches the metadata tags bound with the content-file having the arbitrary computer-readable format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer-implemented distributed-search method for searching content-wrappers distributed across a network, the computer-implemented distributed-search method comprising the steps of:
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(a) finding all package files on a first computer on the network, the package files containing content-wrappers; (b) reading search-index tags for each of the package files on the first computer, the search-index tags containing descriptive information that represent metadata tags, wherein content files are bound together with the metadata tags in a content-wrapper within the package; (c) comparing search terms to the metadata tags to determine if a match is found; (d) when a match is found, sending a confirmation that the match was found; and
repeating steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) for other computers on the network besides the first computer;whereby a centralized search database is not used by the distributed-search. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A searchable network comprising:
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a plurality of network nodes including Windows-based personal computers and UNIX workstations, the network nodes each having file storage for storing computer-readable files in a variety of formats; content-package files stored on the network nodes, each content-package file comprising; a content generated by an application program; a plurality of metadata tags describing contents of the content, each metadata tag comprising; a tag identifier indicating a category of the metadata tag; a localized name of the category for displaying to a user; a tag-mapping field indicating a broad category that includes the category of the metadata tag; a tag data field containing metadata search words describing the contents of the content; and search engines on the plurality of nodes, each search engine for performing a user search by reading the metadata tags on the plurality of network nodes, whereby searchable metadata is stored with the content distributed on the searchable network. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification