Technique for ranking multimedia annotations of interest

• US 6,173,287 B1
• Filed: 03/11/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eureka Database Solutions, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Eberman, Brian S., Kovalcin, David E., Dufaux, Frederic, Sokolov, Michael, de Vries, Arjen Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAVAN, THU THAO
• Application Number:
  US09/037,957
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/102, 707/530, 707/4, 707/512, 709/205, 709/217, 709/236, 364/926, 364/927, 704/8, 345/507, 345/331
• US Class Current: 715/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7343 Query language or query format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/914 Video
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/961 Associative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A technique for accessing an item of interest within a particular one of a plurality of stored representations of data is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by having a processing device searching a plurality of stored annotations corresponding to different items within the plurality of stored representations to locate an annotation of interest corresponding to the item of interest. The annotation of interest has an associated search identifier and an associated location identifier corresponding to a location of interest within the particular one of the plurality of stored representations. The processing device then searches a plurality of stored search identifiers associated with the plurality of stored annotations to locate the search identifier and an address identifier corresponding to a location of the particular one of the plurality of stored representations within the plurality of stored representations. The processing device then accesses the item of interest at the location of interest using the address identifier and the location identifier.

Claims

1. A method for accessing an item of interest within a particular one of a plurality of stored representations of data, the method comprising the steps of:

searching a plurality of stored annotations corresponding to different items within the plurality of stored representations of data to locate an annotation of interest corresponding to the item of interest, the annotation of interest having an associated data identifier and an associated location identifier, the associated data identifier corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data, the associated location identifier corresponding to a location of interest within the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data;

searching a plurality of stored data identifiers associated with the plurality of stored annotations to locate the associated data identifier and an associated address identifier, the associated address identifier corresponding to an address of the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data within the plurality of stored representations of data; and

accessing the item of interest at the location of interest using the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the item of interest is one of a plurality of items within the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data; and

the item of interest is accessed without first accessing another of the plurality of items.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the associated data identifier is identified in conjunction with the locating of the annotation of interest.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the associated location identifier is identified in conjunction with the locating of the annotation of interest.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the annotation of interest is stored within the plurality of stored annotations; and

the associated data identifier is stored with the annotation of interest.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein;

the annotation of interest is stored within the plurality of stored annotations; and

the associated location identifier is stored with the annotation of interest.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the associated location identifier is identified in conjunction with the locating of the associated data identifier.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the associated data identifier is stored within the plurality of stored data identifiers; and

the associated location identifier is stored with the associated data identifier.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the associated data identifier is stored within the plurality of stored data identifiers; and

the associated address identifier is stored with the associated data identifier.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is media data.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the associated data identifier is an object identifier, and the stored data identifiers are stored object identifiers.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of stored annotations are stored in a first database; and

the plurality of stored data identifiers are stored in a second database.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the stored representations of data are stored in a third database.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first, the second and the third databases are different databases.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

the first database includes the associated data identifier; and

the second database includes the associated address identifier.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

the first database further includes the associated location identifier.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

the second database further includes the associated location identifier.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

combining the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier to generate a combined identifier, wherein using the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier to access the item of interest at the location of interest includes using the combined identifier.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the combined identifier is in an extended URL format.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the item of interest is one of a plurality of items within the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data; and

the third processor accesses the item of interest without first accessing another of the plurality of items.

20. An apparatus for accessing an item of interest within a particular one of a plurality of stored representations of data, the apparatus comprising:

a first processor for searching a plurality of stored annotations corresponding to different items within the plurality of stored representations of data to locate an annotation of interest corresponding to the item of interest, the annotation of interest having an associated data identifier and an associated location identifier, the associated data identifier corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data, the associated location identifier corresponding to a location of interest within the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data;

a second processor for searching a plurality of stored data identifiers associated with the plurality of stored annotations to locate the associated data identifier and an associated address identifier, the associated address identifier corresponding to an address of the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data within the plurality of stored representations of data; and

a third processor for accessing the item of interest at the location of interest using the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the first processor identifies the associated data identifier in conjunction with the locating of the annotation of interest.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the first processor identifies the associated location identifier in conjunction with the locating of the annotation of interest.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

the annotation of interest is stored within the plurality of stored annotations; and

the associated data identifier is stored with the annotation of interest.

25. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

the annotation of interest is stored within the plurality of stored annotations; and

the associated location identifier is stored with the annotation of interest.

26. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the second processor identifies the associated location identifier in conjunction with the locating of the associated data identifier.

27. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

the associated data identifier is stored within the plurality of stored data identifiers; and

the associated location identifier is stored with the associated data identifier.

28. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

the associated data identifier is stored within the plurality of stored data identifiers; and

the associated address identifier is stored with the associated data identifier.

29. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the data is media data.

30. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the associated data identifier is an object identifier, and the stored data identifiers are stored object identifiers.

31. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

the plurality of stored annotations are stored in a first database; and

the plurality of stored data identifiers are stored in a second database.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the stored representations of data are stored in a third database.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the first, the second and the third databases are different databases.

34. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

the first database includes the associated data identifier; and

the second database includes the associated address identifier.

35. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

the first database further includes the associated location identifier.

36. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein:

the second database further includes the associated location identifier.

37. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a combiner for combining the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier to generate a combined identifier, wherein using the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier to access the item of interest at the location of interest includes using the combined identifier.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the combined identifier is in an extended URL format.

39. An article of manufacture for accessing an item of interest within a particular one of a plurality of stored representations of data, the article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

computer programming stored on the storage medium;

wherein the stored computer programming is configured to be readable from the computer readable storage medium by a computer and thereby cause the computer to operate so as to;

search a plurality of stored annotations corresponding to different items within the plurality of stored representations of data to locate an annotation of interest corresponding to the item of interest, the annotation of interest having an associated data identifier and an associated location identifier, the associated data identifier corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data, the associated location identifier corresponding to a location of interest within the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data;

search a plurality of stored data identifiers associated with the plurality of stored annotations to locate the associated data identifier and an associated address identifier corresponding to an address of the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data within the plurality of stored representations of data; and

access the item of interest at the location of interest using the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier.

40. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, wherein:

the item of interest is one of a plurality of items within the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data; and

further causing the computer to operate so as to access the item of interest without first accessing another of the plurality of items.

41. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to identify the associated data identifier in conjunction with the locating of the annotation of interest.

42. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to identify the associated location identifier in conjunction with the locating of the annotation of interest.

43. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to:

store the annotation of interest within the plurality of stored annotations; and

store the associated data identifier with the annotation of interest.

44. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to:

store the annotation of interest within the plurality of stored annotations; and

store the associated location identifier with the annotation of interest.

45. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to identify the associated location identifier in conjunction with the locating of the associated data identifier.

46. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to:

store the associated data identifier within the plurality of stored data identifiers; and

store the associated location identifier with the associated data identifier.

47. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to:

store the associated data identifier within the plurality of stored data identifiers; and

store the associated address identifier with the associated data identifier.

48. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, wherein the data is media data.

49. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, wherein the associated data identifier is an object identifier, and the stored data identifiers are stored object identifiers.

50. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to:

store the plurality of stored annotations in a first database; and

store the plurality of stored data identifiers in a second database.

51. The article of manufacture according to claim 50, further causing the computer to operate so as to store the stored representations of data in a third database.

52. The article of manufacture according to claim 51, wherein the first, the second and the third databases are different databases.

53. The article of manufacture according to claim 50, wherein;

the first database includes the associated data identifier; and

the second database includes the associated address identifier.

54. The article of manufacture according to claim 50, wherein:

the first database further includes the associated location identifier.

55. The article of manufacture according to claim 52, wherein:

the second database further includes the associated location identifier.

56. The article of manufacture according to claim 39, further causing the computer to operate so as to:

combine the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier to generate a combined identifier, wherein using the associated address identifier and the associated location identifier to access the item of interest at the location of interest includes using the combined identifier.

57. The article of manufacture according to claim 56, wherein the combined identifier is in an extended URL format.