Method of storing, retrieving and viewing data

• US 7,209,914 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pivot Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Knowliah NV
• Inventors: Van Heghe, Hans, Willemse, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US10/154,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/102, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/914 Video
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method of storing data in a database organizes the data in electronic objects and enriches the objects with ‘cognitive elements’. These elements allow a search of objects in the database which is similar to the human thinking process. One or more cognitive elements may be selected, leading to a list of objects with a relevance score based on the number of cognitive elements found for each object in the list. Computer programs allow to create such a database, to retrieve information from it, and to view information contained in it.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of searching, retrieving and representing objects, wherein objects include text files, pictures or video/audio files, comprising:

providing a non-hierarchical database, the non-hierarchical database comprises a plurality of objects, each object is associated with one or more cognitive properties;

searching the non-hierarchical database, comprising;

selecting one or more cognitive properties;

attributing a value to each of the cognitive properties which were selected, thereby defining a number of desired cognitive elements used to access the non-hierarchical database; and

retrieving and representing objects, comprising;

receiving one or more objects corresponding to the defined cognitive elements;

creating a tree structure, wherein the tree structure represents the defined cognitive elements in a number of folders and subfolders, each folder and subfolder being related to one of the defined cognitive elements, wherein the tree structure is further refined by a filter that excludes one or more selected cognitive elements from the tree structure;

assembling the received one or more objects to the folders and subfolders; and

presenting the created tree structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the tree structure comprises defining a point when the one or more objects are to be received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of desired cognitive elements which are to be included in the tree structure is defined via a user interface.

2. A computer-readable medium comprising a program for performing a method for searching, retrieving and representing objects, wherein objects includes text files, pictures or video/audio files, comprising:

providing a non-hierarchical database, the non-hierarchical database comprises a plurality of objects, each object is associated with a plurality of cognitive properties;

searching the non-hierarchical database, comprising;

selecting one or more cognitive properties;

attributing a value to each of the cognitive properties which were selected, thereby defining a number of desired cognitive elements used to access the non-hierarchical database;

retrieving and representing objects, comprising;

receiving one or more objects corresponding to the defined cognitive elements;

creating a tree structure, wherein the tree structure represents the defined cognitive elements in a plurality of folders and subfolders, each folder and subfolder being related to one of the defined cognitive elements, wherein the tree structure is further refined by a filter that excludes one or more selected cognitive elements from the tree structure;

assembling the received one or more objects to the folders and subfolders;

amid

presenting the created tree structure.