Database annotation and retrieval
First Claim
1. An apparatus for searching a database, comprising data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice for use in the database, said data comprising data for defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice, data for defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node, data for associating a phoneme or a word with at least one node or link, and data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks so that links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence, in response to an input query, by a user, the apparatus comprising:
- means for generating phoneme data corresponding to the user'"'"'s input query;
means for searching the phoneme and word lattice using the phoneme data generated for the input query; and
means for outputting search results in dependence upon the output from said searching means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A data structure is provided for annotating data files within a database. The annotation data comprises a phoneme and word lattice which allows the quick and efficient searching of data files within the database, in response to a user'"'"'s input query for desired information. The phoneme and word lattice comprises a plurality of time-ordered nodes, and a plurality of links extending between the nodes. Each link has a phoneme or word associated with it. The nodes are arranged in a sequence of time-ordered blocks such that further data can be conveniently added to the lattice.
105 Citations
51 Claims
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1. An apparatus for searching a database, comprising data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice for use in the database, said data comprising data for defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice, data for defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node, data for associating a phoneme or a word with at least one node or link, and data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks so that links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence, in response to an input query, by a user, the apparatus comprising:
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means for generating phoneme data corresponding to the user'"'"'s input query; means for searching the phoneme and word lattice using the phoneme data generated for the input query; and means for outputting search results in dependence upon the output from said searching means. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of searching a database, comprising data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice for use in the database, said data comprising data for defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice, data for defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node, data for associating a phoneme or a word with at least one node or link, and data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks so that links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence, in response to an input query by a user, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating phoneme data corresponding to the user'"'"'s input query; searching the phoneme and word lattice using the phoneme data generated for the input query; and outputting search results in dependence upon the results of said searching step. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. An apparatus for generating annotation data for use in annotating a data file, the apparatus comprising:
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a receiver operable to receive phoneme and/or word data; and a first generator operable to generate annotation data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice corresponding to the received phoneme and/or word data; wherein the first generator comprises; a second generator operable to generate node data defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice; a third generator operable to generate link data defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node; a fourth generator operable to generate association data associating each node or link with a phoneme or word from the phoneme and/or word data; and a fifth generator operable to generate block data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks fulfilling a block criteria in which links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of generating annotation data for use in annotating a data file, the method comprising:
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i) receiving phoneme and/or word data; and ii) generating annotation data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice corresponding to the received phoneme and/or word data; wherein the step of generating annotation data defining the lattice comprises; generating node data defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice; generating link data defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node; generating association data associating each link or node with a phoneme or word from the phoneme and/or word data; and generating block data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks fulfilling a block criteria in which links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An apparatus for generating annotation data for use in annotating a data file, the apparatus comprising:
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receiving means for receiving phoneme and/or word data; and first generating means for generating annotation data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice corresponding to the received phoneme and/or word data; wherein the first generating means comprises; second generating means for generating node data defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice; third generating means for generating link data defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node; fourth generating means for generating association data associating each node or link with a phoneme or word from the phoneme and/or word data; and fifth generating means for generating block data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks fulfilling a block criteria in which links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence.
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48. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for causing a programmable computer device to carry out a method of searching a database, comprising data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice for use in the database, said data comprising data for defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice, data for defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node, data for associating a phoneme or a word with at least one node or link, and data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks so that links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence in response to an input query by a user, the instructions comprising:
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instructions for generating phoneme data corresponding to the user'"'"'s input query; instructions for searching the phoneme and word lattice using the phoneme data generated for the input query; and instructions for outputting search results in dependence upon the results of said searching step.
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49. Computer executable instructions for causing a programmable computer device to carry out a method of searching a database, comprising data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice for use in the database;
- said data comprising data for defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice, data for defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node, data for associating a phoneme or a word with at least one node or link, and data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks so that links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence, in response to an input query by a user, the instructions comprising;
instructions for generating phoneme data corresponding to the user'"'"'s input query; instructions for searching the phoneme and word lattice using the phoneme data generated for the input query; and instructions for outputting search results in dependence upon the results of said searching step.
- said data comprising data for defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice, data for defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node, data for associating a phoneme or a word with at least one node or link, and data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks so that links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence, in response to an input query by a user, the instructions comprising;
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50. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for causing a programmable computer device to carry out a method of generating annotation data for use in annotating a data file, the computer executable instructions comprising:
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instructions for receiving phoneme and/or word data; and instructions for generating annotation data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice corresponding to the received phoneme and/or word data; wherein the instructions for generating annotation data defining the lattice comprise; instructions for generating node data defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice; instructions for generating link data defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node; instructions for generating association data associating each link or node with a phoneme or word from the phoneme and/or word data; and instructions for generating block data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks fulfilling a block criteria in which links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence.
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51. Computer executable instructions for causing a programmable computer device to carry out a method of generating annotation data for use in annotating a data file, the computer executable instructions comprising:
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instructions for receiving phoneme and/or word data; and instructions for generating annotation data defining a phoneme and/or word lattice corresponding to the received phoneme and/or word data; wherein the instructions for generating annotation data defining the lattice comprise; instructions for generating node data defining a plurality of time-ordered nodes within the lattice; instructions for generating link data defining a plurality of links within the lattice, each link extending from a first node to a second node; instructions for generating association data associating each link or node with a phoneme or word from the phoneme and/or word data; and instructions for generating block data for arranging the nodes in a sequence of time-ordered blocks fulfilling a block criteria in which links from nodes in any given block do not extend beyond the nodes in a block that is a predetermined number of blocks later in the sequence.
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Specification