Predictive phonetic data search
First Claim
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1. A computer implemented method for predictive phonetic data search in a television based entertainment system, comprising:
- receiving a search request to locate a term;
facilitating the search request wherein the search request comprises elements, the elements comprising;
a combination of alphabetic characters and at least one numeric character;
a phonetic equivalent of the term;
a phonetic equivalent of the term which is a misspelling of the term;
a phonetic equivalent of the term which includes only consonants;
a phonetic equivalent of the term that includes a number in place of a word or part of a word;
searching a numeric index to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term;
obtaining the term from a term index that is mapped to the number in the numeric index which matches the numerical equivalent of the term; and
returning the term in response to the search request, wherein the term is returned as at least one of a program schedule, a broadcast television selection, an on-demand selection, or an application program.
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Abstract
Predictive phonetic data search is described. In an embodiment, a search request to locate a term is received, where the term can be a word, a group of words, and/or any combination of characters and numbers. A numeric index is then searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term designated in the search request. The term is obtained from a term index that is mapped to the number in the numeric index that matches the numerical equivalent of the term, and the term is returned in response to the search request.
49 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for predictive phonetic data search in a television based entertainment system, comprising:
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receiving a search request to locate a term;
facilitating the search request wherein the search request comprises elements, the elements comprising;a combination of alphabetic characters and at least one numeric character; a phonetic equivalent of the term; a phonetic equivalent of the term which is a misspelling of the term; a phonetic equivalent of the term which includes only consonants; a phonetic equivalent of the term that includes a number in place of a word or part of a word; searching a numeric index to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; obtaining the term from a term index that is mapped to the number in the numeric index which matches the numerical equivalent of the term; and returning the term in response to the search request, wherein the term is returned as at least one of a program schedule, a broadcast television selection, an on-demand selection, or an application program. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer implemented method for predictive phonetic data search in a television based entertainment system, comprising:
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receiving text data from one or more text data sources, wherein the text data is received from the one or more text data sources that include at least one of an electronic program guide data source and a closed captioning data source corresponding to television content; identifying search terms in the text data; computing a numeric equivalent of each search term; maintaining the numeric equivalent of each search term in a numeric index that is searched in response to a search request for a particular search term, wherein a numeric equivalent of a phonetic equivalent of a search term corresponds to at least one of a misspelling of the search term, a spelling of the search term that includes only consonants, or a number in place of a word in the search term; and mapping each numeric equivalent in the numeric index to the corresponding search term in a term index such that when a numeric equivalent of the particular search term is located in the numeric index, the corresponding search term in the term index is returned in response to the search request, wherein the term is returned as at least one of a program schedule, a broadcast television selection, an on-demand selection, or an application program. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method of locating media, comprising:
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receiving text data from one or more of a plurality of text data sources such that, in an event that the media is future programming, the text data describes the programs and the program schedule; in an event that the media is broadcast television, the text data describes the broadcasts and the broadcast schedule; in an event that the media is an on-demand selection, the text data describes the on-demand selection; in an event that the media is an application program, the text data describes the application; identifying search terms in the text data; computing a numeric equivalent of each search term wherein the numeric equivalent is the numbers used on a numeric keypad to enter the term; maintaining the numeric equivalent of each search term in a numeric index that is searched in response to a search request for a particular search term; mapping each numeric equivalent in the numeric index to the corresponding search term in a term index; computing additional numeric equivalents each numeric equivalent corresponding to one of a plurality of a phonetic equivalents equivalent of each term a search term; maintaining the additional numeric equivalents in the numeric index; computing further additional numeric equivalents of a phonetic equivalent of each a search term corresponding to a plurality of at least one of a misspelling of the search term, the misspellings comprising; a spelling of each the search term that includes only consonants, and a spelling of each the search term that includes a number in place of a word in the search term; generating one or more translations of each a search term; maintaining the one or more translations in a translations index; mapping the one or more translations to each a corresponding search term; receiving a search request from a user to locate a term such that; in an event the search request is received as a sequence, of letters each associated with a channel number input key entered on a keypad of a television remote control device the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; in an event the search request is received as a sequence of letters each associated with a telephone number input key entered on a keypad of a cellular phone the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; in an event the search request is received as a text-based input that includes sequence of characters which correspond to two or more words the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; in an event the search request is received as a combination of alphabetic characters and at least one numeric character the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; in an event the search request is received as a phonetic equivalent of the term the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; in an event the search request is received as the phonetic equivalent of a misspelling of the term the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the misspelling of the term; in an event the search request is received as the phonetic equivalent which includes only consonants in the term and no vowels the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; in an event the search request is received as the phonetic equivalent that includes a number in place of a word in the term the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; in an event the search request is received as an audio input of the term, the audio input is converted into the search request, the numeric index is searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term; obtaining the term from a term index that is mapped to the number in the numeric index which matches the numerical equivalent of the term; returning a list of at least one likely term that correspond to the term in response to the search, request wherein, the search request is processed to return the list based on a designated response instance of the term; and returning the term according to the designated response instance.
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Specification