Method and system for organizing categories of content in a distributed network

• US 7,933,972 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Hillen, Jens, Issa, Alfredo C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore; Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, KIET G
• Application Number:
  US11/241,083
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709217-229, 707/102, 707/200, 707/802, 707/781, 707/10, 715/233
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A method for organizing categories of digital content in a peer-to-peer computer network includes automatically collecting tag metadata when a user creates a tag for digital content stored in a peer computer system. Once the tag is created and the tag metadata is collected, both the tag and the tag metadata are stored in a server that is accessible to each of the peer computer systems. Here, the tag is automatically classified by its tag metadata such that the digital content can be accessed based on its tag metadata.

Claims

1. A method for organizing photographs, the method comprising:

generating, by a computer comprising a processor, a first searchable classification of a plurality of photographs based on keywords that users have designated as being associated with the plurality of photographs, the first searchable classification comprising a plurality of keyword entries, wherein each of the plurality of keyword entries comprises a corresponding keyword and at least one corresponding photograph reference, the at least one corresponding photograph reference identifying a photograph with which the corresponding keyword has been designated by a user as being associated, and wherein each keyword comprises at least one keyword metadata value;

generating a second searchable classification of the plurality of keyword entries, the second searchable classification comprising a plurality of keyword metadata entries, wherein each of the keyword metadata entries comprises a corresponding keyword metadata value having an author metadata type and identifying an author of the corresponding keyword, and at least one corresponding keyword entry reference, the at least one corresponding keyword entry reference identifying at least one of the plurality of keyword entries in the first searchable classification based on the keyword metadata value of the corresponding keyword;

receiving, via the computer, a request identifying a criterion comprising a user identifier;

accessing the second searchable classification based on the user identifier to identify one or more matched keyword metadata entries of the plurality of keyword metadata entries wherein the corresponding keyword metadata value matches the user identifier;

accessing the first searchable classification using the keyword entry references that correspond to the one or more matched keyword metadata entries to identify a plurality of matched keyword entries; and

in response to the request, sending a plurality of photograph references that correspond to the plurality of matched keyword entries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one keyword metadata value comprises a keyword rating type, wherein the at least one keyword metadata value identifies an average rating of the corresponding keyword based on ratings provided by a plurality of users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each keyword comprises at least two keyword metadata values, and wherein a first of the at least two keyword metadata values is a first metadata value type, and a second of the at least two keyword metadata values is a second metadata value type.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first metadata value type comprises the author metadata type and wherein the first metadata value identifies the author of the corresponding keyword, and wherein the second metadata value type comprises a creation date metadata type, and wherein the second metadata value identifies a creation date of the corresponding keyword.

5. A method for organizing keywords associated with photographs, the method comprising:

generating, by a computer comprising a processor, a first searchable classification of a plurality of photographs based on keywords that users have designated as being associated with the plurality of photographs, the first searchable classification comprising a plurality of keyword entries, wherein each of the plurality of keyword entries comprises a corresponding keyword and at least one corresponding photograph reference, the at least one corresponding photograph reference identifying a photograph with which the corresponding keyword has been designated by a user as being associated, and wherein each keyword comprises at least one keyword metadata value;

generating a second searchable classification of the plurality of keyword entries, the second searchable classification comprising a plurality of keyword metadata entries, wherein each of the keyword metadata entries comprises a corresponding keyword metadata value having an author metadata type and identifying an author of the corresponding keyword, and at least one corresponding keyword entry reference, the at least one corresponding keyword entry reference identifying at least one of the plurality of keyword entries in the first searchable classification based on the keyword metadata value of the corresponding keyword;

receiving, via the computer, a request identifying a criterion comprising a user identifier;

accessing the second searchable classification based on the user identifier to identify one or more matched keyword metadata entries of the plurality of keyword metadata entries wherein the corresponding keyword metadata value matches the user identifier;

accessing the first searchable classification using the keyword entry references that correspond to the one or more matched keyword metadata entries to identify a plurality of matched keyword entries; and

in response to the request, sending a plurality of keywords that correspond to the plurality of matched keyword entries.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein each keyword comprises at least two keyword metadata values, and wherein a first of the at least two keyword metadata values is a first metadata value type, and a second of the at least two keyword metadata values is a second metadata value type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first metadata value type comprises the author metadata type and wherein the first metadata value identifies the author of the corresponding keyword, and wherein the second metadata value type comprises a creation date metadata type, and wherein the second metadata value identifies a creation date of the corresponding keyword.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs a method for organizing photographs, the method comprising:

generating, by a computer comprising a processor, a first searchable classification of a plurality of photographs based on keywords that users have designated as being associated with the plurality of photographs, the first searchable classification comprising a plurality of keyword entries, wherein each of the plurality of keyword entries comprises a corresponding keyword and at least one corresponding photograph reference, the at least one corresponding photograph reference identifying a photograph with which the corresponding keyword has been designated by a user as being associated, and wherein each keyword comprises at least one keyword metadata value;

generating a second searchable classification of the plurality of keyword entries, the second searchable classification comprising a plurality of keyword metadata entries, wherein each of the keyword metadata entries comprises a corresponding keyword metadata value having an author metadata type and identifying an author of the corresponding keyword, and at least one corresponding keyword entry reference, the at least one corresponding keyword entry reference identifying at least one of the plurality of keyword entries in the first searchable classification based on a keyword metadata value of the corresponding keyword;

receiving, via the computer, a request identifying a criterion comprising a user identifier;

accessing the second searchable classification based on the user identifier to identify one or more matched keyword metadata entries of the plurality of keyword metadata entries wherein the corresponding keyword metadata value matches the user identifier;

accessing the first searchable classification using the keyword entry references that correspond to the one or more matched keyword metadata entries to identify a plurality of matched keyword entries; and

in response to the request, sending a plurality of photograph references that correspond to the plurality of matched keyword entries.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein each keyword comprises at least two keyword metadata values, and wherein a first of the at least two keyword metadata values is a first metadata value type, and a second of the at least two keyword metadata values is a second metadata value type.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium method of claim 9, wherein the first metadata value type comprises the author metadata type and wherein the first metadata value identifies the author of the corresponding keyword, and wherein the second metadata value type comprises a creation date metadata type, and wherein the second metadata value identifies a creation date of the corresponding keyword.