Search engine for video and graphics

• US 7,987,175 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Henry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly; Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/819,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 707/711, 707/715, 707/736, 707/741, 707/770
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 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 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method of selecting graphic or video files having corresponding locators used to locate such graphic or video files using a computer. Identifiers are created by searching an area within a web page near a graphic or video file for searchable identification terms and searching an area within a web page near links to a graphic or video for searchable identification terms. The identifiers are stored in a database. User requests for graphic or video file content are received and the database of identifiers is searched to find graphic and video files corresponding criteria of the user. Graphic or video file content is then provided to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a video guide comprising:

using an Internet communication interface, receiving information about a plurality of video files by receiving information regarding at least one video file supplied by each of a plurality of users, wherein the information comprises a location of the at least one video file;

storing the received information regarding the plurality of video files; and

providing a video guide for display, the displayed video guide comprising a text description of each of the plurality of video files, a location indicator for each of the plurality of video files, a teaser frame for each of the plurality of video files, and information about a product associated with at least one of the plurality of video files;

wherein the displayed video guide further comprises information about an item, wherein the item is at least one of service and website that is associated with at least one of the plurality of video files.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically storing at least one of the plurality of video files in a storage device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an instruction to perform an operation with at least one of the plurality of video files, wherein the operation comprises one or more of viewing, saving, downloading, and sending.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the video guide for display comprises providing a file including the text description of each of the plurality of video files.

5. A computer-implemented method of providing video information comprising:

receiving a user identification of a video file;

receiving a submission of user-provided information about the video file through an Internet interface;

storing at least a portion of the user-provided information about the video file in a memory as identifier information;

receiving a user input;

in response to receiving the user input,

retrieving the identifier information;

providing at least a portion of the video file accompanied by the identifier information; and

providing information about a product associated with the video file;

wherein providing at least a portion of the video file accompanied by the identifier information further comprises providing information about an item, wherein the item is at least one of a service and website that is associated with the video file.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising automatically storing the video file in a storage device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving an instruction to perform an operation with the video file, wherein the operation comprises one or more of viewing, saving, downloading, and sending.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least a portion of the video file is provided as a stream of packets.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein providing at least a portion of the video file accompanied by the identifier information comprises providing a file including the identifier information to accompany the video file.

10. A system for providing a video guide comprising:

a storage device, operatively connected to a processor and configured to store information regarding one or more video files; and

the processor, configured to communicate with one or more user devices via the Internet, and to receive, from at least one user device, information about a plurality of video files by receiving information regarding at least one video file supplied by each of a plurality of user devices, wherein the information comprises a location of the at least one video file;

the processor further configured to store the received information regarding the plurality of video files in the storage device; and

provide a video guide to at least one user device for display, the displayed video guide comprising a text description of each of the plurality of video files, a location indicator for each of the plurality of video files, a teaser frame for each of the plurality of video files, and information about a product associated with at least one of the plurality of video files;

wherein the displayed video guide further comprises information about an item, wherein the item is at least one of a service and website that is associated with at least one of the plurality of video files.

11. The system of claim 10, the processor further configured to automatically store at least one of the plurality of video files in the storage device.

12. The system of claim 10, the processor further configured to receive an instruction to perform an operation with at least one of the plurality of video files, wherein the operation comprises one or more of viewing, saving, downloading, and sending.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein providing the video guide for display comprises providing a file including the text description of each of the plurality of video files.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to provide at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of video files.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of video files is provided as a stream of packets.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the video guide comprises a file including the text description.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the location indicator includes a URL.