Search engine for video and graphics

• US 8,341,136 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Henry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/819,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/711, 707/736, 707/770, 707/805, 707/723, 707/E17.108, 707/999.003, 707/E17.016, 707/E17.065
• US Class Current: 707/706
• 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 searching for graphic or video files, the method comprising:

creating an identifier of searchable file information from identifier information related to a graphic or video file, wherein the identifier information is embedded within the periphery of the graphic or within the periphery of the video;

storing the identifier for the graphic or video file in a storage device;

receiving search criteria;

searching stored identifiers to find an identifier corresponding to the search criteria;

displaying the results of the search; and

displaying the graphic or video within a graphically-created frame that overlaps the periphery of the graphic or the periphery of the video to obscure the identifier information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises information comprising at least one of:

a unique identification number, format, size, play time, whether sound is contained, date of creation, category, whether conditional access or payment is required, text description, content author, content director, year made, category, actor/actress, owner, star rating, parental control code, representative frame, representative audio, number of segments, number of frames, and linking information of a file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifier information is placed in the graphic or video file as the graphic or video file is created.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifier information is placed in a graphic or video file after the graphic or video file is created.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising aggregating identifier information to display to a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user selection of a specific video file or a specific graphic file for one or more of the following:

viewing, saving, erasing, recording, downloading, and sending.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving a user selection of a specific file is dependent on and integrated with a conditional access system or a payment system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a locator for the graphic or video file in the storage device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising obtaining, from the storage device, the locator for the graphic or video file associated with the identifier corresponding to the search criteria.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises one or more of a hard disk, an optical disk, and a floppy disk.

11. A computer-implemented system for searching for graphic or video files, the system comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor, operatively connected to the storage device and a user input, and configured to;

create an identifier containing searchable file information from identifier information related to a graphic or video file, wherein the identifier information is embedded within the periphery of the graphic or within the periphery of the video;

store the identifier for the graphic or video file in the storage device;

receive search criteria from the user input;

search the storage device for one or more identifiers corresponding to the search criteria;

provide the results of the search, wherein the graphic or video is displayed within a graphically-created frame that overlaps the periphery of the graphic or the periphery of the video to obscure the identifier information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the identifier information comprises information comprising at least one of:

a unique identification number, format, size, play time, whether sound is contained, date of creation, category, whether conditional access or payment is required, text description, content author, content director, year made, category, actor/actress, owner, star rating, parental control code, representative frame, representative audio, number of segments, number of frames, and linking information of a file.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a processor for placing identifier information in a graphic or video file as the graphic or video file is created.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a processor for placing identifier information in a graphic or video file after the video or graphic file is created.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to aggregate identifier information to send or display to a user.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a user selection of a specific video or a specific graphic file for one or more of the following:

viewing, saving, erasing, recording, downloading, and sending.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein receiving a user selection of a specific file is dependent on and integrated with a conditional access system or a payment system.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain, from the storage device, a locator corresponding to the found identifier.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to acquire a corresponding graphic or video file using the obtained locator.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage device comprises one or more of a hard disk, an optical disk, and a floppy disk.