Information processing apparatus and method, program, and recording medium

• US 8,549,017 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Mari, Yamamoto, Noriyuki, Miyazaki, Mitsuhiro, Koike, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US11/780,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 6, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/761, 707/706, 707/722, 707/736, 707/754, 707/758, 715/236, 709/217, 709/229, 709/204, 725/110, 725/46, 725/53
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Disclosed herein are an information processing apparatus and method, a program, and a recording medium, in which a content is recommended to each user on the basis of even the metadata that is assigned with no classification. A metadata analysis block resolves metadata acquired by a metadata acquisition block into components. A dictionary data generation block generates dictionary data in which genre is correlated with keyword and each component. An associated information database generation block references the dictionary data to assign genre to the metadata which are assigned with no genre, thereby generating an associated information database of content. An associated information search block references the dictionary data to identify a genre from a keyword of interest data to search for associated information, thereby recommending content to the user. The present invention is applicable to personal computers or HDD recorders.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface configured to acquire electronic programming guide (EPG) data transmitted from the information processing apparatus over a network, the EPG data including a plurality of metadata entries each including a plurality of keywords, a broadcast time zone, and a broadcast station;

a processor configured to compare each of the plurality of metadata entries, discard any keywords from the plurality of metadata entries that occur commonly in each broadcast time zone of each broadcast station, extract a keyword from the keywords remaining as a result of the discarding, and associate each of the extracted keywords with a genre by searching stored dictionary data for a keyword matching the extracted keyword and assigning a genre associated with the keyword matching the extracted keyword to the extracted keyword; and

a memory configured to store a result of the association, wherein

the processor associates each of the extracted keywords with a genre, which is different from the extracted keywords, by searching stored dictionary data for a keyword matching the extracted keyword and assigning a genre, which is different from the extracted keyword, associated with the keyword matching the extracted keyword to the extracted keyword.

2. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring, by an interface of the information processing apparatus, electronic programming guide (EPG) data transmitted from the information processing apparatus over a network, the EPG data including a plurality of metadata entries each including a plurality of keywords, a broadcast time zone, and a broadcast station;

comparing, by a processor of the information processing apparatus, each of the plurality of metadata entries;

discarding, by the processor of the information processing apparatus, any keywords from the plurality of metadata entries that occur commonly in each broadcast time zone of each broadcast station;

extracting, by the processor of the information processing apparatus, a keyword from the keywords remaining as a result of the discarding;

associating, by the processor of the information processing apparatus, each of the extracted keywords with a genre by searching stored dictionary data for a keyword matching the extracted keyword and assigning a genre associated with the keyword matching the extracted keyword to the extracted keyword; and

storing, by a memory of the information processing apparatus, a result of the associating, wherein

the associating includes associating each of the extracted keywords with a genre, which is different from the extracted keywords, by searching stored dictionary data for a keyword matching the extracted keyword and assigning a genre, which is different from the extracted keyword, associated with the keyword matching the extracted keyword to the extracted keyword.

3. A memory including a program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform an information processing method comprising:

acquiring electronic programming guide (EPG) data transmitted from the computer over a network;

comparing each of the plurality of metadata entries;

discarding any keywords from the plurality of metadata entries that occur commonly in each broadcast time zone of each broadcast station;

extracting a keyword from the keywords remaining as a result of the discarding;

associating each of the extracted keywords with a genre by searching stored dictionary data for a keyword matching the extracted keyword and assigning a genre associated with the keyword matching the extracted keyword to the extracted keyword; and

storing a result of the associating, wherein

the associating includes associating each of the extracted keywords with a genre, which is different from the extracted keywords, by searching stored dictionary data for a keyword matching the extracted keyword and assigning a genre, which is different from the extracted keyword, associated with the keyword matching the extracted keyword to the extracted keyword.