Computer-implemented system and method for providing searchable online media content

• US 8,688,679 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmarTek21 LLC
• Original Assignee: SmarTek21 LLC
• Inventors: Ganesan, Murugesan, Finkelstein, Charles, Lalji, Alkarim Al
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US13/186,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 707/804, 707/803, 707/702, 707/752, 707/707, 707/708, 707/756
• US Class Current: 707/707
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for providing searchable online media content is provided. A data store is maintained through an online media server. Media content, including device-playable data provided for dynamic online use, is stored. Media metadata, including markers synchronized to sections of the device-playable data, is also stored. The media content and media metadata are functionally combined through a layered network architecture. The data store is provided as a data layer. Applications are provided within a client layer that execute on a client interconnected to the network. Service interfaces are provided within a data access layer, which are each accessible by at least one of the applications. The media content and the media metadata are combined in response to a request received through a service interface from one of the applications. The combined media content and media metadata are served to the requesting application including streaming the device-playable data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for providing searchable online media content, comprising:

a data store maintained through a media server that is accessible online over a data communications network, comprising;

media content comprising device-playable data provided for dynamic online use through remote streaming over the network;

transcript snippet comprising a segment of transcript that is synchronized to a specific section within the device-playable data;

media jot comprising and annotating a title and description for the specific section of the device-playable data; and

media metadata stored independently from the media content comprising the synchronized transcript snippets and the annotated media jots;

a media platform functionally combining the media content and the media metadata through a layered network architecture, comprising the data store as a data layer of the network architecture, applications provided within a client layer of the network architecture that execute on a client interconnected to the network, and service interfaces provided within a data access layer of the network architecture, which are each accessible by at least one of the applications;

exposing the synchronized transcript snippets and the annotated media jots for the specific section of the device-playable data; and

tagging a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) accessible by the client to the specific section of the device-playable data;

a publish service interface within the data access layer receiving a search query for the media content from the applications in the client layer;

identifying one or more of the transcript snippets and the media jots in the media metadata that match the search query;

combining the media content and the media metadata in response to the match of the identified transcript snippets and the media jots with the search query through a service interface from one of the applications;

sending one or more search results as combinations of the media content and the media metadata in response to the search query to the applications in the client layer, the search results comprising the specific sections of the device-playable data synchronized to the identified transcript snippets; and

displaying to the client the search results as at least one portion of each transcript of the device-playable data, the displayed transcript comprising one such specific section of the device-playable data directly linked through the URL.

2. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an analyze service interface within the data access layer receiving media metadata from an administration console application in the client layer through the analyze service interface;

collecting and logging events and related data concerning use of the video content to the data store; and

sending events and related data to an analytics application in the client layer through the analyze service interface.

3. A computer-implemented system according to claim 2, further comprising at least one of:

a Web analytics module providing the events and related data as Web site-level analytics data comprising one or more of top media content selections by view, top media content selections by duration, and media content viewing trends over a timeline; and

a selection analytics module providing the events and related data as media content selection-level analytics data comprising one or more of top search terms, most popular topics, and bookmark usage data.

4. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an indexing and relevancy scoring service interface within the data access layer accessing regularly-updated data concerning the media content;

determining a relevancy score based on the regularly-updated data for each of the search query; and

ranking the search results based on the relevancy score.

5. A computer-implemented system according to claim 4, further comprising at least one of:

data concerning the media content one or more of closed captions, transcripts, and metadata;

data concerning the media content one or more of user- or administrator-provided annotations and comments;

data concerning the media content one or more of what chapter points, bookmarks, search terms, or media content users have searched, browsed, or watched; and

data concerning the media content one or more of what group, social cluster, demographic, or zip code-defined group users belong in and the media content which that group has used.

6. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a site map external search module performing external searching of the media content to Web search engines by providing a site map comprising a list of Web pages for the media metadata; and

an application programming external search interface performing external searching of the media content to Web search engines by exporting a search application programming interface comprised of a search and browse service for the media metadata.

7. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a browser search module performing internal searching of the media content to media player applications by providing browsing of the media metadata;

a table of contents search module performing internal searching of the media content to media player applications by providing browsing of a table of contents comprised with the media content; and

a bookmarks search module performing internal searching of the media content to media player applications by providing browsing of bookmarks temporally set within the media content.

8. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein the media content comprises at least one of video content, audio media, and visual media.

9. A computer-implemented method for providing searchable online media content, comprising:

maintaining a data store through a media server that is accessible online over a data communications network, comprising;

storing media content comprising device-playable data provided for dynamic online use through remote streaming over the network;

obtaining transcript snippets, each transcript snippet comprising a segment of transcript that is synchronized to a specific section within the device-playable data;

obtaining media jots, each media jot comprising and annotating a title and description for the specific section of the device-playable data;

storing media metadata independently from the media content comprising the synchronized transcript snippets and the annotated media jots; and

exposing the synchronized transcript snippets and the annotated media jots for the specific section of the device-playable data and tagging a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) accessible by the client to the specific section of the device-playable data;

functionally combining the media content and the media metadata through a layered network architecture, comprising;

providing the data store as a data layer of the network architecture;

providing applications within a client layer of the network architecture that execute on a client interconnected to the network; and

providing service interfaces within a data access layer of the network architecture, which are each accessible by at least one of the applications;

receiving a search query for the media content from the applications in the client layer;

identifying one or more of the transcript snippets and the media jots in the media metadata that match the search query;

combining the media content and the media metadata in response to the match of the identified transcript snippets and the media jots with the search query through a service interface from one of the applications;

sending one or more search results as combinations of the media content and the media metadata in response to the search query to the applications in the client layer, the search results comprising the specific sections of the device-playable data synchronized to the identified transcript snippets; and

displaying to the client the search results as at least one portion of each transcript of the device-playable data, the displayed transcript comprising one such specific section of the device-playable data directly linked through the URL.

10. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9, further comprising:

exporting an analyze service interface within the data access layer, comprising;

receiving media metadata from an administration console application in the client layer through the analyze service interface;

collecting and logging events and related data concerning use of the video content to the data store; and

sending events and related data to an analytics application in the client layer through the analyze service interface.

11. A computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising at least one of:

providing the events and related data as Web site-level analytics data comprising one or more of top media content selections by view, top media content selections by duration, and media content viewing trends over a timeline; and

providing the events and related data as media content selection-level analytics data comprising one or more of top search terms, most popular topics, and bookmark usage data.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9, further comprising:

exporting an indexing and relevancy scoring service interface within the data access layer, comprising;

accessing regularly-updated data concerning the media content;

determining a relevancy score based on the regularly-updated data for the search query; and

ranking the search results based on the relevancy score.

13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 12, further comprising at least one of:

including in the data concerning the media content one or more of closed captions, transcripts, and metadata;

including in the data concerning the media content one or more of user- or administrator-provided annotations and comments;

including in the data concerning the media content one or more of what chapter points, bookmarks, search terms, or media content users have searched, browsed, or watched; and

including in the data concerning the media content one or more of what group, social cluster, demographic, or zip code-defined group users belong in and the media content which that group has used.

14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

performing external searching of the media content to Web search engines by providing a site map comprising a list of Web pages for the media metadata; and

performing external searching of the media content to Web search engines by exporting a search application programming interface comprised of a search and browse service for the media metadata.

15. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

performing internal searching of the media content to media player applications by providing browsing of the media metadata;

performing internal searching of the media content to media player applications by providing browsing of a table of contents comprised with the media content; and

performing internal searching of the media content to media player applications by providing browsing of bookmarks temporally set within the media content.

16. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the media content comprises at least one of video content, audio media, and visual media.

17. A computer-implemented apparatus for providing searchable online media content, comprising:

means for maintaining a data store through a media server that is accessible online over a data communications network, comprising;

means for storing media content comprising device-playable data provided for dynamic online use through remote streaming over the network;

means for obtaining transcript snippets, each transcript snippet comprising a segment of transcript that is synchronized to a specific section within the device-playable data;

means for obtaining media jots, each media jot comprising and annotating a title and description for the specific section of the device-playable data;

means for storing media metadata independently from the media content comprising the synchronized transcript snippets and the annotated media jots; and

means for exposing the synchronized transcript snippets and the annotated media jots for the specific section of the device-playable data and tagging a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) accessible by the client to the specific section of the device-playable data;

means for functionally combining the media content and the media metadata through a layered network architecture, comprising;

means for providing the data store as a data layer of the network architecture;

means for providing applications within a client layer of the network architecture that execute on a client interconnected to the network; and

means for providing service interfaces within a data access layer of the network architecture, which are each accessible by at least one of the applications;

means for receiving a search query for the media content from the applications in the client layer;

means for identifying one or more of the transcript snippets and the media jots in the media metadata that match the search query;

means for combining the media content and the media metadata in response to the match of the identified transcript snippets and the media jots with the search query through a service interface from one of the applications;

means for sending one or more search results as combinations of the media content and the media metadata in response to the search query to the applications in the client layer, the search results comprising the specific sections of the device-playable data synchronized to the identified transcript snippets; and

means for displaying to the client the search results as at least one portion of each transcript of the device-playable data, the displayed transcript comprising one such specific section of the device-playable data directly linked through the URL.