Activity recommendation based on a context-based electronic files search

• US 9,460,200 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Friedlander, Robert R., Kraemer, James R., Silobrcic, Josko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton, Nan
• Application Number:
  US13/540,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 707/754, 707/776
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/783 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7844 using original textual content or text extracted from visual content or transcript of audio data

Abstract

A computer hardware-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product generate an activity recommendation based on an identified non-synthetic event element in an electronic file. A context-based search of a database of electronic files is performed to identify a common synthetic event in all of the electronic files, where the synthetic event is a non-executable descriptor of a set of context-related factors. Each electronic file that contains the common synthetic event is a relevant electronic file. Each of the relevant electronic files are searched for at least one non-synthetic event element, wherein the non-synthetic event element is an event element that is absent from the synthetic event. A recommendation, based on the identified non-synthetic event element, is generated. A set of binary data, which includes the synthetic event, the relevant electronic file, the non-synthetic event element, and the recommendation, is then transmitted to a client.

Claims

1. A computer hardware-implemented method of generating an activity recommendation based on an identified non-synthetic event element in an electronic file, the computer hardware-implemented method comprising:

performing a context-based search of a database of electronic files to identify a common synthetic event in all of the electronic files, wherein the synthetic event is a non-executable descriptor of a set of context-related factors, wherein a definition of the common synthetic event is unknown before performing the context-based search of the database of electronic files, wherein the database of electronic files is a database of video files, and wherein electronic files that each contain the common synthetic event are relevant electronic files;

searching each of the relevant electronic files for at least one non-synthetic event element, wherein the non-synthetic event element is absent from the synthetic event;

generating a recommendation based on the identified non-synthetic event element;

transmitting a set of binary data to a client computer, wherein the set of binary data contains the synthetic event, the relevant electronic file, said at least one non-synthetic event element, and the recommendation;

determining whether metadata describing the synthetic event is available from the video files; and

in response to determining that the metadata describing the synthetic event is not available from the video files, performing image matching of a particular video file to the database of video files by;

digitizing a particular image that makes up part of a synthetic event for the particular video file; and

searching the video files for the particular image that makes UP part of the synthetic event for the particular video file.

2. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation recommends performing additional steps related to a user activity that resulted in a generation of the synthetic event.

3. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the database of electronic files further includes a database of text-based documents, and wherein the computer hardware-implemented method further comprises:

performing a word search of a particular text document in the database of text based documents for a keyword that identifies the particular text document as being contextually related to the synthetic event; and

in response to not finding the keyword in the particular text document, searching the particular text document for secondary context words to identify the particular text document as being contextually related to the synthetic event.

4. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic event describes a user activity, and wherein the computer hardware-implemented method further comprises:

determining a context for the context-based search based on an activity type of the user activity.

5. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on a public reputation of the source; and

weighting the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking.

6. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on an historical frequency of usage of the source by a generator of the synthetic event; and

weighting the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking.

7. A computer program product for identifying non-synthetic event elements in electronic files, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to perform a context-based search of a database of electronic files to identify a common synthetic event in all of the electronic files, wherein the synthetic event is a non-executable descriptor of a set of context-related factors, wherein the common synthetic event is unknown before performing the context-based search of the database of electronic files, wherein the database of electronic files is a database of video files, and wherein electronic files that each contain the common synthetic event are relevant electronic files;

second program instructions to search each of the relevant electronic files for at least one non-synthetic event element, wherein the non-synthetic event element is absent from the synthetic event;

third program instructions to generate a recommendation based on the identified non-synthetic event element;

fourth program instructions to transmit a set of binary data to a client computer, wherein the set of binary data contains the synthetic event, the relevant electronic file, said at least one non-synthetic event element, and the recommendation;

fifth program instructions to determine whether metadata describing the synthetic event is available from the video files; and

sixth program instructions to, in response to determining that the metadata describing the synthetic event is not available from the video files, perform image matching of a particular video file to the database of video files by;

digitizing a particular image that makes UP part of a synthetic event for the particular video file; and

searching the video files for the particular image that makes UP part of the synthetic event for the particular video file; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the recommendation recommends performing additional steps related to a user activity that resulted in a generation of the synthetic event.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is scientific laboratory research, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

seventh program instructions to generate a recommendation to research topics related to the identified non-synthetic event element; and

wherein

the seventh program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is diagnosing a medical patient, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

seventh program instructions to generate a recommendation to perform additional medical tests, on the medical patient, which are related to the identified non-synthetic event element; and

wherein

the seventh program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the synthetic event describes a user activity, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

seventh program instructions to determine a context for the context-based search based on an activity type of the user activity; and

wherein

the seventh program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

seventh program instructions to rank a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on a public reputation of the source; and

eighth program instructions to weight the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking; and

wherein

the seventh and eighth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media.

13. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

seventh program instructions to rank a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on an historical frequency of usage of the source by a generator of the synthetic event; and

eighth program instructions to weight the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking; and

wherein

the seventh and eighth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media.

14. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU), a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to perform a context-based search of a database of electronic files to identify a common synthetic event in all of the electronic files, wherein the synthetic event is a non-executable descriptor of a set of context-related factors, wherein the common synthetic event is unknown before performing the context-based search of the database of electronic files, wherein the database of electronic files is a database of video files, and wherein electronic files that each contain the common synthetic event are relevant electronic files;

second program instructions to search each of the relevant electronic files for at least one non-synthetic event element, wherein the non-synthetic event element is absent from the synthetic event;

third program instructions to generate a recommendation based on the identified non-synthetic event element;

fourth program instructions to transmit a set of binary data to a client computer, wherein the set of binary data contains the synthetic event, the relevant electronic file, said at least one non-synthetic event element, and the recommendation;

fifth program instructions to determine whether metadata describing the synthetic event is available from the video files; and

sixth program instructions to, in response to determining that the metadata describing the synthetic event is not available from the video files, perform image matching of a particular video file to the database of video files by;

digitizing a particular image that makes UP part of a synthetic event for the particular video file; and

searching the video files for the particular image that makes up part of the synthetic event for the particular video file; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the recommendation recommends performing additional steps related to a user activity that resulted in a generation of the synthetic event.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is scientific laboratory research, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

seventh program instructions to generate a recommendation to research topics related to the identified non-synthetic event element; and

wherein

the seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is diagnosing a medical patient, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

seventh program instructions to generate a recommendation to perform additional medical tests, on the medical patient, which are related to the identified non-synthetic event element; and

wherein

the seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

seventh program instructions to determine a context for the context-based search based on an activity type of the user activity; and

wherein

the seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

19. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising:

seventh program instructions to rank a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on a public reputation of the source; and

eighth program instructions to weight the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking; and

wherein

the seventh and eighth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.