Apparatus and method for searching multimedia object

• US 20030126126A1
• Filed: 12/26/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jin Soo, Kim, Heon Jun
• Application Number:
  US10/327,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126126A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/908 using metadata automatically derived from the content

Abstract

The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for searching a multimedia object which can simplify communication processes for the search by adding a feature description information database which exists in a server to a mobile terminal in the multimedia search of a server-client environment, especially a wireless communication environment. It is thus possible to efficiently use the system and cut down communication expenses.

Claims

1. An apparatus for searching a multimedia object, comprising:

a separated object storage including objects subject to the search; and

a terminal performing the search without communicating with the separated storage and receiving the desired result from the separated storage, wherein the terminal includes a feature description information database for content-based search, a search engine for performing search by using at least one of the feature description information and index, a search interface for performing at least one of the query and the confirmation of search results, and a communication interface for receiving the feature description information, index and wanted result from the separated storage.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object storage comprises:

an object storing unit for storing the multimedia object which is a search object and the index;

a feature description information extraction engine for extracting the feature description information from the object;

a communication interface for transmitting the feature description information and the multimedia object to the terminal; and

a buffer for processing data of the object storage.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises:

a storing unit for storing the feature description information of the search object and the index from the object storage;

a search interface for query;

a feature description information extraction engine for extracting the feature description information of the query object;

a search engine for performing the search by using the feature description information and index;

a display for confirming the search results;

a buffer for processing data of the terminal; and

a communication interface for communication with the object storage.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the object storage further comprises:

a storing unit for storing the feature description information of the search object and the index; and

a search engine for performing the search by using the feature description information and index, whereby the object storage performs the search in the same manner as the terminal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication interface comprises:

a wireless communication interface for receiving a wanted result from the separated storage; and

a wire communication interface for transmitting the feature description information and index from the separated storage in advance and storing them.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising thumbnails for displaying the search results to the user.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feature description information comprises connection information of each object in order to transmit the corresponding object stored in the separated storage.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal, the separated object storage is a personal computer (PC), and the search between the mobile terminal and the PC is performed through the wire and wireless communication.

9. A method for searching a multimedia object, comprising the steps of:

acquiring the multimedia object;

storing the acquired multimedia object in an object storage;

extracting feature description information required to search the multimedia object, and updating an index by using the extracted feature description information;

storing the extracted feature description information and the index in a terminal through communication;

performing the search by using the terminal on the basis of the stored feature description information and index; and

receiving a desired object of the user among the search results from the object storage through the communication.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

extracting a thumbnail; and

storing the extracted thumbnail in the terminal through the communication.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal, and the search between the mobile terminal and the object storage is performed through the wire or wireless communication.

12. A method for searching a multimedia object, comprising the steps of:

acquiring the multimedia object;

extracting feature description information required to search the acquired multimedia object, and updating an index by using the extracted feature description information;

transmitting the acquired multimedia object to an object storage through the communication, and storing it in the object storage;

describing connection information for connecting the object stored in the object storage to the feature description information in the feature description information;

performing the search by using a terminal on the basis of the feature description information, index and connection information; and

receiving a desired object of the user among the search results from the object storage through the communication

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising a step of extracting a thumbnail.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal, and the search between the mobile terminal and the object storage is performed through the wire or wireless communication.