Methods and systems for processing media files

• US 20050234875A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lawrence, Stephen R., Marmaros, David, Auerbach, David Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• 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 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing media files are described. In one embodiment, one or more events are captured having associated event data and associated with a client device, wherein each event is associated with an article and at least one of the articles is a media file, wherein at least one of the events is captured in real time upon the occurrence of the event, at least some of the event data and articles associated with the events are indexed and stored, a search query is received, and the at least one media file is determined as relevant to the search query.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

capturing one or more events having associated event data and associated with a client device, wherein each event is associated with an article and at least one of the articles is a media file, wherein at least one of the events is captured in real time upon the occurrence of the event;

indexing and storing at least some of the event data and articles associated with the events;

receiving a search query; and

determining the at least one media file as relevant to the search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search query is an explicit query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the search query is an implicit query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises monitoring a media application to determine event data associated with the event and compiling the event from at least some of the event data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises determining event data external to the media file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the event data external to the media file is determined based at least in part on one or more of a local database, a global database, a web page, and a network search engine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file comprises an audio file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file comprises a video file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file comprises an image file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file comprises a combination of audio and video.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file comprises a scripted presentation of audio and video.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises determining text that identifies the media file and including the text as event data associated with the event.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein indexing the event associated with a media file comprises associating the event with at least one associated event.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the associated event comprises a different version of the event.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises identifying the event based at least in part on one or more of network activity, system activity, and media application activity.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises identifying the event based at least in part on a display area associated with a media application and identifying at least some of the event data by analyzing the display area.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises identifying the event based at least in part on calls to input or output devices and identifying at least some of the event data by analyzing the calls.

18. A computer-readable medium containing program code, comprising:

program code for capturing one or more events having associated event data and associated with a client device, wherein each event is associated with an article and at least one of the articles is a media file, wherein at least one of the events is captured in real time upon the occurrence of the event;

program code for indexing and storing at least some of the event data and articles associated with the events;

program code for receiving a search query; and

program code for determining the at least one media file as relevant to the search query.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the search query is an explicit query.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the search query is an implicit query.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises monitoring a media application to determine event data associated with the event and compiling the event from at least some of the event data.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises determining event data external to the media file.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the event data external to the media file is determined based at least in part on one or more of a local database, a global database, a web page, and a network search engine.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the media file comprises an audio file.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the media file comprises a video file.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the media file comprises an image file.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the media file comprises a combination of audio and video.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the media file comprises a scripted presentation of audio and video.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises program code for determining text that identifies the media file and including the text as event data associated with the event.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein indexing the event associated with a media file comprises program code for associating the event with at least one associated event.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the associated event comprises a different version of the event.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises identifying the event based at least in part on one or more of network activity, system activity, and media application activity.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises identifying the event based at least in part on a display area associated with a media application and identifying at least some of the event data by analyzing the display area.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein capturing the event associated with the media file comprises identifying the event based at least in part on calls to input or output devices and identifying at least some of the event data by analyzing the calls.

35. A method, comprising:

monitoring a plurality of applications to determine event data associated with a plurality of events comprising media file events and non-media file events, wherein each event is associated with an article;

compiling at least some of the event data to capture at least some of the media file events and at least some of the non-media file events upon the occurrence of the events;

indexing and storing at least some of the events and associated articles;

receiving a search query;

locating relevant articles from the indexed and stored events relevant to the search query, wherein at least one relevant article is associated with a media file event and at least another relevant article is associated with a non-media file event; and

outputting a result set comprising the one relevant article and the another relevant article.