Data retrieval method and apparatus

• US 20060074923A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Trimby, Martin, Sutton, Jonathan, Gower, Andrew Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,578,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location

Abstract

A method to create within a computer system, an association between the appearance of a token and one or more stored files for the purpose of retrieving and presenting said one or more stored files, comprising the steps of: measuring said appearance of said token; creating a token identity from the obtained measurement; storing said token identity in an identity store; associating within said computer system, said stored file with said token identity; subsequently measuring said appearance of said token; creating a subsequent identity for said token using subsequent measurement data obtained from said subsequent measurement; searching in said identity store for a match with said subsequent identity; upon the location of a match, retrieving said one or more stored files; and presenting said retrieved file to a user.

Claims

1. A method to create within a computer system, an association between the appearance of a token and one or more stored files, comprising the steps of:

measuring said appearance of said token;

creating a token identity from the obtained measurement;

storing said electronic identity in an identity store; and

associating said one or more stored files with said token identity.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said appearance of said token is the size and/or shape and/or colour of said token.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said token identity is created from measurements of said appearance and one or more other physical characteristics of said token.

7. A method according claim 6, wherein a measurement of the weight of said token is used in the creation of said token identity.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein measurement data of said appearance and/or one or more other physical characteristics of is prioritised in the creation of said token identity, by ascribing to each a value relative to each other.

2. A method to create within a computer system, an association between the appearance a token and information of the location of one or more files, comprising the steps of:

measuring said appearance of said token;

creating a token identity from the obtained measurement; and

storing said electronic identity in an identity store; and

associating said token identity with said information of the location of one or more files.

3. A method to retrieve one or more stored files within a computer system, by use of a stored token identity created from measuring the appearance of a token, where said token identity is associated with said one or more stored files, comprising the steps of:

creating a subsequent identity for said token by measuring said appearance again;

searching for a match for said subsequent identity with said token identity; and

upon the location of a match, retrieving said one or more stored files which are associated with said stored token identity.

4. A method to create within a computer system, an association between the appearance of a token and one or more stored files for the purpose of retrieving and presenting said one or more stored files, comprising the steps of:

measuring said appearance of said token;

creating a token identity from the obtained measurement;

storing said token identity in an identity store;

associating within said computer system, said stored file with said token identity;

subsequently measuring said appearance of said token;

creating a subsequent identity for said token using subsequent measurement data obtained from said subsequent measurement;

searching in said identity store for a match with said subsequent identity;

upon the location of a match, retrieving said one or more stored files; and

presenting said retrieved file to a user.

9. Apparatus to create within a computer system, an association between the appearance a token and one or more stored files, comprising:

measuring means by which said appearance of said token can be measured;

processing means to create a token identity from measurement;

data obtained by said measuring means;

an identity store to store said token identity;

a file store to store said one or more files; and

means to associate said token identity and said files.

13. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said processing means performs the task or tasks of:

creating a token identity and/or subsequent identity;

and associating said token identity with said one or more files; and

/or

searching to find a match with said subsequent identity; and

/or

retrieving said one or more files.

14. Apparatus according to claim 9, further including means to control the measuring environment.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said control means is a light source.

16. Apparatus according to claim 9 taking a unitary form.

10. Apparatus to create within a computer system, an association between the appearance a token and information of the location of one or more files, comprising:

measuring means by which the appearance of said token is measured;

processing means to create a token identity from measurement data obtained by said measuring means;

an identity store to store said token identity;

a location information store to store said file location information; and

means to associate said token identity and said file location information.

11. Apparatus to retrieve within a computer system, one or more stored files by use of a token identity created from measuring the appearance of a token, where said token identity is associated with said one or more stored files, comprising:

measuring means by which said appearance of said token is measured;

means to create a subsequent identity for said token from measurement data obtained from said measuring means;

means to search for a match for said subsequent identity with said token identity; and

means to retrieve said one or more stored files, based on the identification of a match or a partial match between said subsequent identity and said token identity.

12. Apparatus to create within a computer system, an association between a token and a stored file for the purpose of retrieving and presenting said stored file, comprising:

measuring means by which the appearance of said token is measured on the first and subsequent occasions;

processing means to create a token identity and a subsequent identity from measurement data obtained from said measuring means;

an identity store to store said token identity;

a file store to store said files;

means to associate said token identity and said files;

searching means to find a match with said subsequent identity in said identity store;

means to retrieve files associated with said token identity, based on the identification of a match or a partial match between said subsequent identity and said token identity; and

presentation means by which said retrieved files are presented to a user