Query by indefinite expressions

• US 20060200449A1
• Filed: 11/27/2003
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Pauws, Steffen Clarence
• Application Number:
  US10/546,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200449A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content

Abstract

A method and apparatus for retrieving data from a database is disclosed. A plurality of entities are stored in a first memory and information about each stored entity is stored in a second memory. Criteria in the form of at least one indefinite expression is received from a user for selecting entites from the stored entities. The received criteria are translated into terms used in the stored information. A sequence of entites based on the translated criteria are then selected.

Claims

1. A database retrieval system, comprising:

means for storing a plurality of entities;

means for storing information about each stored entity;

means for receiving criteria in the form of at least one indefinite expression from a user for selecting entities from the stored entities;

means for translating received criteria into terms used in the stored information; and

means for selecting a sequence of entities based on the translated criteria.

2. The database retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein said means for receiving criteria from the user comprises at least one of a keyboard, mouse, microphone.

3. The database retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein entities comprise at least one of music, video content, audio/video content, and photographs.

4. The database retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one indefinite expression comprises at least one of indefinite determiners, singular/plural quantifiers, interrogative adverbs, and interrogative adjectives.

5. The database retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the received criteria comprises one of humming and tapping.

6. The database retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the received criteria is an ad hoc class.

7. The database retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the stored information is downloaded into the database retrieval system.

8. The database retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the user enters at least some of the stored information into the database retrieval system.

9. The database retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the information about the entity is read from the entity and stored in the storage means.

10. A method for retrieving data from a database, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of entities;

storing information about each stored entity;

receiving criteria in the form of at least one indefinite expression from a user for selecting entities from the stored entities;

translating received criteria into terms used in the stored information; and

selecting a sequence of entities based on the translated criteria.

11. The database retrieval method according to claim 10, wherein criteria from the user is entered using at least one of a keyboard, mouse, microphone.

12. The database retrieval method according to claim 10, wherein entities comprise at least one of music, video content, audio/video content, and photographs.

13. The database retrieval method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one indefinite expression comprises at least one of indefinite determiners, singular/plural quantifiers, interrogative adverbs, and interrogative adjectives.

14. The database retrieval method according to claim 10, wherein the received criteria comprises one of humming and tapping.

15. The database retrieval method according to claim 10, wherein the received criteria is an ad hoc class.

16. The database retrieval method according to claim 10, wherein the stored information is downloaded into the database retrieval system.

17. The database retrieval method according to claim 10, wherein the user enters at least some of the stored information into the database retrieval system.

18. The database retrieval method according to claim 10, wherein the information about the entity is read from the entity and stored in a storage means.

19. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for receiving data from a database wherein a plurality of entities and information about each entity is stored in the database, said method steps comprising:

receiving criteria in the form of at least one indefinite expression from a user for selecting entities from the stored entities;

translating received criteria into terms used in the stored information; and

selecting a sequence of entities based on the translated criteria.