SYSTEM AND METHOD OF SEARCHING FOR STORY-BASED MEDIA

• US 20080021894A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Styles
• Original Assignee: Thomas Styles
• Inventors: Styles, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/914 Video

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating a search for story-based media search criteria for use in searching for story-based works are disclosed. The method may include the steps of: facilitating a search for and receiving input from a user that specifies a first desired character type, a desired type of interaction between a first character and a second character in a work, and/or other story-based search criteria, and searching a work database, and identifying at least one of said plurality of works that has a first work character type, desired type of interaction, and/or other story-based search criteria that is substantially similar to the specified story-based search criteria.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a user in searching for a work, represented in a database by a work name, comprising the steps of:

receiving input from the user that specifies a first desired character type, wherein said first desired character type is specified upon selection of a first desired character quality from among a plurality of first desired character qualities,

wherein said plurality of first desired character qualities comprise at least one of;

various character occupations, various character personalities, level of positive portrayal of character, age group of character, sex of character, character'"'"'s level of success in portrayed endeavors;

searching a work database, wherein said work database stores a plurality of work names associated respectively with a plurality of works, wherein each of said plurality of works is associated with at least one work character, wherein each of said at least one work character is associated with more than one work character quality;

wherein said plurality of works comprise at least one of a movie, a book, a novel, and a play; and

identifying at least one of said plurality of works that has a first work character that has a character quality that is substantially similar to said specified first desired character type.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving said input specifying a first desired character type by selecting tree nodes and sub-tree nodes under a first desired character node.

2. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving input from the user that further specifies said first desired character type, wherein said first desired character type is further specified upon selection of a second desired character quality from among a plurality of second desired character qualities,

wherein said plurality of second desired character qualities comprise at least one of;

various character occupations, various character personalities, level of positive portrayal of character, age group of character, sex of character, character'"'"'s level of success in portrayed endeavors.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

storing in said work database a score for each work character quality representing the degree to which said at least one work character exhibits the respective work character quality in the respective work.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said identifying step further comprises the step of displaying work names in order of relevancy beginning with the work names that are the most similar to said specified first desired character type.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

receiving input from the user that specifies a second desired character type, wherein said second desired character type is specified upon selection of a third desired character quality from among a plurality of third desired character qualities,

wherein said plurality of third desired character qualities comprise at least one of;

various character occupations, various character personalities, level of positive portrayal of character, age group of character, sex of character, character'"'"'s level of success in portrayed endeavors;

wherein said work database further stores at least one character quality that is associated with a second work character who appears in at least one of said works; and

identifying at least one of said plurality of works that contain both said first and second work characters that respectively are substantially similar to said specified first and second desired characters types.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an importance input for each selected desired character quality for each specified desired character type, wherein each received importance input indicates the relative importance of the presence of the respective selected desired character quality relative to each other selected desired character quality; and

associating respectively a numeric importance value with each selected desired character quality based on each respective importance input, wherein each said numeric importance value represents the relative importance of each selected desired character quality.

8. A method of assisting a user in searching for a work from among a number of works, represented in a database by a work name, based on specified desired character interactions within said work, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first input from a user specifying a desired type of interaction between a first character and a second character in a work, wherein a work is one of a movie, a book, a novel, and a play; and

identifying, in a work database, a work that includes at least a first character and a second character whose interaction in said work is substantially similar to said specified desired type of interaction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said work database stores a score representing the amount of presence in the work of the specified desired type of interaction between said first and second characters in said work.

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

receiving input from the user that further specifies said desired character interaction;

wherein said specified desired type of character interaction comprises at least one of;

various types of family relationships, romance relationship, various types of office relationships, attraction, friendship, hostility, aggressive conflict.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising the steps of:

receiving further input from the user that specifies a first desired character type of said first character, wherein said first desired character type is specified by selecting a first desired character quality from among a plurality of first desired character qualities,

wherein said plurality of first desired character qualities comprise at least one of;

various character occupations, various character personalities, level of positive portrayal of character, age group of character, sex of character, character'"'"'s level of success in portrayed endeavors;

searching a work database, wherein said work database stores a plurality of work names associated respectively with a plurality of works, wherein said work database further stores at least one work character quality that is associated with a first work character who appears in at least one of said works; and

identifying at least one of said plurality of works that has a first work character that has a character quality that is substantially similar to said specified first desired character type.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving further input from the user that specifies a second desired character type associated with said second character, wherein said second desired character type is specified by selecting a second desired character quality from among a plurality of second desired character qualities,

wherein said plurality of second desired character qualities comprise at least one of;

various character occupations, various character personalities, level of positive portrayal of character, age group of character, sex of character, character'"'"'s level of success in portrayed endeavors;

searching a work database, wherein said work database stores a plurality of work names associated respectively with a plurality of works, wherein said work database further stores at least one work character quality that is associated with a second work character who appears in at least one of said works; and

identifying at least one of said plurality of works that has a second work character that has a character quality that is substantially similar to said specified second desired character type.

13. A method for assisting a user in a two-stage search for a work based on story-based criteria, wherein said work is represented in a database by a work name, and the two stages are:

an initial stage entailing a search for a first desired story-based criterion, wherein said search comprises the steps of;

receiving at least one input from the user denoting the user'"'"'s interest in story-based criteria; and

identifying a first desired story-based criterion, from among a plurality of story-based criteria, wherein said plurality of story-based criteria comprise at least one of;

heroism, various types of dramatic behaviors, various sociopolitical themes, various types of sex appeal, and various types of aggressive content; and

a subsequent stage comprising the steps of;

searching a work database, wherein said work database stores a plurality of work names associated respectively with a plurality of works, wherein said work database further stores at least one work story-based criterion that is associated with a first work of said plurality of works;

wherein said plurality of works comprise at least one of a movie, a book, a novel, and a play; and

identifying at least one of said plurality of works that has a story-based criterion that is substantially similar to said identified first desired story-based criterion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said initial stage further comprises the displaying of said plurality of story-based criteria in a hierarchal format, and wherein said initial stage identifying step further comprises the selecting of at least one of said plurality of story-based criteria from the hierarchal display of said plurality of story-based criteria.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said initial stage further entails a search for a second desired story-based criterion comprising the steps of:

receiving further input from the user that further denotes the user'"'"'s interest in story-based criteria; and

identifying a second desired story-based criterion, from among said plurality of second desired story-based criteria, wherein said plurality of second desired story-based criteria comprise at least one of;

heroism, various types of dramatic behaviors, various sociopolitical themes, various types of sex appeal, and various types of aggressive content; and

wherein said subsequent stage further comprises the steps of identifying at least one of said plurality of works that has story-based criteria that are substantially similar to said identified first and second desired story-based criteria.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an importance input for each identified desired story-based criterion, wherein each received importance input indicates the relative importance of the presence of the respective identified desired story-based criterion relative to all the other identified desired story-based criteria; and

associating respectively a numeric importance value with each identified desired story-based criterion based on each respective importance input, wherein each said numeric importance value represents the relative importance of each identified desired story-based criterion.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a first max/min input associated with said first desired story-based criterion indicating that the user desires that a work exhibit one of;

(a) as much of said first desired story-based criterion as possible, and (b) as little of said first desired story-based criterion as possible, wherein said identifying step in said subsequent stage is based on said first max/min input, and said first importance input.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the works identified in said subsequent stage are presented to the user in an order that is based on said identified desired story-based criteria, said numeric importance values and said first max/min input.

19. A graphical method for assisting a user in searching for a work, including:

displaying icons that represent character types desired by the user;

for one or more of said icons, receiving at least one user input specifying desired qualities of the character type, where each desired quality is selected from among a plurality of character qualities;

receiving an input referencing two characters, wherein said input graphically displays a connection between said icons, and wherein each graphically displayed connection represents a relationship between characters;

receiving user input, associated with each said graphical connection, representing desired qualities of the relationship between the characters that correspond to the icons so connected, where each desired quality is selected from among a plurality of relationship qualities; and

searching a work database that contains a plurality of works and identifying at least one of said plurality of works that has characters and relationships substantially similar to the character types and relationships desired by the user, wherein said plurality of works comprise at least one of a movie, a book, a novel, and a play.

20. A method of assisting a user in searching for a work through use of story-based criteria, comprising the steps of:

assisting the user in finding and selecting story-based criteria comprising the steps of;

presenting a plurality of story-based search criteria;

receiving inputs representing selections of story-based criteria that are to be used in a search;

receiving, for each selected story-based criterion, an indication of the importance of that story-based criterion;

searching a work database, wherein said work database stores a plurality of work names associated respectively with a plurality of works, wherein each of said plurality of works is associated with at least one work story-based criterion;

wherein said plurality of works comprise at least one of a movie, a book, a novel, and a play; and

identifying at least one of said plurality of works where said works comprise work story-based criteria that are substantially similar to said selected story-based criteria; and

presenting said identified works in order of relevancy based on said indications of importance and on the degree to which said works comprise work story-based criteria that are substantially similar to said selections of story-based criteria.