Multimedia search system

• US 6,978,277 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Encyclopaedia Britannica Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Encyclopaedia Britannica Incorporated
• Inventors: Reed, Michael, Kester, Harold, Carlton, Ron, Maatman, Gail B., Greenhalgh, Carol, Rogers, Derryl, Munevar, Edwardo, Good, Dale, Frank, Stanley D., Holzman, Carl, Jensen, Ann, Holman, Neil, Bastin, Norman J., Bestick, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US10/103,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 715/700
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• 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 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/919 Geographic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A database search system that retrieves multimedia information in a flexible, user friendly system. The search system uses a multimedia database consisting of text, picture, audio and animated data. That database is searched through multiple graphical and textual entry paths. Those entry paths include an idea search, a title finder search, a topic tree search, a picture explorer search, a history timeline search, a world atlas search, a researcher'"'"'s assistant search, and a feature articles search.

Claims

1. A search and retrieval system, comprising:

links between textual data and image data so as to form interrelationships between the textual data and image data;

an image entry path for retrieving image data and also textual data that is interrelated with the retrieved image data;

a textual search entry path for searching textual data and for retrieving textual data and also image data that is interrelated with the retrieved textual data;

said image entry path and said textual search entry path are independently accessible and separately and independently usable entry paths for retrieving said textual and image data; and

wherein said textual search entry path comprises idea entry path means having a searching means for searching said textual data for terms and phrases that closely resemble a search inquiry.

2. A computer graphical user interface to access a search and retrieval system, comprising:

navigation interface items for accessing an image entry path and for accessing a textual search entry path,

wherein said image entry path retrieves image data, said retrieved image data being displayed on a computer screen along with indicating means to access textual data that is associated with the retrieved image data;

wherein said textual search entry path searches and retrieves textual data, said retrieved textual data being displayed on the computer screen along with indicating means to access image data that is associated with the retrieved textual data;

said navigation interface items including a bookmark interface item to store for access by a user a pointer to textual data that is associated with the retrieved image data; and

wherein said textual search entry path comprises idea entry path means having a searching means for searching said textual data for terms and phrases that closely resemble a search inquiry.

3. A computer graphical user interface to access a search and retrieval system, comprising:

navigation interface items for accessing an image entry path and for accessing a textual search entry path,

wherein said image entry path retrieves image data, said retrieved image data being displayed on a computer screen along with indicating means to access textual data that is associated with the retrieved image data;

wherein said textual search entry path searches and retrieves textual data, said retrieved textual data being displayed on the computer screen along with indicating means to access image data that is associated with the retrieved textual data;

said navigation interface items including a bookmark interface item to store for access by a user a pointer to textual data that is associated with the retrieved image data; and

wherein said textual search entry path further comprises;

idea entry path means having a searching means for searching said textual data for terms and phrases that closely resemble a search inquiry; and

ranking means for ordering said textual data in order of relevance to said search inquiry.

4. A method of researching multimedia information including articles, photographs, videos and audio clips, comprising the steps of:

(A) textually searching the articles by inputting search terms into a textual search entry path and retrieving a list of text articles based upon the inputted search terms;

(B) activating a bookmark function to store a reference to the list of text articles;

(C) selecting one of the text articles and displaying the selected text article and one or more multimedia indicators that accesses photographs, videos or audio clips associated with the selected text article;

(D) activating the bookmark function to store a reference to the selected text article;

(E) selecting one of the one or more multimedia indicators and activating the associated photograph, video or audio clip;

(F) activating the bookmark function to store a reference to the selected photograph, video or audio clip;

(G) returning to the selected text article by activating a back function;

(H) returning to the textual search entry path using the back function;

(I) inputting additional search terms into the textual search entry path to retrieve another list of text articles that match the inputted search terms and repeating steps (A) through (H).

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of ordering said retrieved list of text articles in step (A) in order of relevance to said search terms.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said multimedia information comprises photographs, graphics, audio, video, and animations.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said multimedia indicators are icons.

8. A multimedia search and retrieval system, comprising:

a textual search entry path for receiving textual search terms input by a user of the system and for retrieving a list of article titles that correspond to the textual search terms, wherein the user selects an article title from the list of article titles in order to display a particular article, the displayed article including one or more multimedia indicators that may be activated by the user to access pictures, videos or audio clips associated with the particular article;

a textual browse entry path providing a list of article titles organized into topics and sub-topics, wherein the user of the system selects a particular article for display by browsing the topics and sub-topics until the particular article tide is found; and

a picture search entry path providing a list of picture caption associated with one or more pictures, wherein the user selects a picture caption in order to display the one or more associated pictures, the system providing picture controls for manipulating the displayed pictures, the picture controls including a pan function for scanning the displayed picture and a zoom function for increasing or reducing the displayed size of the picture.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said textual search entry path comprises idea entry path means having a searching means for searching said articles for terms and phrases that closely resemble a search inquiry.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said textual search entry path further comprises ranking means for ordering said articles in order of relevance to said search inquiry.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said multimedia indicators are icons.