Multimedia search system

• US 7,085,778 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• 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, Greenhalgh, Carol, Rogers, Derryl, Munevar, Edwardo, Good, Dale, Frank, Stanley D., Holzman, Carl, Jensen, Ann, Holman, Neil, Bastin, Norman J., Bestick, Greg, Maatman, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US11/150,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1
• 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 having textual and image data stored on a computer-readable recording medium, 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; and

a textual search entry path for searching textual data and for retrieving textual data and also a plurality of 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 searchable entry paths for retrieving said textual and image data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said textual data comprises words, phrases, numbers and letters.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said textual search entry path further comprises ranking means for ordering said textual data in order of relevance to said search inquiry.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein first image data and first textual data are interrelated,

said image entry path retrieves said first image data and also said interrelated first textual data,

said textual search entry path searches for said first textual data and retrieves said first textual data and also said interrelated first image data, and

said image data including picture data.

5. A machine-implemented search and retrieval system including a processor, a display and storage, said system comprising:

an image entry path for retrieving image data, said retrieved image data being displayed along with at least one icon to access textual data that is linked with the retrieved image data; and

a textual search entry path for searching textual data and for retrieving textual data, said retrieved textual data being displayed along with at least one icon to access a plurality of image data that is linked 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.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said textual data comprises words, phrases, numbers and letters.

7. The system according to claim 5, 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.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said textual search entry path further comprises ranking means for ordering said textual data in order of relevance to said search inquiry.

9. A machine-implemented screen display with an interface to access a search and retrieval system comprising:

a main menu 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 said screen display along with an indicator to access textual data that is associated with the retrieved image data; and

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

said search and retrieval system 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.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said navigation interface items include a back interface item to access a previous screen of textual data that is associated with image data.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising cut and paste interface items for cutting textual data retrieved by the textual search entry path so that the cut textual data may be pasted into a document.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said image entry path and said textual search entry path being independently accessible and separately and independently usable entry paths for retrieving said textual and image data.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein said textual data comprises words, phrases, numbers and letters.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein said textual data retrieved by the textual search entry path is displayed on the screen display along with indicating means to access a form of multimedia content, wherein said multimedia content comprises photographs, graphics, audio, video, and animations.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein said indicating means comprises an icon.

16. A machine-implemented user interface for searching and retrieving multimedia information through a processor, comprising:

a plurality of search entry paths for searching the multimedia information, the plurality of search entry paths including a textual search entry path and a picture search entry path;

wherein the textual search entry path receives inputted search terms and retrieves a list of articles that correspond to the search terms, wherein the list of articles are ordered by relevance to the search terms;

wherein the picture search entry path receives inputted search terms and retrieves a list of a plurality of pictures that correspond to the search terms, wherein the list of pictures are ordered by relevance to the search terms;

a selecting device for selecting one of the articles from the list of articles or for selecting one of the pictures from the list of pictures, wherein the user interface displays the selected article or picture; and

a multimedia indicator associated with the displayed article or the displayed picture, wherein the multimedia indicator accesses an associated picture when selected from the displayed article or an associated article when selected from the displayed picture.

17. The interface according to claim 16, wherein said textual search entry path further comprises ranking means for ordering said list of articles in order of relevance to said search terms.

18. The interface according to claim 16, wherein said multimedia information comprises photographs, graphics, audio, video, and animations.

19. The interface according to claim 16, wherein said multimedia indicator is an icon.

20. A machine-implemented user interface including a processor for searching and retrieving multimedia information comprising:

a plurality of search entry paths for searching the multimedia information, the plurality of search entry paths including a textual search entry path and a textual browse entry path,

the textual search entry path receiving search terms input by a user and retrieving a list of articles that correspond to the search terms, wherein the user selects an article from the list of articles, which is then displayed by the user interface;

the textual browse entry path displaying a hierarchy of topics and sub-topics, which are browsed by the user until a particular article title is displayed, wherein the user selects the particular article title in order to display the selected article;

a plurality of multimedia indicators associated with the displayed articles, wherein at least one of the articles includes a plurality of associated multimedia indicators, the plurality of multimedia indicators including a picture indicator that indicates a picture is associated with the article and is available for display, said multimedia indicators further including a video indicator that indicates a video is associated with the same article and is available for display.

21. The interface according to claim 20, wherein said textual data comprises words, phrases, numbers and letters.

22. The interface according to claim 20, 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.

23. The interface according to claim 20, wherein said multimedia information comprises photographs, graphics, audio, video, and animations.

24. The interface according to claim 20, wherein said multimedia indicators are icons.

25. A machine-implemented multimedia research system comprising:

a search and retrieval interface providing a plurality of search entry paths for researching multimedia information, the multimedia information including text articles having indicators that associate the text articles with a plurality of related pictures, videos or sounds that can be accessed through the search and retrieval interface;

wherein the plurality of search entry paths include a textual search entry path for inputting textual search terms and for providing a search result indicating text articles corresponding to the search terms, and a textual browse entry path for browsing a hierarchy of topics and sub-topics and for providing a search result indicating text articles associated with a browsed sub-topic; and

a bookmark function for marking the search results provided by the plurality of search entry paths and for storing a plurality of associated bookmarks, wherein the bookmarks may be activated to display the marked search results without accessing the plurality of search entry paths.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said text articles comprise words, phrases, numbers and letters.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein said multimedia information comprises photographs, graphics, audio, video, and animations.

28. The system according to claim 25, wherein said indicators are icons.

29. A multimedia search and retrieval method comprising the steps of:

(A) inputting one or more textual search terms into a search and retrieval interface and displaying a list of articles that correspond to the search terms, wherein the list of articles are ordered by relevance;

(B) selecting one of the articles in the list of articles and displaying the article, wherein the displayed article includes a plurality of multimedia indicators that associated the article to pictures, videos or audio clips;

(C) if one of the plurality of multimedia indicators refers to a picture, then selecting the multimedia indicator and displaying the picture;

(D) if one of the plurality of multimedia indicators refers to a video, then selecting the multimedia indicator and playing the video;

(E) if one of the plurality of multimedia indicators refers to an audio clip, then selecting the multimedia indicator and playing the audio clip;

(F) After one of steps (C), (D) or (E) activating a back function to return to a display of the selected article.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said articles comprise words, phrases, numbers and letters.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein said multimedia indicators are icons.