Method and apparatus for searching media program databases
First Claim
1. A method of providing list of a plurality of media programs, each media program having associated data categorizable according to a plurality of data categories, the list responsive to a user search query, comprising the steps of:
- accepting a general search query from a user computer;
identifying a synonym for the general search query, wherein the synonym includes one or more search terms that is determined to be synonymous with the general search query;
identifying only one of the plurality of data categories for the general search query according to a data category associated with the identified synonym;
without accepting further input from the user, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified data category to obtain a categorical search result; and
transmitting the categorical search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer.
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Abstract
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for providing list of a plurality of media programs responsive to a user search query is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting an general search query from a user computer, identifying a synonym for the general search query, identifying a category for the general search query according to the identified synonym, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified category to obtain a search result, and transmitting the search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer.
67 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of providing list of a plurality of media programs, each media program having associated data categorizable according to a plurality of data categories, the list responsive to a user search query, comprising the steps of:
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accepting a general search query from a user computer; identifying a synonym for the general search query, wherein the synonym includes one or more search terms that is determined to be synonymous with the general search query; identifying only one of the plurality of data categories for the general search query according to a data category associated with the identified synonym; without accepting further input from the user, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified data category to obtain a categorical search result; and transmitting the categorical search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for providing list of a plurality of media programs, each media program having associated data categorizable according to a plurality of data categories, the list responsive to a user search query, comprising:
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means for accepting a general search query from a user computer; means for identifying a synonym for the general search query, wherein the synonym includes one or more search terms that is determined to be synonymous with the general search query; means for identifying only one of the plurality of data categories for the general search query according to a data category associated with the identified synonym; means for performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified data category without further input from the user to obtain a categorical search result; and means for transmitting the categorical search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory program storage device, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps of providing list of a plurality of media programs, each media program having associated data categorizable according to a plurality of data categories, the list responsive to a user search query, the method steps comprising the steps of:
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accepting a general search query from a user computer; identifying a synonym for the general search query, wherein the synonym includes one or more search terms that is determined to be synonymous with the general search query; identifying only one of the plurality of data categories for the general search query according to a data category associated with the identified synonym; without accepting further input from the user, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified data category to obtain a categorical search result; and transmitting the search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification