Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
  • G06F16/50—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of still image data
  • G06F16/58—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
  • G06F16/583—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using metadata automatically derived from the content
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
  • G06F16/40—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
  • G06F16/44—Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Definitions

• Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and electronic device for enabling searching.
• they relate to a method and electronic device for enabling searching where a search parameter may be any one of a plurality of different types of media.
• Search engines which enable a user of an electronic device to search through and retrieve data, are well known in the art.
• the data searched by such search engines may be personal data stored in the electronic device, for example in a memory of the device, or may be personal data or third party data stored on a computer network such as an intranet or the internet.
• the data stored may be of a number of different media types and the number of media types is proliferating. As the number of media types increases the process of searching through such data is becoming more important and more time consuming. Therefore it would be desirable to provide an improved multimedia searching mechanism. In particular it would be desirable to provide such a mechanism suitable for use in portable electronics applications.
• a method of enabling a search using an electronic device comprising; detecting actuation of a user input dedicated to provide access to a graphical user interface; and presenting, in response to the actuation of the dedicated user input, the graphical user interface for enabling a user to input a search parameter where the search parameter may be any one of a plurality of different types of media.
• the plurality of different types of media include at least two media types from the group of text, audio or pictorial inputs.
• Embodiments of the invention provide the advantage that, as a user only needs to make a single actuation of the dedicated user input to access the graphical user interface, they enable quick and convenient access to a graphical user interface for multi-media searching.
• embodiments of the invention also provide the advantage that they allow for a simplified method of enabling a search as a single graphical user interface can accept search parameters of a plurality of different media types.
• an electronic device operable to enable a search using any one of a plurality of different types of search parameters
• a display comprising; a display; user input means comprising a dedicated user input for providing access to a graphical user interface; and a processor operable to control the device, in response to the actuation of the dedicated user input to control the display to present the graphical user interface for enabling a user to input a search parameter where the search parameter may be any one of a plurality of different types of media.
• a computer program comprising program instructions for controlling an electronic device, the electronic device having a display and a user input dedicated to provide access to a graphical user interface, which, when loaded into a processor, provides: means for detecting actuation of the dedicated user input; and means for presenting, Jn response to the actuation of the dedicated user input, a graphical user interface for enabling a user to input a search parameter where the search parameter may be any one of a plurality of different types of media.
• a graphical user interface for enabling a user to input a search parameter into an electronic device where the search parameter may be any one of a plurality of different types of media.
• Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an electronic device
• Fig. 2. is a flow chart illustrating the method steps according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 3. illustrates a graphical user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• the Figures illustrate a method of enabling a search using an electronic device 1 , the method comprising; detecting 21 actuation of a user input 13 dedicated to provide access to a graphical user interface 41 and presenting 23, in response to the actuation 21 of the dedicated user input 13, the graphical user interface 41 for enabling a user to input a search parameter 43 where the search parameter 43 may be any one of a plurality of different types of media.
• Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an electronic device 1. Only the features referred to in the following description are illustrated. It should, however, be understood that the device 1 may comprise additional features that are not illustrated.
• the electronic device 1 may be, for example, a mobile cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a computer, a portable digital camera which may also be operable to send and receive SMS/MMS messages or any other electronic device operable to enable a search.
• the device may be operable to enable a search by carrying out the search itself or by placing an external search request.
• the illustrated electronic device 1 comprises: a processor 3, a memory 5, a user interface 9 and, in this example, an imaging device 15 and a communication device 17
• the user interface 9 comprises a display 11 and user input means 12.
• the user input means 12 may be any means which enable a user to input information into the device 1 including, for example, a keypad, a joystick, voice recognition means or a touch sensitive region of the display 11.
• the user input means also comprises a dedicated user input 13.
• the dedicated user input 13 is dedicated for providing access to a graphical user interface for enabling multi-media searching, irrespective of the mode of operation of the device 1.
• the dedicated user input 13 may be, for example, a key which may be part of a keypad or may be situated separately from the other input means 12 of the device 1.
• the processor 3 is connected to receive input commands from the user input means 12, including the dedicated user input 13, and to provide output commands to the display 11.
• the processor 3 is also connected to write to and read from the memory 5.
• the memory 5 stores computer program instructions 7, which when loaded into the processor 3, enable the processor 3 to control the operation of the device 1 as described below.
• the computer program instructions 7 provide the logic and routines that enables the electronic device 1 to perform the method illustrated in Fig 2.
• the computer program instructions 7 may arrive at the electronic device 1 via an electromagnetic carrier signal 8 or be copied from a physical entity 6 such as a computer program product, a memory device or a record medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD.
• the imaging device 15 may be any device operable to capture images.
• the imaging device 15 is controlled by the processor 3.
• the images captured by the imaging device can be stored in the memory 5 and displayed on the display 13.
• the communication device 17 may be a transceiver which enables the device 1 to communicate within a wireless communications network such as a cellular communications network or a wireless LAN.
• the communications device 17 may comprise a physical connection, such as a cable, to an external network which enables the device 1 to communicate within the external network.
• the communications device 17 is controlled by the processor 3.
• the device 1 may enable a search by controlling the communications device 17 to send a request for a search to an external search engine.
• the communications device 17 may also be operable to receive the results of the search from the external search engine.
• Fig 2. schematically illustrates a method of enabling a search using the device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.
• the processor 3 detects actuation of the dedicated user input 13 and, in response, controls the device 1 to present 23 a graphical user interface (GUI) 41 for enabling multi-media searching on the display 11.
• GUI graphical user interface
• Fig. 3. illustrates an example of a GUI 41 according to an embodiment of the invention.
• the GUI 41 enables a user to input a search parameter 43 so that a search can be carried out to locate data corresponding to the information content of the search parameter 43.
• the input search parameter 43 in fig 3 is a text input, however the search parameter may be any one of a plurality of different types of media such as text, audio or pictorial inputs.
• a user wishes to input a text search parameter they may be able to input the text using the input means 12.
• the user may be able to input alpha-numeric characters using a keypad.
• the user may also be able to input a text search parameter using audio input means, for example, the user may be able to speak into the audio input means so that the processor 3 can then recognize the input speech and convert it into a text string.
• the GUI 41 may comprise a text entry field 45 in which the input text is presented to a user.
• the user selects or highlights the text entry field 45 before they can input a text search parameter.
• the text entry field may be automatically activated when the user begins inputting text.
• the GUI 41 may also enable a user to input audio search parameters. For example, a user may be able to make a musical input by humming or singing a tune, or playing a piece of music into the audio input means. The piece of music may be music which is stored in the memory 5 of the device 1.
• the audio input means may be activated automatically when the user accesses the GUI 41 or the GUI 41 may include a user selectable option 53 to activate the audio input means.
• the GUI may also enable a user to input a pictorial search parameter. In one embodiment of the invention a user may input a pictorial search parameter by capturing an image using the imaging device 15 while the GUI 41 is presented.
• the GUI 41 may include a user selectable option 55 to activate the imaging device 15 and capture an image.
• the imaging device 15 may be operable to detect wavelengths of light outside the visible spectrum.
• the processor 3 may be operable to detect searchable patterns from these wavelengths for use as the search parameter 43.
• the GUI 41 may include an image entry field in which the images captured by the imaging device 15 are presented to a user.
• the image entry field may also function as a viewfinder of the imaging device 15 to enable a user to view the images before they are captured.
• the GUI 41 may also enable a user to select an image from images stored in the memory 5 of the device 1 for use as a search parameter 43.
• the GUI 41 may include a user selectable option 47 to enter and select an image from a database of images.
• the database of images may include images captured by the imaging device 15 or images which have been received in a message such as an email or MMS message or downloaded from a network such as the internet.
• the search parameter 43 may be the whole or a part of the image.
• the user may be able to select which part of the image they wish to use as the search parameter 43, for example they may wish to select a particular object in an image such as a person's face or a building, or a particular colour in the image.
• the processor 3 detects that a search parameter 43 has been input.
• the processor 3 may detect a signal from the user input means 12 indicating that a search parameter 43 has been input such as actuation of an enter key or selection of a user selectable option 51 such as 'OK' or 'enter' from the GUI.
• the processor 3 may detect that no further input has been made within a predetermined time.
• the processor 3 determines 27 the media type and the information content of the search parameter.
• the media type of the search parameter 43 is the form of the information content of the search parameter 43, for example, text, audio or pictorial information, or a combination of these.
• the processor 3 may be operable to automatically determine the media type of the search parameter 43.
• the processor 3 may be operable to determine the media type of the search parameter 43 by determining which type of input means was used to input the search parameter 43, for example the processor 3 may detect that the imaging device 15 has been used and so determine that the search parameter 43 is a pictorial input.
• the GUI 41 may comprise a user selectable option 49 to indicate the media type of the search parameter 43.
• the media type of the search parameter 43 may determine the algorithms that are used to extract the information content from the search parameter and locate the corresponding information.
• the media type of the search parameter 43 may also determine the databases that are searched.
• the information content of the search parameter 43 is the data or the patterns in the data of the input search parameter 43.
• the processor 3 also determines 27 the information content of the search parameter 43. For example, if the input is a text input it will determine the text string that has been input. If the search parameter 43 is a spoken audio input, the processor 3 will convert the spoken words into a text string and then enable the search to be carried out to locate information corresponding to the text string. If the input is an audio input, such as a musical input the processor 3 may extract information from the input, for example, by determining patterns within the tune.
• the processor 3 may extract content information from the image, for example, by determining patterns within the image.
• the processor 3 enables a search to be carried out to find information corresponding to the information content of the search parameter 43.
• the search may be to locate information matching or similar to the information content of the search parameter 43. For example, if the information content is a text string the search may locate documents containing the same text string or a similar text string either in the document or within the title of the document. If the search parameter 43 is an image or a musical input the search may be to locate image or musical files having the same or similar patterns to the search parameter 43.
• the search may be through information stored externally of the device 1 , for example, information stored in a network such as an intranet or the internet or through information stored internally of the device 1 , for example files and folders stored in the memory 5 of the device 1.
• the device 1 may also be operable to enable a search for data having specific properties. For example a user may be able to search for documents that were last modified on a particular date by inputting a date as the search parameter 43. Once the search has been completed the processor 3 controls the display 11 to present the results to the user.
• the results may be, for example, a list of websites or file names which contain information corresponding to the information content of the search parameter. In some embodiments the user may be able to access the websites or files directly from the results list.

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• 2006
  • 2006-06-23 EP EP06831655A patent/EP2033121A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-06-23 CN CNA2006800550575A patent/CN101473319A/zh active Pending
  • 2006-06-23 WO PCT/IB2006/003501 patent/WO2008001158A2/en active Application Filing

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