Alta Vista Company

Yahoo! Inc.

Digital Equipment Corporation

Overture Services, Inc.

Arjen P deVries

David E Kovalcin

Brian S Eberman

Michael Sokolov

Leonidas Kontothanassis

Leondias Kontothanassis

Frederic Dufaux

A technique for processing data in a network is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for processing data in a network having a plurality of network stations. The method comprises receiving a first representation of data at a first of the plurality of network stations, processing the first representation so as to generate a second representation of the data, and transmitting the second representation from the first network station to a second of the plurality of network stations for storage therein, wherein the second representation is stored at an address within the second network station. The method also comprises receiving the address at the first network station, and transmitting the address from the first network station to a third of the plurality of network stations for storage therein.

Technique for processing data in a network

According to the present invention, a technique for locating an item of interest within a stored representation of data is disclosed. The item of interest is preferably located within a particular one of a plurality of stored representations of data in a network having a plurality of network stations. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by first searching a plurality of stored annotations corresponding to different items within a plurality of stored representations of data to locate an annotation of interest corresponding to the item of interest, wherein the annotation of interest has an associated search identifier. A search request is then transmitted, from a first of the plurality of network stations to a second of the plurality of network stations, for the search identifier and an associated address identifier corresponding to a location of the particular one of the plurality of stored representations of data within the plurality of stored representations of data. The address identifier is then received at the first network station.

Technique for locating an item of interest within a stored representation of data

To annotate media, one or more particular times within a period defined by a start time and an end time of a media stream forming an item of audio or video media, are identified. The identified times are those at which content within the media stream corresponds to an annotation value. The annotation value is associated with the identified times to annotate the media.

Technique for annotating media

A method for matching a query to a portion of media, includes receiving a query relating to media of interest and searching, based upon the query, an index of annotations. Each of the annotations represents a respective item of available media and includes a plurality of annotation values. Each of the plurality of annotation values represents a portion of the represented item of available media. By matching the query to an annotation value within the index, the start time of a media stream forming the portion of the item of available media represented by the identified annotation value can be identified. The identified media stream start time can then be provided in response to the query, allowing the appropriate portion of the applicable item of available media to be directly accessed.

Technique for matching a query to a portion of media

A technique for processing data is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by receiving a first representation of data at a processing device, which then processes the first representation of data so as to generate a second representation of data. The second representation of data includes a plurality of dependent data representations and a plurality of independent data representations. Each of the plurality of dependent data representations is substantially aligned in time with a corresponding one of the plurality of independent data representations.

Technique for processing data

A technique for indexing data in a network having a plurality of network stations is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by receiving a data identifier at a first of the plurality of network stations from a second of the plurality of network stations. The data identifier is then stored at the first network station. The first network station then receives an annotation from the second network station, wherein the annotation is associated with the data identifier. The annotation is then stored at the first network station in association with the data identifier.

Technique for indexing data in a network

A method for locating a particularly relevant position within a multimedia steam includes identifying a multimedia stream based upon a query. The locations relevant to the query within the multimedia stream are also identified. The relevance of each of the identified locations is ranked and a particularly relevant one of the identified locations within the multimedia stream is determined based upon the ranking.

Growing community of inventors

Enschede, Netherlands

Arjen P deVries