Data similarity and importance using local and global evidence scores

Abstract

A method includes finding regions of a reference signal which provide at least one of: local evidence scores and a global evidence score. The local evidence scores indicate local similarity of the regions of the reference signal to regions of a query signal and the global evidence score defines the extent of a global similarity of the query signal to the reference signal. A media exploring device is also included which includes an importance encoder and a media explorer. The importance encoder generates importance scores of at least portions of digital media as a function of at least one of local evidence scores and global evidence scores. The media explorer enables exploring through the digital media according to (i) the importance scores, (ii) data associations/links induced by the evidence scores between different portions of the digital media. The device may also include a media player to play the digital media with adaptive speeds as a function of the importance scores. The device may also include a labeling/annotation module which inherits labels/annotations/markings according to the abovementioned data associations.