US6332144B1 — Technique for annotating media

Claim 1

Independent Claim 80 words

A method for annotating media, comprising the steps of: identifying one or more particular times within a period defined by a start time and an end time of a media stream at which content within the media stream corresponds to an annotation value; associating the annotation value with the identified one or more particular times; and identifying a probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the identified one or more particular times.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 80 words

A method for annotating media, comprising the steps of: identifying one or more particular times within a period defined by a start time and an end time of a media stream at which content within the media stream corresponds to an annotation value; associating the annotation value with the identified one or more particular times; and identifying a probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the identified one or more particular times.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the identified one or more particular times defines a start time of an independently viewable portion of the media stream.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 49 words

A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the period defined by the start time and the end time of the media stream forms an item of media, and wherein the item of media is one of an item of audio media and an item of video media.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 16 words

A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the annotation value includes a textual item.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 15 words

A method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the textual item is a word.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the annotation value includes one of a person and a thing.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 67 words

A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the annotation value is a first annotation value, and further comprising the steps of: also identifying one or more particular times within the period at which content within the media stream corresponds to a second annotation value different than the first annotation value; and associating the second annotation value with the also identified one or more particular times.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first annotation value is a first type of annotation and the second annotation value is a second type of annotation which is different than the first type of annotation.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 88 words

A method as recited in claim 8 , wherein: each of the identified and the also identified one or more particular times defines a start time of an independently viewable portion of the media stream; and at least one of the independently viewable portions of the media stream having the start time defined by the identified one or more particular times overlaps at least one of the independently viewable portions of the media stream having the start time defined by the also identified one or more particular times.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first annotation value is the same type of annotation as the second annotation value.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: associating the annotation value with the probability.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 82 words

A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the probability is a first probability, further comprising the steps of: later identifying one or more particular times within the period at which content within the media stream corresponds to the annotation value; identifying a second probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the later identified one or more particular times; and associating the annotation value with the later identified one or more particular times.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising the step of: disassociating the identified one or more particular times with the annotation value if the second probability is higher than the first probability.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the identifying is performed by one of an automatic process and a manual process.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 62 words

A method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the identifying is performed by the automatic process, further comprising the steps of: later identifying, by the manual process, one or more particular times within the period at which content within the media stream corresponds to the annotation value; and associating the annotation value with the later identified one or more particular times.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 91 words

A system for annotating media, comprising: a processor configured to identify one or more particular times within a period defined by a start time and an end time of a media stream at which content within the media stream corresponds to an annotation value, and to identify a probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the identified one or more particular times; and a memory configured store an annotation index having the annotation value associated with the identified one or more particular times.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 91 words

A system for annotating media, comprising: a processor configured to identify one or more particular times within a period defined by a start time and an end time of a media stream at which content within the media stream corresponds to an annotation value, and to identify a probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the identified one or more particular times; and a memory configured store an annotation index having the annotation value associated with the identified one or more particular times.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 79 words

A system as recited in claim 16 , wherein: the annotation value is a first annotation value; the processor is further configured to also identify one or more particular times within the period at which content within the media stream corresponds to a second annotation value different than the first annotation value; and the memory is further configured to store the annotation index with the second annotation value in association with the also identified one or more particular times.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 27 words

A system as recited in claim 16 , wherein: the memory is further configured to store the annotation index with the annotation value associated with the probability.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 116 words

A system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the processor is a first processor and the probability is a first probability, and further comprising: a second processor configured to later identify one or more particular times within the period at which content within the media stream corresponds to the annotation value, and to identify a second probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the later identified one or more particular times; wherein the memory is further configured to store the annotation index with the annotation value associated with only the later identified one or more particular times if the second probability is higher than the first probability.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 40 words

A system as recited in claim 19 , further comprising: a network interconnecting the first processor, the second processor, and the memory; wherein the first processor, the second processor, and the memory are each located at a different network site.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 130 words

An article of manufacture for annotating media, the article of manufacture comprising: a computer readable storage medium; and computer programming stored on the storage medium; wherein the stored computer programming is configured to be readable from the computer readable storage medium by one or more computers and thereby cause the one or more computers to operate so as to: identify one or more particular times within a period defined by a start time and an end time of a media stream at which content within the media stream corresponds to an annotation value; associate the annotation value with the identified one or more particular times; and identify a probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the identified one or more particular times.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 130 words

An article of manufacture for annotating media, the article of manufacture comprising: a computer readable storage medium; and computer programming stored on the storage medium; wherein the stored computer programming is configured to be readable from the computer readable storage medium by one or more computers and thereby cause the one or more computers to operate so as to: identify one or more particular times within a period defined by a start time and an end time of a media stream at which content within the media stream corresponds to an annotation value; associate the annotation value with the identified one or more particular times; and identify a probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the identified one or more particular times.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 92 words

An article of manufacture as recited in claim 21 , wherein the annotation value is a first annotation value and the stored computer programming is further configured to be readable by the one or more computers to thereby cause the one or more computers to operate so as to: also identify one or more particular times within the period at which content within the media stream corresponds to a second annotation value different than the first annotation value; and associate the annotation value with the also identified one or more particular times.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 47 words

An article of manufacture as recited in claim 21 , wherein the stored computer programming is further configured to be readable by the one or more computers to thereby cause the one or more computers to operate so as to: associate the annotation value with the probability.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 113 words

An article of manufacture as recited in claim 23 , wherein the probability is a first probability and the stored computer programming is further configured to be readable by the one or more computers to thereby cause the one or more computers to operate so as to: later identify one or more particular times within the period at which content within the media stream corresponds to the annotation value; identify a second probability representing a measure of confidence in an accuracy of the annotation value corresponding to the later identified one or more particular times; and associate the annotation value with the later identified one or more particular times and the second probability.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2004-12-17	2005-06-18	2005-12-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2008-12-17	2009-06-18	2009-12-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2012-12-17	2013-06-18	2013-12-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Technique for annotating media

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