Live presentation searching

Abstract

In a networked client/server system, live presentations can be streamed from an encoder or other server to a client computer. Additionally, information describing the presentation is registered with a search server. This information is made available for user searches only for as long as the information properly describes the live presentation. When the information no longer describes a current live presentation, the information is no longer available for searching.

1 . A system comprising: 
 a search server;    an encoder;    a client computer;    wherein the encoder is to provide an indication of a currently available live presentation to the search server;    wherein the client computer is to submit a request with search criteria to the search server;    wherein the search server is to,    determine whether the currently available live presentation from the encoder matches the search criteria, and    transmit an identifier of the encoder to the client computer if the currently available live presentation matches the search criteria; and    wherein the encoder is to provide the live presentation to the client computer.    
     
     
         2 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the encoder is further to provide a subsequent indication to the search server indicating that the live presentation is over.  
     
     
         3 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the encoder further provides to the search server, during the live presentation, information identifying current characteristics of the live presentation.  
     
     
         4 . A system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the search server is further to transmit the information identifying current characteristics of the live presentation to the client computer; and    the client computer is further to display the information identifying current characteristics of the live presentation.    
     
     
         5 . A system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the information identifying current characteristics comprises a topic description; and    the encoder provides a characteristics over indication to the search server when the topic identified by the topic description is no longer being presented.    
     
     
         6 . A system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the information identifying the current characteristics comprises text corresponding to the live presentation.  
     
     
         7 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the live presentation comprises an audio/video streaming media presentation.  
     
     
         8 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the search server is further to: 
 maintain a record of user search requests; and    notify the corresponding user when a new live presentation becomes available that satisfies a search request.    
     
     
         9 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the encoder is configured to send a message to the search server identifying duration of the live presentation and is further configured to send, to the search server, a further indication to change the duration when a presentation that is scheduled for a particular duration is to be extended.  
     
     
         10 . A method comprising: 
 sending, to a search server, information identifying a live presentation available over a network at the beginning of the live presentation; and    identifying, to the search server, when the live presentation is no longer available over the network.    
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the identifying comprises sending, to the search server, an indication of the duration of the live presentation.  
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the identifying comprises sending, to the search server, an indication of when the live presentation has ended.  
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising sending, to the search server, an identifier of an encoder from which the live presentation can be obtained.  
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the sending the identifier comprises sending, as the identifier, a uniform resource locator (URL).  
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising identifying, to the search server, information indicating characteristics of a part of the live presentation currently being presented.  
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the identifying information includes sending, to the search server, an indication of the duration of the characteristics.  
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the identifying information comprises: 
 sending, to the search server, an indication of the characteristics when the current characteristics begin to describe the live presentation; and    sending, to the search server, a characteristics over indication when the current characteristics no longer describe the live presentation.    
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising generating the information identifying the live presentation as the live presentation is presented over the network.  
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the generating comprises identifying key words as the live presentation is presented.  
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising using closed captioning data as the information identifying the live presentation.  
     
     
         21 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the live presentation comprises a composite media stream having an audio stream and a video stream.  
     
     
         22 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the identifying comprises sending, to the search server, an indication of duration of the live presentation; and further comprising, sending, to the search server, a further indication to change the duration when a presentation that is scheduled for a particular duration is to be extended.  
     
     
         23 . One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform acts of: 
 sending, to a search server, information identifying a live presentation available over a network at the beginning of the live presentation; and    identifying, to the search server, when the live presentation is no longer available over the network.    
     
     
         24 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a bus;    a processor coupled to the bus; and    a memory, coupled to the bus, to store a plurality of instructions that are executed by the processor, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, cause the processor to,    receive information identifying live content,    maintain the information for as long as the live content is available, and    use the information to respond to searches from a plurality of client computers.    
     
     
         25 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the instructions to receive information identifying live content are to receive information identifying live content available from an encoder at the time the information is received.  
     
     
         26 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 24 , further comprising a nonvolatile storage device, coupled to the bus, to record the information identifying live content.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to store the information identifying live content in the memory.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the information identifying live content includes a set of descriptive words and an indicator of a server from which the live content is available.  
     
     
         29 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the indicator of the server comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).  
     
     
         30 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to: 
 receive information identifying current characteristics of the live content;    maintain the information identifying the current characteristics for as long as the characteristics describe the live content; and    use the information identifying the current characteristics to respond to searches from the plurality of client computers.    
     
     
         31 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to: 
 receive information identifying current topic information identifying a topic currently being presented as part of the live content;    receive an indication that the topic is no longer being presented;    maintaining the topic information for a period of time after receiving the indication that the topic is no longer being presented; and    using the current topic information to respond to searches from the plurality of computers during the period of time.    
     
     
         32 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to generate, based on the information identifying live content, descriptive information to be added to a database of live content.  
     
     
         33 . A system comprising: 
 a search server;    an encoder;    a client computer;    wherein the encoder is to provide an indication of a currently available live presentation to the search server;    wherein the client computer is to submit a request with search criteria to the search server;    wherein the search server is to,    determine whether the currently available live presentation from the encoder matches the search criteria, and    transmit an identifier of the encoder to the client computer if the currently available live presentation matches the search criteria;    wherein the encoder is configured to provide the live presentation to the client computer; and    wherein the encoder is further configured to provide to the search server, during the live presentation, information identifying current characteristics of the live presentation and the data is chosen from a group consisting of: one or more key words describing the presentation, a summary or abstract of the presentation, or a textual transcript of the presentation.    
     
     
         34 . Computer-readable storage media containing a computer-readable instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to: 
 send, to a search server, information identifying a live presentation available over a network at the beginning of the live presentation; and    identify, to the search server, when the live presentation is no longer available over the network.    
     
     
         35 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send, to the search server, an indication of the duration of the live presentation.  
     
     
         36 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to identify comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send, to the search server, an indication of when the live presentation has ended.  
     
     
         37 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send, to the search server, an identifier of an encoder from which the live presentation can be obtained.  
     
     
         38 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send, to the search server, an identifier of an encoder from which the live presentation can be obtained, wherein the identifier comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).  
     
     
         39 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to identify, to the search server, information indicating characteristics of a part of the live presentation currently being presented.  
     
     
         40 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to identify, to the search server, information indicating characteristics of a part of the live presentation currently being presented, including an indication of a duration of the characteristics.  
     
     
         41 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to identify, to the search server, information indicating current characteristics of a part of the live presentation currently being presented, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to: 
 send, to the search server, an indication of the characteristics when the current characteristics begin to describe the live presentation; and    send, to the search server, a characteristics over indication when the current characteristics no longer describe the live presentation.    
     
     
         42 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to generate the information identifying the live presentation as the live presentation is presented over the network.  
     
     
         43 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to generate the information identifying the live presentation as the live presentation is presented over the network, wherein the information comprises key words identified as the live presentation is presented.  
     
     
         44 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to use closed captioning data as the information identifying the live presentation.  
     
     
         45 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send information identifying a live presentation comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send information identifying a composite media stream having an audio stream and a video stream.  
     
     
         46 . Computer-readable storage media as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to identify comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send, to the search server, an indication of when the live presentation has ended and to prevent any subsequent user search requests from being satisfied using the information describing that presentation by deleting the information describing that presentation.  
     
     
         47 . A system comprising: 
 an encoder configured to provide an indication of a currently available live presentation;    a client computer;    a search server including:    a content database configured to maintain descriptive information regarding current live content available from the encoder;    a notification database configured to maintain information regarding users of client computers registered to be notified when particular live content is available; and    a scheduled presentations database configured to maintain information regarding future live presentations that have been registered with the search server;    wherein the client computer is configured to submit a request with search criteria to the search server;    wherein the search server is configured to:    determine whether the currently available live presentation from the encoder matches the search criteria, and    transmit an identifier of the encoder to the client computer if the currently available live presentation matches the search criteria; and    wherein the encoder is configured to provide the live presentation to the client computer.    
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the search server includes: 
 a query interface configured to allow the client computer to communicate with the search server to enter search criteria for live content;    a registration interface configured to allow the encoder to provide descriptive information regarding the live content to be provided to the client computer and to be added to the content database to be used for searches;    a search engine configured to access the content database to search the descriptive information for live content that matches the search criteria upon receipt of a search request via the query interface, and    a database controller configured to manage the content, notification and scheduled presentations databases, including adding entries to and removing entries from the content, notification and scheduled presentations databases.