Managing media objects in a database

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for organizing media objects in a database using contextual information for a media object and known media objects, categories, indexes and searches, to arrive at an inference for cataloging the media object in a database. The media object may then be cataloged in the database according to the inference. A method and apparatus are provided for clustering media objects by forming groups of unlabeled data and applying a distance metric to said group.

1 . A method of organizing media objects in a database, comprising: 
 capturing a media object;    detecting at least one of a latitude or longitude of the captured media object indicated in metadata for the captured media object;    identifying media objects stored in the database that are related to the captured media object based on at least one of a latitude or longitude of the captured media object;    inferring organization information for the captured media object based upon information obtained from each of the stored media objects that are related to the captured media object; and    organizing the captured media object in the database based upon the inferred organization information.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the organizing step includes storing the captured media object in the database, and wherein the method further comprises assigning at least one attribute to the metadata for the captured media object prior to storing the captured media object.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 assigning at least one attribute to the metadata for the captured media object based upon the inferred organization information.    
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 adding information to the metadata of the captured media object indicating that the inferred organization information for the captured media object was determined based upon an inference.    
     
     
         5 . A method of organizing media objects in a database, comprising: 
 detecting a capture time for each of the media objects to be organized;    sorting the media objects based upon the capture time to generate a sorted list;    comparing the capture time of each of the media objects with a reference value;    updating the reference value according to the media objects in the sorted list; and    storing the media objects in the database based upon the comparison.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the comparing step comprises: 
 determining whether the capture time of the each of the media objects is within a predetermined time period from the reference value; and    wherein the storing step comprises grouping at least one of the media objects into a collection when the capture time of the at least one of the media objects is within the predetermined time period from the reference value.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 selecting a representative media object from the at least one of the media objects grouped in the collection for use as a user interface.    
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 repeating the comparing step, the storing step and the selecting step for each of the media objects in the sorted list.    
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the step of updating the reference value according to the media objects in the sorted list further comprises: 
 setting the reference value to a predetermined value;    determining whether the capture time of a first one of the media objects in the sorted list is within a predetermined time period from the reference value;    grouping the first one of the media objects into a collection when the capture time of the first one of the media objects is within the predetermined time period from the reference value;    updating the reference value to the capture time of the first one of the media objects in the sorted list to generate an updated reference value; and    repeating the determining step, the grouping step and the updating step for each of the media objects in the sorted list.    
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 creating a new collection when the capture time of any one of the media objects from the sorted list is not within the predetermined time period from the updated reference value.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 selecting a representative media object from the collection and from each new collection for use as a user interface.    
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of: 
 capturing a media object;    detecting at least one of a latitude or longitude of the captured media object indicated in metadata for the captured media object;    identifying media objects stored in the database that are related to the captured media object based on at least one of a latitude or longitude of the captured media object;    inferring organization information for the captured media object based upon information obtained from each of the stored media objects that are related to the captured media object; and    organizing the captured media object in the database based upon the inferred organization information.    
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 12 , wherein the organizing step includes storing the captured media object in the database, and wherein the method further comprises assigning at least one attribute to the metadata for the captured media object prior to storing the captured media object.  
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 12 , having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of: 
 assigning at least one attribute to the metadata for the captured media object based upon the inferred organization information.    
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 12 , having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of: 
 adding information to the metadata of the captured media object indicating that the inferred organization information for the captured media object was determined based upon an inference.