Method and system for archiving and retrieving items based on episodic memory of groups of people

Abstract

A method and system are provided for archiving and retrieving digital media items based on episodic memory for predefined associated groups of one or more people. The method and system may comprise identifying one or more groups to which an archiving user belongs; receiving a user input identifying select groups to which a digital media item to be archived; receiving archiving input data identifying the digital media item to be archived for the group; generating index information using the received user archiving input; storing the index information in association with the identified digital media item; repeating the reception of archiving input data, the generation of the index information and the storing of the index information for the digital media item; receiving retrieval input data representing a selection of candidate values; and using the selections and the identified group to retrieve and output digital media items that match the selection.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A multimedia retrieval method, comprising:
 authenticating an operator as a member of a group of users;   identifying search parameters for multimedia retrieval, the search parameters taken from identification values representing one or more of: persons that are registered as members of the group, event types and time;   searching a multimedia storage system using the search parameters,   retrieving, from the multimedia storage system, stored media items based on matches between the search parameters and index information stored the multimedia storage system in association with the media items; and   presenting the retrieved media items to the operator.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the index information includes data provided by multiple members of the group of users. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein
 the search further comprises searching for stored media items that are flagged, in the multimedia storage system, for prioritized presentation, and   the presenting further comprising presenting the flagged media items before presenting non-flagged media items.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the presenting includes presenting the retrieved media items in an order identified by metadata stored in the multimedia storage system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the search parameters are provided by an operator in response to a query provided to the operator that identifies persons that are registered as members of the group, event types and time. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the search parameters are random selections of persons that are registered as members of the group, event types and time. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 as media items are presented to the operator, revising the search parameters,   re-searching the multimedia storage system using the revised search parameters, and   retrieving a new set of stored media items based on matches between the search parameters and the index information stored in the multimedia storage system; and   presenting the new set of stored media items to the operator.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the multimedia items include items of different media types. 
     
     
         23 . A method of archiving and retrieving digital media items, comprising
 receiving a input identifying a group of users to which an operator belongs;   receiving archiving input data identifying: a digital media item to be archived for the group, the operator's selection from among one of: a plurality of group event types, persons in the group, and time;   generating index information using the received archiving input;   storing digital media item in a multimedia storage system in association with the group, including the index information;   repeating the reception of archiving input data, the generation of index information and the storing of the index information for a plurality of digital media items;   responsive to operator input representing a command to retrieve media items:
 searching the multimedia storage system for media items stored as associated with the group, 
 retrieving, from the multimedia storage system, the stored media items; and 
 presenting the retrieved media items to the operator. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the stored index information includes index information provided by other members of the group of users. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein
 the search comprises searching for stored media items that are flagged, in the multimedia storage system, for prioritized presentation, and   the presenting comprises presenting the flagged media items before presenting non-flagged media items.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the presenting includes presenting the retrieved media items in an order identified by metadata stored in the multimedia storage system. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the searching comprises searching according search parameters provided by the operator in response to a query that identifies persons that are registered as members of the group, event types and time. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the searching comprises searching according search parameters that are random selections of persons that are registered as members of the group, event types and time. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the operator command indicates a command to retrieve all media items associated with the group. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 as media items are presented to the operator, receiving new search parameters,   re-searching the multimedia storage system using the new search parameters, and   retrieving a new set of stored media items based on matches between the new search parameters and the index information stored in the multimedia storage system; and   presenting the new set of stored media items to the operator.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the multimedia items include items of different media types. 
     
     
         32 . An multimedia retrieval system, comprising:
 a multimedia storage system storing media items and index information that identifies social groups of users to which each media item belongs and other index information identifying user-supplied identifiers of event types, persons in the group, and/or time of the respective media item;   an authentication system to authenticate an operator as a member of a group of users,   an archiving interface system, provided in communication with operator terminal equipment, to receive archiving input data from the operator identifying: a digital media item to be archived for the group, the operator's selection from among one of: a plurality of group event types, persons in the group, and time;   a database interface to generate index information from the received archiving input data and store the index information in the multimedia storage system;   a retrieval interface system, responsive to operator input representing a command to retrieve media items, to search the multimedia storage system for media items stored as associated with the group and retrieve, from the multimedia storage system, the stored media items; and   a communication interface to presenting the retrieved media items to the operator terminal equipment.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the stored index information includes index information provided by other members of the group of users. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein
 the search comprises searching for stored media items that are flagged, in the multimedia storage system, for prioritized presentation, and   the presenting comprises presenting the flagged media items before presenting non-flagged media items.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the presenting includes presenting the retrieved media items in an order identified by metadata stored in the multimedia storage system. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the searching comprises searching according search parameters provided by the operator in response to a query that identifies persons that are registered as members of the group, event types and time. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the searching comprises searching according search parameters that are random selections of persons that are registered as members of the group, event types and time. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the operator input indicates a command to retrieve all media items associated with the group.