(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,051,018 B2 Reed Et Al
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US007051018B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,051,018 B2 Reed et al. (45) Date of Patent: May 23, 2006 (54) MULTIMEDIA SEARCH SYSTEM (52) U.S. Cl. ........................... 707/3; 715/700; 345/418 (58) Field of Classification Search .................... 707/3; (75) Inventors: Michael Reed, Chicago, IL (US); Greg 715/700; 345/418 Bestick, Lacosta, CA (US); Carol See application file for complete search history. Greenhalgh, Austin, TX (US); Norman J. Bastin, Chicago, IL (US); Ron (56) References Cited Carlton, San Marcos, CA (US); Stanley D. Frank, Chicago, IL (US); U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Dale Good, Evanston, IL (US); Neil RE30,666 E 7/1981 Mitchell et al. Holman, Buffalo Grove, IL (US); Carl 4,422,158 A 12/1983 Galie Holzman, Chicago, IL (US); Ann 4,542,477 A 9/1985 Noyori et al. Jensen, Austin, TX (US); Harold Kester, San Diego, CA (US); Dave (Continued) Maatman, Solana Beach, CA (US); FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Edwardo Munevar, San Diego, CA (US); Derryl Rogers, Carlsbad, CA EP O 172357 2, 1986 (US) (Continued) (73) Assignee: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., OTHER PUBLICATIONS Chicago, IL (US) Kishimoto, J., “A Browsing Methods For Image Database On The Microfilm Library Devices”, TENCOM 89-IEEE (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Reg. 10 Conf. on Computer and Communication . (Aug. U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. 1989) pp. 974-977. (Continued) (21) Appl. No.: 11/150,812 Primary Examiner Wayne Amsbury (22) Filed: Jun. 13, 2005 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP (65) Prior Publication Data US 2005/025 1515 A1 Nov. 10, 2005 (57) ABSTRACT Related U.S. Application Data A database search system that retrieves multimedia infor (63) Continuation of application No. 10/103,814, filed on mation in a flexible, user friendly system. The search system Mar. 25, 2002, which is a continuation of application uses a multimedia database consisting of text, picture, audio No. 08/202,985, filed on Feb. 28, 1994, now Pat. No. and animated data. That database is searched through mul 6,546,399, which is a continuation of application No. tiple graphical and textual entry paths. Those entry paths 08/113,955, filed on Aug. 31, 1993, now abandoned, include an idea search, a title finder search, a topic tree which is a continuation of application No. 07/426, search, a picture explorer search, a history timeline search, a world atlas search, a researcher's assistant search, and a 917, filed on Oct. 26, 1989, now Pat. No. 5,241,671. feature articles search. (51) Int. C. G06F 7/30 (2006.01) 129 Claims, 20 Drawing Sheets * Notes H. as 88 RESEARCA H 88 S CSE AST SEEN - as EXIT GETTING SERD ea. CSE LEF&ER AN C FIRE Ex-RSR C AIK AE SPLA 6. DISPLAY topicOC TreeTREE SORY TELINE RESEARCHERS SSS US 7,051,018 B2 Page 2 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,065.345 A 1 1/1991 Knowles et al. 4,553,206 A * 11/1985 Smutek et al. .............. 707/101 S. E. st al t ck g E. 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