A user-interface method of selecting and presenting a collection of content items based on user navigation and selection actions associated with the content is provided. The method includes associating a relevance weight on a per user basis with content items to indicate a relative measure of likelihood that the user desires the content item. The method includes receiving a user's navigation and selections actions for identifying desired content items, and in response, adjusting the associated relevance weight of the selected content item and group of content items containing the selected item. The method includes, in response to subsequent user input, selecting and presenting a subset of content items and content groups to the user ordered by the adjusted associated relevance weights assigned to the content items and content groups.

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

An example method of displaying a data visualization includes displaying a plurality of selectable fields and receiving user selections of two different fields from the plurality of selectable fields. The method also includes generating, in accordance with the received user selections, data marks to be displayed in a data visualization, each data mark corresponding to a respective retrieved tuple of data from a multidimensional database, where (i) each data mark has an x-position defined according to data for a first field in the respective tuple and (ii) each data mark has a y-position defined according to data for a second field in the respective tuple. The method also includes displaying the data visualization that includes the generated data marks.

There is provided a method for searching a plurality of information sources using a multimedia element, the method may include receiving at least one multimedia element; generating, by a signature generator, for the at least one multimedia element at least one signature that is unidirectional, and yields compression; generating at least one textual search query using the at least one signature; wherein the generating of the textual search query comprises: (a) searching for at least one matching stored signature that matches one or more of the at least one signature; and (b) using a mapping between stored signatures and textual search queries, selecting at least one textual search query mapped to at least one matching stored signature; searching the plurality of information sources using the at least one textual search query; and causing a display of search results retrieved from the plurality of information sources.

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

A method of selecting and presenting content based on learned user preferences is provided. The method includes providing a content system including a set of content items organized by genre characterizing the content items, and wherein the set of content items contains microgenre metadata further characterizing the content items. The method also includes receiving search input from the user for identifying desired content items and, in response, presenting a subset of content items to the user. The method further includes receiving content item selection actions from the user and analyzing the microgenre metadata within the selected content items to learn the preferred microgenres of the user. The method includes, in response to receiving subsequent user search input, selecting and presenting content items in an order that portrays as relatively more relevant those content items containing microgenre metadata that more closely match the learned microgenre preferences of the user.

A method and system for identifying social trends are provided. The method includes collecting multimedia content from a plurality of data sources; gathering environmental variables related to the collected multimedia content; extracting visual elements from the collected multimedia content; generating at least one signature for each extracted visual element; generating at least one cluster of visual elements by clustering at least similar signatures generated for the extracted visual elements; correlating environmental variables related to visual elements in the at least one cluster; determining at least one social trend by associating the correlated environmental variables with the at least one cluster.

A system and method for enriching a concept database with homogenous concepts. The method includes determining, based on signatures of a first multimedia content element (MMCE) and signatures of a plurality of existing concepts in the concept database, at least one first concept; generating a reduced representation of the first MMCE, wherein the reduced representation excludes the signatures of the first MMCE that match the at least one first concept; comparing the reduced representation to signatures representing a plurality of second MMCEs to select a first plurality of top matching second MMCEs; generating, based on the reduced representation and the first plurality of top matching second MMCEs, at least one second concept; determining, for each second concept, whether the second concept is a homogenous concept, wherein each homogenous concept uniquely represents the same content; and adding each homogenous concept to the concept database.

In some embodiments, a method of allowing navigation of a plurality of data elements residing within a category-tree database includes providing, on a single primary “web” page, a distinct data element symbol for each data element and a distinct parent category symbol for each parent category in the category paths of the data elements. For each illustrated parent category, a distinct first level web page is provided that includes (i) a first level subcategory symbol for each first level subcategory in the category paths of the data element(s) associated with that parent category and (ii) the data element symbol for each such data element shown associated with its respective first level subcategory symbol.

Time-related properties may be modeled independent of a base object. Rather than storing time properties with the object, they may be stored independently. A given object may be stored once, even if it has a recurrent time property. The description of a “meeting,” for example, may be stored once. Each occurrence of that object over time may be stored in a “timeslot” (object <foo> occurs at time ‘t’ on day ‘d’). If it is a recurring property, recurrence information may be stored independently. “Exception” information may be stored independently as well.