Approximate String Matching for Quote Search in Closed Captioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional search engines face challenges in efficiently locating specific quotes or strings of text, such as those from movies or product manuals, due to the need to navigate vast amounts of documents and the inability to handle exact matches, leading to a suboptimal user experience.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a dynamic quote database using approximate string matching, which crowdsources quotes and leverages closed captioning files to identify and extract relevant media clips, improving search efficiency and user interface by providing additional information related to the search query.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional search engines navigate through vast amounts of documents to locate quotes, then comprehensive search coverage is achieved, but search time and computational resources increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch accuracyVSAvoidsearch time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-processing video content to extract and store quotes with their temporal locations before search queries are submitted. Closed captioning files are parsed in advance to create a structured database of quotes with timestamps, allowing the system to immediately retrieve relevant quotes without searching through entire video transcripts during query processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary structured database that sits between the raw video content and the search interface. This database stores processed quote information including text, temporal locations, and associated video metadata, serving as a mediator that enables efficient querying without direct access to raw video files or full transcripts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If traditional search engines return only text-based results, then simplicity is maintained, but user experience and information completeness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple data types and functions into a unified search result system. It combines text-based quote matching with temporal location data, video clip extraction, and closed captioning information into a single integrated response that provides both textual and visual information simultaneously, enhancing user experience while managing system complexity through unified architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling the search system to perform multiple operations: text-based quote searching, temporal location identification, video clip extraction, and closed captioning retrieval. A single search interface handles all these functions, allowing the system to serve diverse information needs without requiring separate specialized tools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If exact string matching is used for quote searches, then precision is improved, but the ability to handle user variations and typos deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematch precisionVSAvoidquery flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by implementing fuzzy matching algorithms that allow for variations in string comparison. Instead of requiring exact character matches, the system tolerates certain differences such as typos, missing words, or rephrased queries while still identifying relevant quotes, thereby maintaining precision while increasing adaptability to user input variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10678854B1Approximate string matching in search queries to locate quotes
Publication Date: 2020.06.09 AMAZON TECH INC
  • US10678854B1 patent drawing
  • US10678854B1 patent drawing
  • US10678854B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Disclosed are various embodiments for employing approximate string matching in search queries to locate quotes, such as popular quotes in movies or other media. A quote database may be constructed to respond to search queries that include a quote by identifying approximate matches of the quote in closed captioning files. If an approximate match of a quote resides in the closed captioning file, information associated with the closed captioning file, such as a start time and an end time, may be added to the quote database for use in future searches.