Method and apparatus for processing metadata

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for processing metadata are described herein. In one embodiment, when a file (e.g., a text, audio, and/or image files) having metadata is received, the metadata and optionally at least a portion of the content of the file are extracted from the file to generate a first set of metadata. An analysis is performed on the extracted metadata and the content to generate a second set of metadata, which may include metadata in addition to the first set of metadata. The second set of metadata may be stored in a database suitable to be searched to identify or locate the file. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

1 . A machine implemented method, comprising: 
 extracting at least a portion of at least one of content and metadata from a file to generate a first set of metadata; and    performing a metadata analysis on the first set of metadata to generate a second set of metadata having at least one metadata not included in the first set of metadata, wherein the second set of metadata is suitable to be searched to identify the file.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining a type of the file; and    invoking an importer associated with the determined type of the file to extract the metadata from the file.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the second set of metadata in a database referenced by one or more predetermined categories, which when are matched with a search query, identify the file.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 determining a relationship between two or more of the first set of metadata based on the metadata analysis; and    deriving one or more of the second set of metadata from the two or more of the first set of metadata when the determined relationship satisfies one or more predetermined rules.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metadata analysis comprises at least one of a latent semantic analysis (LSA), tokenization, stemming, concept extraction, spectrum analysis and filtering, optical character recognition (OCR), and voice recognition.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the file includes text and wherein the method further comprises: 
 performing at least one of tokenization, stemming, and concept extraction on the text to generate one or more keywords from the text; and    performing a latent semantic analysis on the one or more keywords to generate additional metadata which forms in part the second set of metadata.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the file includes an image and wherein the method further comprises performing an image analysis on the image to obtain additional image related information to be used as a part of the second set of metadata.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein performing an image analysis comprises performing at least one of color analysis and shape analysis of the image to determine circumstances under which the image is generated.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein performing an image analysis further comprises performing at least one of a spectrum analysis and spectrum filtering operations to determine a time when the image is generated and to determine whether the image is in a portrait or a landscape configuration.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising invoking a remote service over a network to obtain additional information regarding the image.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the remote service comprises a global positioning system (GPS) service to determine geographical information regarding generation of the image.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising recognizing any text within the image and using one or more keywords from the recognized text to derive additional metadata as a part of the second set of metadata.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein recognizing any text within the image is performed via an optical character recognition (OCR) operation.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the file comprises an audio clip and wherein the method further comprises determining a type of the audio clip indicating whether the audio clip is a part of a music, a song, and a recorded voice based on the metadata of the audio clip.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising performing a frequency analysis on the audio clip to determine at least one of a type of music and musical instrument played in the music.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the frequency analysis is performed via at least one of a spectrum analysis and spectrum filtering operations.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising recognizing words used in a song of the audio clip, wherein at least a portion of the recognized words are used as a part of second set of metadata.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein recognizing words used in a song is performed via a voice recognition operation.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising performing at least one of a latent semantic analysis (LSA), stemming, and concept extraction operations on the recognized words to generate additional metadata, which is used as a part of the second set of metadata.  
   
   
       20 . A machine-readable medium having executable code to cause a machine to perform a method, the method comprising: 
 extracting at least a portion of at least one of content and metadata from a file to generate a first set of metadata; and    performing a metadata analysis on the first set of metadata to generate a second set of metadata having at least one metadata not included in the first set of metadata, wherein the second set of metadata is suitable to be searched to identify the file.    
   
   
       21 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a metadata importer to extract at least a portion of at least one of content and metadata from a file to import a first set of metadata; and    a metadata analyzer coupled to the metadata importer to perform a metadata analysis on the first set of metadata to generate a second set of metadata having at least one metadata not included in the first set of metadata, wherein the second set of metadata is suitable to be searched to identify the file.    
   
   
       22 . A data processing system, comprising: 
 a processor;    a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, which when executed from the memory, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations including    extracting at least a portion of at least one of content and metadata from a file to generate a first set of metadata, and    performing a metadata analysis on the first set of metadata to generate a second set of metadata having at least one metadata not included in the first set of metadata, wherein the second set of metadata is suitable to be searched to identify the file.