Semantic object characterization and search

A computer-implemented process for creating a searchable database wherein items in the database are semantic objects exhibiting a first representation or view, and wherein a semantic object that is the same as a semantic object included in the database, but exhibiting a second representation or view, when presented as a search query to the searchable database results in an output comprising an identity a semantic object exhibiting the first representation or view that corresponds to the semantic object of the search query, said process comprising:

• using a computer to perform the following process actions:
• establishing a prescribed number of transforms for the first representation or view and the same number of transforms for the second representation of view, wherein the transforms established for one of the first or second representations or views, when applied to a feature vector representing a semantic object exhibiting that representation or view, produces the first binary hash code representing that semantic object which is substantially similar to a second binary hash code representing that semantic object produced when the transforms established for the other of the first or second representations or views are applied to a feature vector representing the same semantic object exhibiting that other representation or view;
• and
• using the transforms established for the first representation or view to characterize each of the semantic objects included in the database in the form of the first binary hash code representing that semantic object, wherein the first binary code characterizing a semantic object included in the database is substantially different from the first binary codes characterizing the other semantic objects included in the database;
• and
• respectively associating the first binary hash code characterizing each of the semantic objects included in the database with its corresponding semantic object in the database.

A computer-implemented process for characterizing a person's name in a first language in the form of a first binary hash code representing that name such that when compared to a characterized version of the same name in a second language in the form of a second binary hash code representing that name, the first and second binary hash codes exhibit a degree of similarity indicative of the names being the same name, said process comprising:

• using a computer to perform the following process actions:
• inputting pairs of parallel names, wherein each pair of parallel names comprises the a person's name presented in the first and second languages, and wherein each pair of parallel names corresponds to a different name;
• subjecting each name in each pair of parallel names to feature extraction to produce a binary feature vector representing the name;
• establishing a prescribed number of transforms for the first language and the same number of transforms for the second language based on the feature vectors representing the parallel name pairs, wherein the transforms established for one of the first or second languages, when applied to a feature vector representing a name in that language, produces the first binary hash code representing that name which is substantially similar to the second binary hash code representing that name produced when the transforms established for the other of the first or second languages are applied to a feature vector representing the same name in that other language;
• and
• using the transforms established for the first language to characterize a person's name in the first language as the first binary hash code representing that name.