Image file storage and retrieval system

Abstract

A system which creates, stores, retrieves and displays thumbnail images. The dominant colors of the image are displayed in the thumbnail images. The dominant colors in an image are determined using groups of pixels where the average color is used to select an appropriate dominant color for display. The size of the thumbnails displayed and the area set for displaying the thumbnails can be changed to allow visual review of either a large number of thumbnails or a smaller but larger size set of thumbnails. Thumbnails, and other image files and other related text files and non-related files can be indexed and searched using keywords by using keyword views into the stored files to indicate a match when the views designate the same file. The system allows a search to be based on a partial match of keywords. Searching can be performed using super-keywords, which are combinations of keywords and other file and data characteristics. Super-keywords can be combined with other super-keyword or keywords for searching purposes. To facilitate multi-media storage and searching and integration of off-line media into the system, the system includes a master directory having a full directory containing entries of each media as a branch of the master directory tree. The system also includes the utilities necessary to create, access, retrieve and update local and network accessed remote files on any type of media.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.