Media asset management system for managing video segments from fixed-area security cameras and associated methods

A method for searching and retrieving fixed-area video segments from at least one fixed-area security camera stored on a media asset management system, the media asset management system also having stored thereon a search thesaurus comprising a plurality of search descriptors cross-referenced to one another, the search descriptors being linked together by a hierarchical relationship, an associative relationship and an equivalence relationship, and each fixed-area video segment having corresponding geospatial data associated therewith and also having at least one respective search descriptor from the search thesaurus associated therewith, the method comprising:

• generating at least one user search query, the at least one user search query including geospatial data;
• comparing, by the media asset management system, the at least one user search query with the search thesaurus for identifying at least one additional search query, the identifying being based on the plurality of search descriptors, with the hierarchical relationship being defined by search descriptors comprising broader and narrower terms linked together, the associative relationship being defined by search descriptors comprising terms that are linked with similar or related terms where the relationship between the terms is non-hierarchical, and the equivalence relationship comprising synonyms;
• searching the stored fixed-area video segments based upon the at least one generated user search query and the at least one identified additional search query;
• and
• retrieving, by the media asset management system, at least one fixed-area video segment and at least one map, with the at least one retrieved fixed-area video segment corresponding to the at least one generated user search query and the at least one identified additional search query, and with the at least one retrieved map corresponding to the associated geospatial data of the at least one retrieved fix-area video segment.

A media asset management system for fixed-area video segments from at least one fixed-area security camera comprising:

• a media interface for collecting fixed-area video segments from the at least one fixed-area security camera, each fixed-area video segment having corresponding geospatial data associated therewith;
• a memory for storing a search thesaurus comprising a plurality of search descriptors cross-referenced to one another, the search descriptors being linked together by a hierarchical relationship, an associative relationship and an equivalence relationship, with the hierarchical relationship being defined by search descriptors comprising broader and narrower terms linked together, with the associative relationship being defined by search descriptors comprising terms that are linked with similar or related terms where the relationship between the terms is non-hierarchical, and with the equivalence relationship comprising synonyms;
• a processor for associating each fixed-area video segment with at least one respective search descriptor from the search thesaurus;
• and
• a database for storing the collected fixed-area video segments, geospatial data and associated search descriptors;
• said processor further configured for
• receiving at least one user search query, the at least one user search query including geospatial data,
• comparing the at least one received user search query with the search thesaurus for identifying at least one additional search query, and
• retrieving at least one stored fixed-area video segment and at least one map, with the at least one retrieved fixed-area video segment corresponding to the at least one received user search query and the at least one identified additional search query, and with the at least one retrieved map corresponding to the associated geospatial data of the at least one retrieved fix-area video segment.

A media asset management system for fixed-area video segments from at least one fixed-area security camera comprising:

• a memory for storing a search thesaurus comprising a plurality of search descriptors cross-referenced to one another, the search descriptors being linked together by a hierarchical relationship, an associative relationship and an equivalence relationship;
• a database for storing fixed-area video segments from at least one fixed-area security camera, each fixed-area video segment having corresponding geospatial data associated therewith and also having at least one search descriptor from the search thesaurus associated therewith;
• a user input interface for permitting a user to generate at least one user search query, the at least one user search query including geospatial data;
• a processor for comparing the at least one generated user search query with the search thesaurus for
• identifying at least one additional search query based on the search descriptors being linked together by the hierarchical relationship, the associative relationship and the equivalence relationship, with the hierarchical relationship being defined by search descriptors comprising broader and narrower terms linked together, with the associative relationship being defined by search descriptors comprising terms that are linked with similar or related terms where the relationship between the terms is non-hierarchical, and with the equivalence relationship comprising synonyms,
• searching the fixed-area video segments based upon the at least one user search query and the at least one additional search query, and
• retrieving at least one stored fixed-area video segment and at least one map, with the at least one retrieved fixed-area video segment corresponding to the at least one generated user search query and the at least one identified additional search query, and with the at least one retrieved map corresponding to the associated geospatial data of the at least one retrieved fix-area video segment;
• and
• a display for displaying the at least one retrieved fixed-area video segment and the at least one retrieved map.