Patent ID: 8122039

Claim:
A multimedia integrated retrieval apparatus comprising: a data gathering unit gathering a plurality of pieces of media data through a network; a feature value extracting unit calculating a feature value of single media data representing a type of media among the plurality of pieces of media data gathered by the data gathering unit; a media information storage unit storing the feature value in association with the single media data, and storing composite media data representing a plurality of types of media among the plurality of pieces of media data in association with the single media data included in the composite media data; a retrieval processing unit referencing the media information storage unit, and identifying other pieces of single media data corresponding to the single media data using the feature value of the single media data based on a retrieval instruction; a retrieval controlling unit receiving, from a user, the retrieval instruction to retrieve the single media data, generating, in a first generation operation, first structural body data that includes a first node indicative of the single media data, a second node indicative of the another piece of single media data, and a first link connecting the first node to the second node, referencing the media information storage unit to determine whether another piece of composite media data including the another piece of single media data is present, and, if the another piece of composite media data is present, generating, in a second generation operation, second structural body data that includes, with the first structural body data, a third node indicative of the another composite media data, and a second link connecting the third node to the second node; and a display unit displaying the second structural body data.