SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COLLECTION AND SYNCHRONIZATION OF METADATA TO FACILITATE DISTRIBUTED CONTENT SEARCH

摘要

A distributed content search system comprises a synchronization component, a distributed content search database, and a distributed content search component. The synchronization component receives, from each of a plurality of participating devices: i) identification of at least one content item being obtainable from the participating device; and ii) metadata associated with the subject of the at least one content item. The distributed content search database associates: i) identification of the participating device from which the content item is obtainable; and ii) the metadata associated with the subject of the content item. The distributed content search component receives a search query input from a querying device and returns search results. The search results comprise, for each of a plurality of instances of relevant distributed content, a link to the participating device form which the relevant distributed content is obtainable. Each of the plurality of instances of relevant distributed content is a one of the instances of content that is associated, by the distributed content search database, with metadata which corresponds to the search query input.