Method and apparatus for photograph finding

• US 10,055,497 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US15/481,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20170212958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 382115, 382117, 382118, 382128, 382209, 382278, 382291, 358537, 358538
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Digital image data including discrete photographic images of a variety of different subjects, times, and so forth, are collected and analyzed to identify specific features in the photographs. In an embodiment of the invention, distinctive markers are distributed to aid in the identification of particular subject matter. Facial recognition may also be employed. The digital image data is maintained in a database and quarried in response to search requests. The search requests include criteria specifying any feature category or other identifying information, such as date, time, and location that each photograph was taken, associated with each photograph. Candidate images are provided for review by requesters, who may select desired images for purchase or downloading.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a computer system receiving, at a web site, a search request that includes a digital image;

the computer system analyzing the digital image to identify characteristics of the digital image, including determining an estimated location at which the digital image was captured based on analyzing the digital image;

the computer system searching, using the identified characteristics, information specifying characteristics of respective ones of a plurality of stored digital images;

the computer system selecting one or more of the plurality of stored digital images, wherein the selecting is based on a comparison of the identified characteristics and characteristics specified by the information, including the estimated location; and

the computer system returning, via the web site, the selected one or more digital images.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on types of objects included in the digital image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on colors included in the digital image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on detection of a pre-determined marker object included in the digital image.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising distributing the pre-determined marker object to one or more users for use in placing in photographs.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the pre-determined marker object further indicates a user associated with contribution of the digital image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on metadata associated with the digital image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the metadata includes satellite navigation information associated with an image capture device that generated the digital image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison further includes comparison of a source of the digital image with sources of respective ones of the stored digital images.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the source of the digital image is indicated using at least one of:

a user account of a contributor of the digital image or a device used to capture the digital image.

11. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories having program instructions stored thereon that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a web site, a search request that includes a digital image;

analyzing the digital image to identify characteristics of the digital image, including determining an estimated location at which the digital image was captured based on analyzing the digital image;

searching, using the identified characteristics, information specifying characteristics present in respective ones of a plurality of stored digital images;

selecting one or more digital images of the plurality of stored digital images, wherein the selecting is based on a comparison of the identified characteristics and characteristics specified by the information, including the estimated location; and

returning, via the web site, the selected one or more digital images to a user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on types of objects included in the digital image.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on colors included in the digital image.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on detection of a pre-determined marker object included in the digital image.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on metadata associated with the digital image.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a web site, a search request that includes a digital image;

analyzing the digital image to identify characteristics of the digital image, including determining an estimated location at which the digital image was captured based on analyzing the digital image;

searching, using the identified characteristics, information specifying characteristics present in respective ones of a plurality of stored digital images;

selecting one or more digital images of the plurality of stored digital images, wherein the selecting is based on a comparison of the identified characteristics and characteristics specified by the information, including the estimated location; and

returning, via the web site, the selected one or more digital images to a user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on types of objects included in the digital image.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on colors included in the digital image.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on detection of a pre-determined marker object included in the digital image.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the estimated location is further determined based on metadata associated with the digital image.