Geo-tagging digital images

• US 10,083,533 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bhatt, Nikhil
• Primary Examiner(s): Mobin, Hasanul
• Application Number:
  US15/148,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20160253358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/56 having vectorial format
• 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 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, are described for automatically and/or interactively editing image metadata. In one aspect, the methods include the actions of obtaining two from among three items of geo-metadata associated with an image. The three items of geo-metadata include an acquisition geo-location for the image, an acquisition geo-orientation for the image and a geo-location of a subject depicted in the image. The methods further include the actions of representing on a map the two obtained items of geo-metadata associated with the image, and determining candidates for the third item of geo-metadata based on the representations of the two obtained items of geo-metadata. In addition, the methods can also include the actions of determining the third item of geo-metadata associated with the image from among the generated candidates.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processes executing on a computer system, the method comprising:

obtaining an acquisition geo-location for an image;

obtaining an acquisition geo-orientation corresponding to the acquisition geo-location;

rendering a map containing an area comprising the acquisition geo-location;

overlaying the map with an iconic representation of the acquisition geo-location;

identifying one or more objects depicted in the image based on the acquisition geo-location and the acquisition geo-orientation, wherein the one or more objects represent one or more candidates of a subject depicted in the image;

identifying, from the one or more candidates, a primary candidate, the primary candidate positioned on the map at a distance nearest the acquisition geo-location of the image along a line corresponding to the acquisition geo-orientation;

identifying the primary candidate as the subject of the image;

representing the subject on the map at a subject geo-location;

overlaying the map with a polygonal contour corresponding to at least a portion of the subject at the subject geo-location; and

updating the acquisition geo-orientation based on the acquisition geo-location and a location of the polygonal contour on the map corresponding to at least a portion of the subject geo-location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

overlaying, on the map, a vector having an origin at the acquisition geo-location and a direction corresponding to the acquisition geo-orientation; and

identifying the one or more candidates based on the direction of the vector and information including polygonal contours corresponding to a geographic map-footprint of the one or more candidates.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein updating the acquisition geo-orientation based on the acquisition geo-location and the subject geo-location comprises highlighting an angular range on the map bounded by leftmost and rightmost lines of sight from the acquisition geo-location to the location of the polygonal contour on the map corresponding to at least a portion of the subject geo-location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the primary candidate as the subject of the image comprises:

selecting a candidate from among the one or more identified candidates that is located within a specified range of the acquisition geo-location.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising tagging the image in accordance with hierarchical geo-location information associated with the subject of the image.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating metadata for a focus distance, wherein the focus distance is substantially equal to a length of the overlaid vector corresponding to the acquisition geo-orientation.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the one or more candidates positioned along the direction of the vector comprises:

receiving a user request to identify an object depicted in the image along the direction of the vector;

extending, in response to the received user request, a length of the vector; and

identifying the object upon the extended vector reaching a polygonal contour of the object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein reaching the polygonal contour occurs when the extended vector is separated from the polygonal contour by less than a predetermined distance.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the image comprises a frame included in a sequence of video frames, the method further comprising associating the subject with the sequence of video frames.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising representing the updated acquisition geo-orientation on the map.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the acquisition geo-orientation based on the acquisition geo-location and the subject geo-location further comprises:

determining an angular range between the acquisition geo-location and boundaries of a polygonal contour corresponding to the subject geo-location of the subject;

overlaying, on the map, a vector having an origin at the acquisition geo-location;

determining, based at least in part on the angular range, one or more candidates for an actual acquisition geo-orientation; and

determining, from the one or more candidates, the actual acquisition geo-orientation.

12. A program storage device executing on a computer system, comprising instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

obtain an acquisition geo-location for an image;

render a map containing an area comprising the acquisition geo-location;

overlay the map with an iconic representation of the acquisition geo-location;

obtain an acquisition geo-orientation corresponding to the acquisition geo-location;

identify one or more objects on the map based on the acquisition geo-location and the acquisition geo-orientation, wherein the one or more objects represent one or more candidates of a subject depicted in the image;

identify, from the one or more candidates, a primary candidate, the primary candidate positioned on the map at a distance nearest the acquisition geo-location of the image along a line corresponding to the acquisition geo-orientation;

identify the primary candidate as the subject of the image;

represent the subject on the map at a subject geo-location;

overlay the map with a polygonal contour corresponding to at least a portion of the subject at the subject geo-location; and

identify a revised acquisition geo-orientation based on the acquisition geo-location and the subject geo-location.

13. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

overlay, on the map, a vector having an origin at the acquisition geo-location and a direction corresponding to the acquisition geo-orientation; and

identify the one or more candidates based on the direction of the vector and information including polygonal contours corresponding to a geographic map-footprint of the one or more candidates.

14. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein the instructions which when executed cause the one or more processors to identify the primary candidate as the subject of the image comprise instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine which of the one or more identified candidates is the subject based on a user selection.

15. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to identify the primary candidate as the subject of the image comprise instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

select a candidate from among the one or more identified candidates that is located within a specified range of the acquisition geo-location.

16. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to tag the image in accordance with hierarchical geo-location information associated with the determined subject of the image.

17. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to generate metadata for a focus distance, wherein the focus distance is substantially equal to a length of the overlaid vector corresponding to the acquisition geo-orientation.

18. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to identify the one or more candidates positioned along the direction of the vector further comprise instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a user request to identify an object depicted in the image along the direction of the vector;

extend, in response to the received user request, a length of the vector; and

identify the object upon the extended vector reaching a polygonal contour of the object.

19. The program storage device of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

represent the revised acquisition geo-orientation on the map.

20. A computer system, comprising:

memory; and

one or more processor comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to;

receive an acquisition geo-location for an image;

render a map containing an area comprising the acquisition geo-location;

overlay the map with an iconic representation of the acquisition geo-location;

receive an acquisition geo-orientation corresponding to the acquisition geo-location;

identify one or more objects depicted in the image based on the acquisition geo-location and the acquisition geo-orientation, wherein the one or more objects represent one or more candidates of a subject depicted in the image;

identify, from the one or more candidates, a primary candidate, the primary candidate positioned on the map at a distance nearest the acquisition geo-location of the image along a line corresponding to the acquisition geo-orientation;

identify the primary candidate as the subject of the image;

represent the subject on the map at a subject geo-location;

overlay the map with a polygonal contour corresponding to at least a portion of the subject at the subject geo-location; and

update the acquisition geo-orientation based on the acquisition geo-location and a location of the polygonal contour on the map corresponding to at least a portion of the subject geo-location.