Social connection via real-time image comparison

• US 10,311,329 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ashoori, Maryam, Ellis, Jason B., Farrell, Robert G., Lenchner, Jonathan, Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US14/610,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 705 72
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/30 in albums, collections or shared content, e.g. social network photos or video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method and system are provided. The method includes acquiring a first image by a first user. The method further includes performing, using a processor, a comparative analysis of the first image and at least one other image acquired within a threshold time by at least one other user. The method also includes establishing a real-time communication interface between the first user and the at least one other user in response to the comparative analysis.

Claims

1. A computer program product for social connection, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

acquiring a first image by a first user;

performing, using a processor, a comparative analysis of the first image acquired by the first user and at least one other image acquired by at least one other user; and

establishing a real-time communication interface between the first user and the at least one other user in response to the comparative analysis,

wherein the comparative analysis is only performed responsive to the first image and the at least one other image being respectively acquired by the first user and the at least one other user within each of a respective user-settable predetermined threshold time respectively set by the first user and the at least one other user.

2. A system, comprising:

an image acquisition device for acquiring a first image by a first user;

an image similarity determination device for performing a comparative analysis of the first image acquired by the first user and at least one other image acquired by at least one other user; and

a real-time communication establishment device for establishing a real-time communication interface between the first user and the at least one other user in response to the comparative analysis,

wherein the comparative analysis is only performed responsive to the first image and the at least one other image being respectively acquired by the first user and the at least one other user within each of a respective user-settable predetermined threshold time respectively set by the first user and the at least one other user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one other image comprises a plurality of other images and the at least one other user comprises a plurality of other users, and the system further comprises an image selection device for selecting a best one of the plurality of other images in response to at least one of, characteristics of the plurality of other images, characteristics of the plurality of other users, other demographics of the plurality of other users, and geographic locations of the plurality of other users.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one other image comprises a plurality of other images and the at least one other user comprises a plurality of other users, and wherein the real-time communication establishment device places the first user and at least two of the plurality of other users with similar images into a multi-way chat session.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the comparative analysis is based upon features independently extracted from image acquisition devices used to acquire the first image and the at least one other image.