SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC ANALYSIS AND CATEGORIZATION OF IMAGES IN AN ELECTRONIC IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20010012062A1
• Filed: 07/23/1998
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Secure Cam, LLC
• Original Assignee: Secure Cam, LLC
• Inventors: ANDERSON, ERIC C.
• Application Number:
  US09/121,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012062A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

A system and method for the automatic analysis and categorization of images in an electronic imaging device comprises one or more analysis modules that examine captured image files for selected criteria. The analysis modules then responsively generate and store appropriate category tags with the image file to enable the imaging device to subsequently access the stored category tags and automatically access desired categories of captured images.

Claims

1. A system for categorizing images, comprising:

an analysis module configured to analyze said images;

a processor coupled to said system for controlling said analysis module; and

category tags attached by said analysis module to each of said images, thereby enabling said processor to sort said images into different categories.

2. The system of

claim 1

wherein said processor automatically sorts said images into said different categories.

3. The system of

claim 1

wherein said images are captured by an electronic imaging device.

4. The system of

claim 2

wherein said electronic imaging device is a digital camera.

5. The system of

claim 1

wherein said analysis module includes one or more analysis algorithms for identifying said different categories.

6. The system of

claim 5

wherein said analysis module includes combination logic for combining analysis results from said analysis algorithms.

7. The system of

claim 1

wherein said analysis module includes parametric controls for controlling said analysis module.

8. The system of

claim 1

wherein said analysis module is selectively loaded into a volatile memory from a removable memory.

9. The system of

claim 1

further comprising a plurality of analysis modules.

10. The system of

claim 1

wherein said images each are stored as image data contained in individual image files.

11. The system of

claim 10

wherein said category tags are stored with said image data in said individual image files.

12. The system of

claim 1

further comprising an image processing backplane communicating with image processing modules.

13. The system of

claim 12

further comprising one or more insertion points between said image processing modules for inserting said analysis module to analyze said images.

14. The system of

claim 13

wherein a selectable plurality of analysis modules are inserted into said one or more insertion points.

15. The system of

claim 13

further comprising an RGB insertion point and a YCC insertion point.

16. The system of

claim 1

wherein said analysis module is configured to recognize and label said images that match predetermined criteria.

17. The system of

claim 1

wherein said analysis module is configured to access and categorize said images after said images have been processed and stored into a storage device.

18. The system of

claim 1

wherein said processor sorts said images by accessing and analyzing said category tags attached to each of said images.

19. The system of

claim 1

wherein said different categories include human images and nature images.

20. The system of

claim 1

wherein said different categories include city images and water images.

21. A method for automatically categorizing images, comprising the steps of:

analyzing said images with an analysis module;

controlling said analysis module with a processor coupled to said system; and

attaching category tags to each of said images with said analysis module, thereby enabling said processor to sort said images into different categories.

22. The method of

claim 21

wherein said processor automatically sorts said images into said different categories.

23. The method of

claim 21

wherein said images are captured by an electronic imaging device.

24. The method of

claim 21

wherein said electronic imaging device is a digital camera.

25. The method of

claim 21

wherein said analysis module includes one or more analysis algorithms for identifying said different categories.

26. The method of

claim 25

wherein said analysis module includes combination logic for combining analysis results from said analysis algorithms.

27. The method of

claim 21

wherein said analysis module includes parametric controls for controlling said analysis module.

28. The method of

claim 21

wherein said analysis module is selectively loaded into a volatile memory from a flash disk.

29. The method of

claim 21

further comprising a plurality of analysis modules.

30. The method of

claim 21

wherein said images each are stored as image data contained in individual image files.

31. The method of

claim 30

wherein said category tags are stored with said image data in said individual image files.

32. The method of

claim 21

further comprising an image processing backplane communicating with image processing modules.

33. The method of

claim 32

further comprising one or more insertion points between said image processing modules for inserting said analysis module to analyze said images.

34. The method of

claim 33

wherein a selectable plurality of analysis modules are inserted into said one or more insertion points.

35. The method of

claim 33

further comprising an RGB insertion point and a YCC insertion point.

36. The method of

claim 21

wherein said analysis module is configured to initially recognize and label said images that match predetermined criteria immediately upon capture of said images.

37. The method of

claim 21

wherein said analysis module is configured to access and categorize said images after said images have been processed and stored into a storage device.

38. The method of

claim 21

wherein said processor sorts said images by accessing and analyzing said category tags attached to each of said images.

39. The method of

claim 21

wherein said different categories include human images and nature images.

40. The method of

claim 21

wherein said different categories include city images and water images.

41. A system for automatically categorizing images, comprising:

means for analyzing said images;

means for controlling said means for analyzing; and

means for attaching category tags to each of said images, thereby enabling said means for controlling to sort said images into different categories.

42. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for automatically categorizing images by performing the steps of:

analyzing said images with an analysis module;

controlling said analysis module with a processor coupled to said system; and

attaching category tags to each of said images with said analysis module, thereby enabling said processor to sort said images into different categories.