File management of digital images using the names of people identified in the images

• US 20040008906A1
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Webb, Steven L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

A method and apparatus for organizing digital images that contain a persons face is disclosed. A database of known faces allows the faces in the images to be identified. The names of the people identified in the image are used in naming the image files and in naming the path to the image files.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

a photo-sensor configured to capture images;

a storage area configured to store captured image files;

a means for accessing a face database, the face database used for storing the names and the face identification information for people;

a processor configured to evaluate captured images to locate faces;

the processor configured to match the faces, located by the processor, to the face identification information stored in the face database;

the processor configured to name the captured image file as a function of the name of at least one person captured in the image when a face in an image matches a face in the face database.

2. A digital camera comprising:

a photo-sensor configured to capture images;

a storage area configured to store captured image files;

a means for accessing a face database, the face database used for storing the names and the face identification information for people;

a processor configured to evaluate captured images to locate faces;

the processor configured to match the faces, located by the processor, to the face identification information stored in the face database;

the processor configured to name the path to the captured image file as a function of the name of at least one person captured in the image when a face in the image matches a face in the face database.

3. A method of naming image files, comprising:

capturing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

requesting a name for the face when the face does not match any of the known faces in the database, and;

storing the face and the name in the database of known faces; and

storing the captured image using a name for the captured image file based on the name of at least one person in the captured image.

4. A method of naming image files, comprising:

capturing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

storing the captured image using a name for the captured image file based on the name of at least one person in the captured image file when the face matches a face in the face database.

5. A method of storing image files, comprising:

capturing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

requesting a name for the face when the face does not match any of the known faces in the database, and;

storing the face and the name in the database of known faces; and

creating a directory, the directory name based on the name of at least one person in the captured image file; and

storing the captured image in the directory.

6. A method of storing image files, comprising:

capturing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

creating a directory when the face in the image has appeared in a predetermined number of images, the directory name based on the name of at least one person in the captured image file; and

storing the captured image in the directory.

7. A method of storing image files, comprising:

capturing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

storing the captured image in a directory when the face matches a face in the face database, the directory name based on the name of at least one person in the captured image file.

8. A method of naming image files, comprising:

digitizing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

requesting a name for the face when the face does not match any of the known faces in the database, and;

storing the face and the name in the database of known faces; and

storing the digitized image using a name for the digitized image file based on the name of at least one person in the digitized image.

9. A method of naming image files, comprising:

digitizing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

storing the digitized image using a name for the digitized image file based on the name of at least one person in the digitized image file when the face matches a face in the face database.

10. A method of storing image files, comprising:

digitizing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

requesting a name for the face when the face does not match any of the known faces in the database, and;

storing the face and the name in the database of known faces; and

creating a directory, the directory name based on the name of at least one person in the digitized image file; and

storing the digitized image in the directory.

11. A method of storing image files, comprising:

digitizing an image;

locating at least one face in the image;

comparing the at least one face in the image to a database of known faces;

storing the digitized image in a directory when the face matches a face in the face database, the directory name based on the name of at least one person in the digitized image file.