Image relationships derived from thresholding of historically tracked user data for facilitating image based searching
First Claim
1. A database of photographs or pictures for a stock photography agency or the like comprising:
- a plurality of ditigized images; and
a table of associations between images to facilitate accessing said images, wherein said associations are assigned as a result of selections of said images by users of said database during searches for goal images within said database.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and related computer systems for searching or locating a goal image from a collection of images. A database or collection of images is analyzed to record non-verbal associations between images for later use. These non-verbal associations record visual associations without the use of words to describe the basis of the association. To locate a goal image, a launch element relating to a goal image is selected. Suggested images are displayed based upon the recorded associations between the launch element and the suggested images. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the recording of non-verbal associations is performed while searching for a goal image. The associations are determined from the demonstrated interest of image seekers while searching for their goal images.
33 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A database of photographs or pictures for a stock photography agency or the like comprising:
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a plurality of ditigized images; and
a table of associations between images to facilitate accessing said images, wherein said associations are assigned as a result of selections of said images by users of said database during searches for goal images within said database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for searching in a database of images comprising the steps of:
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selecting at least one launch image that is related to a goal image;
using said launch image for accessing a table in said database that contains non-verbal associations between images of said database; and
displaying an image from said database that shares a non-verbal association with said launch image;
wherein said associations are recorded in said table based upon paired selections made by image seekers who previously used said database. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computerized apparatus for locating an image from a collection of images comprising:
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a computer; and
a database having digitized images and a table containing numerical associations between said images;
wherein said computer;
(a) prompts for the input of launch data pertaining to said goal image, and (b) locates a related image where said related image shares a numerical association with said launch data in said table. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer readable medium with executable instructions for controlling the search of a database of images, said instructions controlling:
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recording of non-verbal associations between images of said database in a searchable data structure;
prompting for input of launch data;
locating said launch data in said data structure; and
accessing at least one image in said database where said image shares a non-verbal association in said data structure with said launch data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computerized system for searching within a collection of images comprising:
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a database relating digitized images;
a computer server coupled to said database; and
a network connection device coupling said computer server to a network;
wherein said database comprises a searchable data structure of non-verbal associations between said images; and
wherein said server communicates with a client on said network to;
(a) receive launch data from said client representing a launch image;
(b) access said database using said launch data; and
(c) transmit a related image to said client that shares a non-verbal association with said launch data in said data structure. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for locating a goal image from a collection of images comprising the steps of:
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recording non-verbal associations between images from said collection of images based upon perceived characteristics of said images;
selecting a launch element pertaining to said goal image; and
suggesting a related image where said related image shares a non-verbal association with said launch element.
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41. A method for locating a goal image from a collection of images comprising the steps of:
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recording associations and concurrence values between pairs of images from said collection of images based upon perceived characteristics shared by the images of each pair of images, said perceived characteristics being identified by image seekers during attempts to locate goal images;
selecting a launch image pertaining to one of said goal images; and
suggesting a related image where said related image shares a non-verbal association with said launch image and said related image satisfies a function of said concurrence value.
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Specification