USING METADATA STORED IN IMAGE FILES AND A SEPARATE DATABASE TO FACILITATE IMAGE RETRIEVAL

• US 20070067295A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Parulski, Kenneth, McCoy, John
• Application Number:
  US11/553,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067295A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A digital camera for capturing images and for adding personal image metadata labels to the captured images, including an image sensor for capturing a plurality of images; an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the plurality of captured images, from the image sensor, to produce a plurality of captured digital images. Also, included in the digital camera is a memory location for storing the plurality of captured digital images; a display coupled to the memory location for displaying at least one of the plurality of captured digital images. The digital camera has a user control for selecting a personal image metadata label which corresponds to an emotional or aesthetic category as judged by a user; and a processor responsive to the user control for associating the personal image metadata label with the at least one of the plurality of displayed captured digital image.

Claims

1. A method for rating images to facilitate image retrieval, comprising:

(a) storing a plurality of digital image files in a digital memory;

(b) displaying the plurality of stored digital image files;

(c) permitting a user to select one of the plurality of displayed images and to select a rating, wherein the rating indicates how much the user likes the image;

(d) storing metadata, indicating the user'"'"'s selected rating, in both a stored digital image file corresponding to the displayed image and in a database separate from the stored digital image file.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the rating is provided using a multi-point scale.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

(e) displaying a group of thumbnail images corresponding to at least some of the plurality of stored digital image files;

(f) retrieving the metadata from the stored digital image files corresponding to the group of thumbnail images; and

(g) displaying an icon adjacent to at least one of the thumbnail images correlating to or associated with the retrieved metadata.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the stored digital image files comprise JPEG image files.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the stored digital image files comprise Exif image files.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of transferring the plurality of digital image files from a digital camera, prior to storing the plurality of digital image files in the digital memory.

7. The method claimed in claim 6, wherein the metadata also includes a label for identifying the person or event depicted in the selected displayed image.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

(i) displaying a group of thumbnail images corresponding to at least some of the plurality of stored digital image files;

(ii) retrieving the label metadata from either the stored digital image files corresponding to the group of thumbnail images or from the database; and

(iii) displaying the retrieved label as text adjacent to the thumbnail image.

9. A computer software product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program, which when loaded into a computer causes the computer to perform the steps according to claim 1.

10. A method for rating images to facilitate image retrieval, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a plurality of digital image files in a digital memory;

(b) displaying the plurality of stored digital image files;

(c) permitting a user to select ratings for each of the plurality of displayed images, wherein the rating indicates how much the user likes each displayed image;

(d) storing metadata, indicating the user'"'"'s selected rating, in each of the plurality of stored digital image files corresponding to the plurality of displayed images, and in a database separate from the plurality of shared digital image files.

11. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein the rating is provided using a multi-point scale.

12. The method claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

(e) displaying a group of thumbnail images corresponding to at least some of the plurality of stored digital image files;

(f) retrieving the value metadata from either the stored digital image files corresponding to the group of thumbnail images or from the database; and

(g) responsive to the retrieved metadata, displaying an icon adjacent to at least one of the thumbnail images.

13. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein the stored digital image files comprise JPEG image files.

14. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the stored digital image files comprise Exif image files.

15. The method claimed in claim 14, further comprising transferring the plurality of digital image files from a digital camera, prior to storing the plurality of digital image files in the digital memory.

16. The method claimed in claim 15, wherein the metadata also includes a label for identifying the person or event depicted in the selected displayed image.

17. A computer software product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program, which when loaded into a computer causes the computer to perform the steps according to claim 10.