Methods, systems, and computer program products for associating an image with a communication characteristic

• US 20070206231A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP-Link USA Corporation
• Original Assignee: KDL Scan Designs LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Singh, Mona
• Granted Patent: US 8,334,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/302
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3212 of data relating to a job, e.g. communication, capture or filing of an image

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for associating an image with a communication characteristic are disclosed. According to one method, a content characteristic of a first image may be identified. Communication of the first image may be monitored to identify a communication characteristic of the first image. Further, the content characteristic may be associated with the communication characteristic. The association between the content and communication characteristics may be used to associate a second image having the content characteristic with the communication characteristic.

Claims

1. A method for associating an image with a communication characteristic, the method comprising:

identifying a content characteristic of a first image;

monitoring communication of the first image to identify a communication characteristic of the first image;

associating the content characteristic with the communication characteristic; and

using the association between the content and communication characteristics to associate a second image having the content characteristic with the communication characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a content characteristic of the first image includes identifying a facial characteristic of a subject present in the first image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a content characteristic of the first image includes identifying a scene characteristic of a scene present in the first image.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the scene characteristic comprises at least one of a scene type, a color, a texture, a contrast, and a brightness.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

prompting a user as to whether to perform a communication action associated with the communication characteristic including the second image; and

receiving an indication as to whether to perform the communication action.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving an indication as to whether to perform the communication action includes:

performing the communication action in response to receiving a positive indication; and

performing an alternate communication action including the second image in response to receiving a negative indication.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising associating the alternate communication action with the content characteristic as a communication characteristic in response to performing the alternate communication action for the second image.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein prompting the user comprises displaying the second image along with the communication characteristic.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication characteristic includes a destination, and wherein the method further comprises communicating the second image to the destination.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication characteristic includes a communication modality, and wherein the method further comprises communicating the second image via the communication modality.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication characteristic comprises at least one of a source address, a destination address, a time, source data, destination data, and a communication modality.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising grouping a plurality of images having a same communication characteristic.

13. The method of claim 1 comprising:

identifying a plurality of content characteristics of the second image;

determining a corresponding plurality of communication characteristics associated with the plurality of content characteristics; and

using a majority voting method to determine which of the plurality of communication characteristics to associate with the second image.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein in response to an occurrence of a communication action, the method includes:

determining whether the communication characteristic is associated with the communication action;

using the association between the communication characteristic and the second image to locate the second image;

prompting a user as to whether to include the second image in a communication associated with the communication action when the communication characteristic is associated with the communication action; and

receiving an indication as to whether to include the second image in the communication.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving an indication as to whether to include the second image in the communication includes:

including the second image in the communication in response to receiving a positive indication; and

prompting the user as to whether to remove the association between the content characteristic and the communication characteristic in response to receiving a negative indication.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein prompting the user comprises displaying the second image upon occurrence of the communication action.

17. A system for associating an image with a communication characteristic, the system comprising:

a content characteristic identification component for identifying a content characteristic of a first image; and

a communication characteristic identification component operable to monitor communication of the first image to identify a communication characteristic of the first image, associate the content characteristic with the communication characteristic, and use the association between the content and communication characteristics to associate a second image having the content characteristic with the communication characteristic.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the content characteristic identification component is operable to identify a facial characteristic of a subject present in the first image.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the content characteristic identification component is operable to identify a scene characteristic of a scene present in the first image.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the scene characteristic comprises at least one of a scene type, a color, a texture, a contrast, and a brightness.

21. The system of claim 17 comprising a user interface operable to prompt a user as to whether to perform a communication action associated with the communication characteristic including the second image, and receive an indication as to whether to perform the communication action.

22. The system of claim 21 comprising an image communicator operable to perform the communication action in response to receiving a positive indication is received from the user and operable to perform an alternate communication action including the second image in response to receiving a negative indication is received from the user.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the communication characteristic identification component is operable to associate the alternate communication action with the content characteristic as a communication characteristic in response to performing the alternate communication action for the second image.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the user interface is operable to display the second image along with the communication characteristic.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the communication characteristic includes a destination, and wherein the method further comprises communicating the second image to the destination.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein the communication characteristic includes a communication modality and wherein the method further comprises communicating the second image via the communication modality.

27. The system of claim 17 wherein the communication characteristic comprises at least one of a source address, a destination address, a time, source data, destination data, and a communication modality.

28. The system of claim 17 wherein the communication characteristic identification component is operable to group a plurality of images having a same communication characteristic.

29. The system of claim 17 wherein the content characteristic identification component is operable to identify a plurality of content characteristics of the second image and wherein the communication characteristic identification component is operable to determine a corresponding plurality of communication characteristics associated with the plurality of content characteristics, and use a majority voting method to determine which of the plurality of communication characteristics to associate with the second image.

30. The system of claim 17 comprising a communication monitor operable to:

determine whether the communication characteristic is associated with a communication action in response to the occurrence of the communication action;

use the association between the communication characteristic and the second image to locate the second image;

prompt a user as to whether to include the second image in a communication associated with the communication action when the communication characteristic is associated with the communication action; and

receive an indication as to whether to include the second image in the communication.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the communication monitor is operable to include the second image in the communication in response to receiving a positive indication, and operable to prompt the user as to whether to remove the association between the content characteristic and the communication characteristic in response to receiving a negative indication.

32. The system of claim 30 comprising a user interface operable to display the second image upon occurrence of the communication action.

33. A system for associating an image with a communication characteristic, the system comprising:

means for identifying a content characteristic of a first image;

means for monitoring communication of the first image to identify a communication characteristic of the first image;

means for associating the content characteristic with the communication characteristic; and

means for using the association between the content and communication characteristics to associate a second image having the content characteristic with the communication characteristic.

34. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

identifying a content characteristic of a first image;

monitoring communication of the first image to identify a communication characteristic of the first image;

associating the content characteristic with the communication characteristic; and

using the association between the content and communication characteristics to associate a second image having the content characteristic with the communication characteristic.