METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPH FINDING

• US 20090083236A1
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hoshiko LLC (Raoul Management LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• 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: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Digital image data including discrete photographic images of a variety of different subjects, times, and so forth, are collected and analyzed to identify specific features in the photographs. In an embodiment of the invention, distinctive markers are distributed to aid in the identification of particular subject matter. Facial recognition may also be employed. The digital image data is maintained in a database and quarried in response to search requests. The search requests include criteria specifying any feature category or other identifying information, such as date, time, and location that each photograph was taken, associated with each photograph. Candidate images are provided for review by requesters, who may select desired images for purchase or downloading.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A computer-implemented method for locating image data, comprising:

automatically analyzing digital image data using a computer to identify objects imaged by the digital image data and to assign each of the imaged objects identified by the computer with at least one assigned description, thereby assigning descriptions to the imaged objects;

providing the digital image data for storage in a database in association with the assigned descriptions of the imaged objects;

locating specific image files in digital image data in response to a request to search the digital image data received from a client, the request specifying at least one object description included in the assigned descriptions;

outputting a response to the request to search the digital image data, the response comprising a list of identifiers for discrete image files in the database to which the at least one object description is assigned.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising collecting source information for each image file included in the digital image data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the source information comprises a time and a location that each image file was first generated.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising querying the database to identify the image files to which the at least one object description is assigned.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein analyzing the digital image data further comprises identifying facial characteristics of persons imaged in the digital image data.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising electronically distributing a plurality of distinctive markers to contributors of the digital image data configured for printing on remote printers to provide distinctive marking signs for placing with subject matter to be photographed to create the digital image data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein analyzing the digital image data further comprises identifying the distinctive markers when present in the digital image data.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein locating the specific image files further comprises searching the database using the at least one object description specifying a selected one of the distinctive markers.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein locating the specific image files further comprises searching the database using the at least one object description specifying a personal identifying characteristic.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising distributing a plurality of distinctive optical markers configured for placing with subject matter to be photographed to create the digital image data, each of the markers marked with optically encoded identifying data and having a predetermined appearance to facilitate computer recognition of the each of the markers in photographic image data.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising recording predetermined appearances of each of the distinctive optical markers for use in analyzing the digital image data.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising automatically analyzing the digital image data to detect any of the distinctive optical markers by comparison with the recorded predetermined appearances.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising reading the identifying data encoded on images of the distinctive optical markers detected in the digital image data.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing the digital image data for storage in the database in association with the identifying data encoded on the distinctive optical markers detected in the digital image data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein locating the specific image files further comprises searching the database using the at least one object description specifying the identifying data.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising electronically transmitting the plurality of distinctive optical markers configured for printing on remote printers operated by remote clients.

25. A system for locating image data, comprising:

a server adapted to communicate with a plurality of network clients, having a memory holding an application, wherein the application is configured for;

automatically analyzing digital image data using a computer to identify characteristic objects imaged by the digital image data and to assign each of the characteristic objects identified by the computer with at least one assigned description from a plurality of predetermined descriptions;

providing the digital image data for storage in a database in association with the predetermined descriptions of the characteristic objects;

locating specific image files in digital image data in response to a request to search the digital image data, the request specifying at least one object description included in the predetermined descriptions;

outputting a response to the request to search the digital image data, the response identifying discrete image files in the database to which the at least one object description is assigned.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the application is further configured for analyzing the digital image data further comprises identifying facial characteristics of persons imaged in the digital image data.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the application is further configured for serving a plurality of distinctive markers configured for printing on remote printers, configured for providing distinctive marking signs for placing with subject matter to be photographed to create the digital image data.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the application is further configured for identifying the distinctive markers when present in the digital image data.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the application is further configured for searching the database using the at least one object description specifying a personal identifying characteristic, to locate the specific images in the digital image data.