Digital Life Recorder Implementing Enhanced Facial Recognition Subsystem for Acquiring a Face Glossary Data

• US 20090175510A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, John David, Grim, Clifton E. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,894,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5862 using texture

Abstract

A method and apparatus for updating a face glossary repository with face glossary data. The process identifies a source of the face glossary data in response to detecting an acquisition condition. The source may comprise a raw data queue, a first glossary from a peer digital life recorder, or a second glossary from a remote repository. The process retrieves the face glossary data from the source and stores the face glossary data from the source into the face glossary repository. The face glossary repository may include a face glossary cache and a face glossary database.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for updating a face glossary repository with face glossary data, the computer implemented method comprising:

detecting an acquisition condition;

responsive to detecting an acquisition condition, identifying a source of the face glossary data, wherein the source comprises at least one of a raw data queue, a peer digital life recorder, a mobile device, and a remote repository;

retrieving the face glossary data from the source; and

storing, in the face glossary repository, the face glossary data, wherein the face glossary repository comprises at least one of a face glossary cache and a face glossary database.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the acquisition condition is selected from a group consisting of at least one of a presence of a voice command in a command queue, a presence of a set of face images in the raw data queue, a preset time, a presence of the peer digital life recorder, and a presence of updated face glossary data in the remote repository.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of a voice command, locating the set of face images in the raw data queue identified by the voice command;

processing the set of face images to form a set of single face images, wherein each image of the set of single face images corresponds to a face in the set of face images;

performing facial metadata abstraction on the set single face images to generate a set of processed face images; and

sending the set of processed face images to a facial recognition component to generate the face glossary data.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of a presence of the peer digital life recorder,

receiving the face glossary data from the peer digital life recorder in accordance with configuration constraints, wherein the face glossary data is received from at least one of a face glossary cache of the peer digital life recorder and a face glossary database of the peer digital life recorder.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the preset time, detecting the preset time;

searching the remote repository for the updated face glossary data; and

selecting the face glossary data from the updated face glossary data which satisfies configurable constraints.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of updated face glossary data in the remote repository;

searching the remote repository for the updated face glossary data; and

selecting the face glossary data from the updated face glossary data which satisfies configurable constraints.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer recordable storage medium tangibly embodying executable program instructions that update a face glossary repository with face glossary data, the computer program product comprising:

first program instructions that detects an acquisition condition;

second program instructions that identifies a source of the face glossary data in response to detecting an acquisition condition, wherein the source comprises at least one of a raw data queue, a peer digital life recorder, a mobile device, and a remote repository;

third program instructions that retrieves the face glossary data from the source; and

fourth program instructions that stores, in the face glossary repository, the face glossary data, wherein the face glossary repository comprises at least one of a face glossary cache and a face glossary database.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the acquisition condition is selected from a group consisting of at least one of a presence of a voice command in a command queue, a presence of a set of face images in the raw data queue, a preset time, a presence of the peer digital life recorder, and a presence of updated face glossary data in the remote repository

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the third program instructions further comprise:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of a voice command,

program instructions that locate the set of face images in the raw data queue identified by the voice command;

program instructions that process the set of face images to form a set of single face images, wherein each image of the set of single face images corresponds to a face in the set of face images;

program instructions that perform facial metadata abstraction on the set single face images to generate a set of processed face images; and

program instructions that send the set of processed face images to a facial recognition component for generating the face glossary data.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the third program instructions further comprise:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of the peer digital life recorder,

program instructions that download the face glossary data from the peer digital life recorder in accordance with configuration constraints, wherein the face glossary data is downloaded from at least one of a face glossary cache of the peer digital life recorder and a face glossary database of the peer digital life recorder.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the third program instructions further comprise:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the preset time,

program instructions that detect the preset time;

program instructions that search the remote repository for the updated face glossary data responsive to detecting the preset time; and

program instructions that select the face glossary data from the updated face glossary data which satisfies configurable constraints.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the third program instructions further comprise:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of updated face glossary,

program instructions that search the remote repository for the updated face glossary data; and

program instructions that select the face glossary data from the updated face glossary data which satisfies configurable constraints.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a computer usable program code; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code in the memory to perform actions comprising;

detecting an acquisition condition;

identifying a source of face glossary data responsive to detecting an acquisition condition, wherein the source comprises at least one of a raw data queue, a peer digital life recorder, a mobile device, and a remote repository;

retrieving the face glossary data from the source; and

storing, in the face glossary repository, the face glossary data, wherein the face glossary repository comprises at least one of a face glossary cache and a face glossary database.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the acquisition condition is selected from a group consisting of at least one of a presence of a voice command in a command queue, a presence of a set of face images in the raw data queue, a preset time, a presence of the peer digital life recorder, and a presence of updated face glossary data in the remote repository.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, the actions further comprising:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of a voice command;

locating the set of face images in the raw data queue identified by the voice command,

processing the set of face images to form a set of single face images, wherein each image of the set of single face images corresponds to a face in the set of face images;

performing facial metadata abstraction on the set single face images to generate a set of processed face images; and

sending the set of processed face images to a facial recognition component for generating the face glossary data.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, the actions further comprising:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of the peer digital life recorder,

downloading the face glossary data from the peer digital life recorder in accordance with configuration constraints, the face glossary data being downloaded from at least one of a face glossary cache of the peer digital life recorder and a face glossary database of the peer digital life recorder.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, the actions further comprising:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the preset time,

detecting the preset time;

searching the remote repository for the updated face glossary data responsive to detecting the preset time; and

selecting the face glossary data from the updated face glossary data that satisfies configurable constraints.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, the actions further comprising:

responsive to the acquisition condition being the presence of updated face glossary data in the remote repository,

searching the remote repository for the updated face glossary data; and

selecting the face glossary data from the updated face glossary data that satisfies configurable constraints.

19. A data processing system for updating a face glossary repository with face glossary data, the system comprising:

means for generating a set of single face images from at least one of a set of face images and new scenelet data;

means for generating metadata describing features of a face image from the set of single face images; and

means for identifying a subject in the face image by comparing the metadata with the face glossary data.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for downloading face glossary data from a source of the face glossary data.