Method And System For Attaching A Metatag To A Digital Image

• US 20100235400A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FaceDouble Incorporated
• Inventors: Shah, Alex, Myers, Charles A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification

Abstract

A system and method for tagging an image of an individual in a plurality of photos is disclosed herein. A feature vector of an individual is used to analyze a set of photos on a social networking website such as www.facebook.com to determine if an image of the individual is present in a photo of the set of photos. Photos having an image of the individual are tagged preferably by listing a URL or URI for each of the photos in a database.

Claims

1. A method for tagging an image of an individual in a plurality of photos, the method comprising:

providing a first plurality of photos, each of the first plurality of photos comprising an identified image of the individual;

processing the image of the individual in each of the first plurality of photos to generate a feature vector for the individual;

analyzing a second plurality of photos to determine if an image of the individual is present in a photo of the second plurality of photos, the analysis comprising determining if an image in each of the photos of the second plurality of photos matches the feature vector for the individual;

identifying each of the photos of the second plurality of photos having an image of the individual to create a third plurality of photos; and

tagging each of the photos of the third plurality of photos to identify the image of the individual in each of the third plurality of photos.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of tagging comprises listing a URL or URI for each of the photos of the third plurality of photos in a database.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of tagging comprises inserting a tag code on each of the photos of the third plurality of photos.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the image of the individual is a facial image of the individual.

5. A system for tagging an image of an individual in a plurality of photos, the system comprising:

a network;

a database comprising a first plurality of photos of an image of an individual;

a server engine for processing the first plurality of photos to generate a feature vector for the image of the individual;

a second plurality of photos located on a social networking web site;

means for analyzing the second plurality of photos to determine if an image of the individual is present in a photo of the second plurality of photos, the analysis comprising determining if an image in each of the photos of the second plurality of photos matches the feature vector for the individual;

means for identifying each of the photos of the second plurality of photos having an image of the individual to create a third plurality of photos; and

means for tagging each of the photos of the third plurality of photos to identify the image of the individual in each of the third plurality of photos.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the step of tagging comprises listing a URL or URI for each of the photos of the third plurality of photos in a database.

7. The system according to claim 5 wherein the step of tagging comprises inserting a tag code on each of the photos of the third plurality of photos.

8. The system according to claim 5 wherein the image of the individual is a facial image of the individual.

9. The system according to claim 7 wherein the social networking web site is facebook.com and the tag code is a facebook identifier.

10. The system according to claim 5 wherein the feature vector is based on a plurality of factors comprising facial expression, hair style, hair color, facial pose, eye color, texture of the face, color of the face and facial hair.

11. A method for tagging an image of an individual in a plurality of photos, the method comprising:

creating a feature vector for an individual from a plurality of reference photos;

analyzing a second plurality of photos to determine if an image of the individual is present in a photo of the second plurality of photos, the analysis comprising determining if an image in each of the photos of the second plurality of photos matches the feature vector for the individual;

identifying each of the photos of the second plurality of photos having an image of the individual to create a third plurality of photos; and

tagging each of the photos of the third plurality of photos to identify the image of the individual in each of the third plurality of photos.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the step of tagging comprises:

determining the location the location of the image in the photo;

storing the location of the image in the photo in a database;

storing an identifier for the photo in a database; and

storing an identifier for the individual in a database.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the step of determining the location comprises:

determining the X and Y coordinates of the image of the individual in the photo;

determining the size of the image of the individual in the photo; and

determining the tilt of the image of the individual in the photo.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein each of the second plurality of photos is located on a social networking web site.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the social networking web site is facebook.com and the tagging comprises inserting a facebook identifier on each of the second plurality of photos.

16. The method according to claim 11 wherein:

creating a feature vector for an individual from a plurality of reference photos comprises creating a feature vector for a facial image of an individual from a plurality of reference digital photos, each of the plurality of reference digital photos comprising a facial image of the individual;

analyzing a second plurality of photos to determine if an image of the individual is present in a photo of the second plurality of photos, the analysis comprising determining if an image in each of the photos of the second plurality of photos matches the feature vector for the individual comprises analyzing a second plurality of digital photos to determine if a facial image of the individual is present in a digital photo of the second plurality of digital photos, the analysis comprising determining if a facial image in each of the digital photos of the second plurality of digital photos matches the feature vector for the individual;

identifying each of the photos of the second plurality of photos having an image of the individual to create a third plurality of photos comprises identifying each of the digital photos of the second plurality of digital photos having a facial image of the individual to create a third plurality of digital photos; and

tagging each of the photos of the third plurality of photos to identify the image of the individual in each of the third plurality of photos comprises tagging each of the digital photos of the third plurality of digital photos to identify the facial image of the individual in each of the third plurality of digital photos.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the step of tagging comprises:

determining the location the location of the facial image in the digital photo;

storing the location of the facial image in the digital photo in a database;

storing an identifier for the digital photo in a database; and

storing an identifier for the individual in a database.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the step of determining the location comprises:

determining the X and Y coordinates of the facial image of the individual in the digital photo;

determining the size of the facial image of the individual in the digital photo; and

determining the tilt of the facial image of the individual in the digital photo.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein each of the second plurality of digital photos is located on a social networking web site.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the social networking web site is facebook.com and the tagging comprises inserting a facebook identifier on each of the second plurality of digital photos.