INTERACTIVE IMAGE SELECTION METHOD

• US 20120114257A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fry, Peter Thomas, Piper, John Denis, Kiddle, Graham Robert, Muammar, Hani, Payne, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• 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 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location

Abstract

Image selection method amongst a plurality of digital images (102) classified in a plurality of images categories (104a, 104b 104c), the method comprising the following steps: -allocating to each image at least one strength value (112, 112i, 112j, 112k), -allowing an user to select (120) images amongst the plurality of digital images, -collecting (122) user data, -updating (130) the strength value of all images classified in a same category than an image selected by the user as a function of the collected user data, and -upon selection of an image by the user, automatically selecting (142) at least one additional image classified in at least one same category than an image selected by the user, and for which the strength value exceeds a threshold value -making the selected images available (146) for subsequent use.

Claims

1. An image selection method for selecting images amongst a plurality of digital images classified in a plurality of images categories, the method comprising the following steps:

allocating to each image at least one strength value,

allowing an user to select (120) images amongst the plurality of digital images,

collecting user data,

updating the strength value of all images classified in a same category than an image selected by the user as a function of the collected user data, and

upon selection of an image by the user, automatically selecting at least one additional image classified in at least one same category than an image selected by the user, the selection of the additional image being based on its strength value,

making the selected images available for a subsequent use.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the selection of additional images for which the strength value exceeds a threshold value.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein collecting user data comprises at least one amongst:

measuring a display duration for each image viewed by the user,

collecting data on the user'"'"'s name, date of birth, age, location,

counting the number of clicks performed on a computer keyboard/mouse, whilst an image selected by the user is displayed,

capturing image of the user'"'"'s face,

collecting data on prior images viewed by the same user,

measuring emotive response of the user to viewed image(s).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the strength value data is updated by:

an update value proportional to the display duration of the selected image,

an update value proportional to a correlation of the semantic content of the selected image and the captured image of the user'"'"'s face,

a preset update value when the user'"'"'s name, date of birth or location is found in the metadata of the selected image,

an update value proportional to the number of clicks performed whilst the selected image is displayed,

an update value proportional to the emotive response of the viewer to the selected images,

an update value proportional to the strength value of previously viewed images

5. The method according to claim 1

wherein the images are classified classes respectively corresponding to features likely to be extracted from image data.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the images are classified in at least one amongst the following categories:

a category corresponding to semantic content of the image,

a category corresponding to a time- or date-frame in which the image has been captured,

a category corresponding to a key word stored as a metadata along with the image data,

a category of images selected by a user in a same session on a selection/viewing device,

a category of images selected by location of the image capture or user location,

a category of images selected by significance to the viewer.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the preliminary steps of:

collecting images,

determining features of the images based on image data and/or image metadata computation,

searching for similarities between determined features for sets of images, and/or searching similarities between computed features and preset features of image categories,

sorting images having similar features in common categories

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising the automatic creation of a new categories of images each time a similarity is found amongst a preset number of images.

9. The method according to claim 1, to be carried out for a plurality of users wherein a plurality of strength values are allocated to each image each strength value corresponding respectively to one amongst the plurality of users and each strength value being respectively updated with data about the corresponding user.

10. The method according to claim 1 comprising the display of selected images, wherein selected images corresponding to different categories are displayed in different areas of a display screen.

11. The method according to claim 1 comprising the display of selected images, wherein each selected images is displayed with a relative size which is a function of the strength value of said image.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising a random selection of additional images, and/or a selection of additional images for which the strength value is below a threshold value and/or a selection of additional images not classified in a same category than images selected by the user.

13. Computer program product comprising instructions for carrying out the method of claim 1.

14. Storage medium with a computer program product according to claim 13.