FILTER AND SHUTTER BASED ON IMAGE EMOTION CONTENT

• US 20150036934A1
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Emotient, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: MOVELLAN, Javier, SUSSKIND, Joshua, DENMAN, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 9,443,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/197
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/174 Facial expression recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

A computer-implemented (including method implemented using laptop, desktop, mobile, and wearable devices) method for image filtering. The method includes analyzing each image to generate a content vector for the image; applying an interest operator to the content vector, the interest operator being based on a plurality of pictures with desirable characteristics, thereby obtaining an interest index for the image; comparing the interest index for the image to an interest threshold; and taking one or more actions or abstaining from one or more actions based on a result of the step of comparing. Also, related systems and articles of manufacture.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for image filtering, the method comprising steps of:

analyzing each image of a plurality of images to generate a content vector for the image;

applying an interest operator to the content vector, the interest operator being based on a plurality of pictures with desirable characteristics, thereby obtaining an interest index for the image;

comparing the interest index for the image to an interest threshold; and

taking one or more actions based on a result of the step of comparing.

2. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more expressions of one or more faces in the plurality of images.

3. A computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the desirable characteristics relate to emotional content or sentiment in the expressions.

4. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more human appearance characteristics in the plurality of images.

5. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more action units in the plurality of images.

6. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more low level features in the plurality of images.

7. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of images are captured by a camera viewing an audience of an event.

8. A computer-based system configured to:

analyze each image of a plurality of images to generate a content vector for the image;

apply an interest operator to the content vector, the interest operator being based on a plurality of pictures with desirable characteristics, to obtain an interest index for the image;

compare the interest index for the image to an interest threshold, to obtain a result of comparison between the interest index for the image and the interest threshold; and

take one or more actions based on the result.

9. A computer-based system according to claim 8, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more expressions of one or more faces in the plurality of images.

10. A computer-based system according to claim 9, wherein the desirable characteristics relate to emotional content or sentiment in the expressions.

11. A computer-based system according to claim 8, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more human appearance characteristics in the plurality of images.

12. A computer-based system according to claim 8, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more action units in the plurality of images.

13. A computer-based system according to claim 8, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more low level features in the plurality of images.

14. A computer-based system according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of images are captured by a camera viewing an audience of an event.

15. An article of manufacture comprising non-transitory machine-readable memory embedded with computer code of a computer-implemented method for image filtering, the method comprising steps of:

analyzing each image to generate a content vector for the image;

applying an interest operator to the content vector, the interest operator being based on a plurality of pictures with desirable characteristics, thereby obtaining an interest index for the image;

comparing the interest index for the image to an interest threshold; and

taking one or more actions based on a result of the step of comparing.

16. An article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more expressions of one or more faces in the plurality of images.

17. An article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the desirable characteristics relate to emotional content or sentiment in the expressions.

18. An article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more human appearance characteristics in the plurality of images.

19. An article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more action units in the plurality of images.

20. An article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the interest operator is predominantly based on content of one or more low level features in the plurality of images.