DISCOVERY AND SHARING OF PHOTOS BETWEEN DEVICES

• US 20150039616A1
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shoto, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shoto, Inc.
• Inventors: ROLSTON, Mark Edward, NORTON, Brian Christopher, DUGGAL, Sachin Dev
• Granted Patent: US 9,542,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information

Abstract

Described are systems, media, and methods for discovery of media relevant to a user and sharing the media with the user.

Claims

1. A method for grouping a plurality of images from a plurality of users into an event, the method comprising:

a) receiving, at a computing system, a first set of metadata from a first device associated with a first user and a second set of metadata from a second device associated with a second user, wherein;

the first set of metadata is associated with a first image stored on the first device, and includes location information and time information for the first image;

the second set of metadata is associated with a second image stored on the second device, and includes location information and time information for the second image;

b) identifying, by the computing device, a first event based on the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata, wherein the first event has a defined beginning time and a defined end time;

c) associating, by the computing device, the first image and the second image with the first event based on the location information or the time information associated with the first image and the second image;

d) identifying, by the computing device, a relationship between the first user and the second user; and

e) sending, by the computing device, a notification to the first user that the second user has an image associated with the first event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first set of contacts information from the first device and a second set of contacts information from the second device; and

comparing the first set of contacts information with the second set of contacts information to identify a match, wherein the relationship between the first user and the second user is identified based on the match.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device stores a plurality of images, the method further comprising:

associating a portion of the plurality of images with the first event on the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating the first event using at least one of the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata; and

inferring information about the first user and the second user based on the analyzing.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a recommendation for the first user or the second user based on the analyzing.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing location information included in the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata; and

determining a radius of proximity for the first event based on the analyzing.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional location-related information from an external source; and

defining properties of the first event using the additional information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a) receiving additional sets of metadata from additional devices associated with additional users;

b) receiving sets of contacts information from the additional devices;

c) receiving a first set of contacts information from the first device;

d) analyzing the first set of contacts information, the additional sets of contacts information and the additional sets of metadata associated with each of the additional users;

e) determining a plurality of users among the additional users who has at least one image associated with the first event;

f) discovering a subset of users among the plurality of users whose contact information is included in the first set of contacts information; and

g) informing the first user about the determined subset of users.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a) receiving a third set of metadata from the first device, wherein the third set of metadata is associated with a third image stored on the first device, and includes location information and time information for the third image;

b) comparing the location information and time information for the third image to the location and time information of the first image or the second image;

c) determining that the location information and time information for the third image is different from the location and time information of the first image or the second image;

d) creating, by the computing device, a second event based on the third set of metadata, wherein the second event has a defined beginning time and a defined end time that is different than the first event; and

e) associating the third image with the second event instead of the first event based on the location information or the time information associated with the third image.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

closing the first event.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

merging the first event and the second event into a merged event, wherein;

a beginning time of the merged event is equal to or before than the beginning times of both the first event and the second event, and an end time of the merged event is equal to or after than the end times of both the first event and the second event.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the first user to share the first image with the second user; and

making the first image available to the second user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device stores a plurality of images, the method further comprising:

a) receiving a query from the first user to identify one or more images on the first device that belongs to a given event;

b) analyzing sets of metadata associated with the plurality of images;

c) identifying zero or more images based on the analyzing; and

d) providing the identified zero or more images to the first user in response to the query.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, by the computing device, a notification to the first user upon identification of the second user and the first event.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image is a blank image generated by the first device in order to generate the first set of metadata.

15. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a) a digital processing device comprising an operating system configured to perform executable instructions and a memory;

b) a computer program including instructions executable by the digital processing device to create a media sharing application comprising;

i. a software module configured to receive, a first set of metadata from a first device associated with a first user and a second set of metadata from a second device associated with a second user, wherein;

the first set of metadata is associated with a first image stored on the first device, and includes location information and time information for the first image, wherein the second set of metadata is associated with a second image stored on the second device, and includes location information and time information for the second image;

ii. a software module configured to identify a first event based on the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata, wherein the first event has a defined beginning time and a defined end time;

iii. a software module configured to associate the first image and the second image with the first event based on the location information or the time information associated with the first image and the second image;

iv. a software module configured to identify a relationship between the first user and the second user; and

v. a software module configured to send a notification to the first user that the second user has an image associated with the first event.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software module configured to receive a first set of contacts information from the first device and a second set of contacts information from the second device; and

a software module configured to compare the first set of contacts information with the second set of contacts information to identify a match, wherein the relationship between the first user and the second user is identified based on the match.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first device stores a plurality of images, the system further comprises:

a software module configured to associate a portion of the plurality of images with the first event on the first device.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software module configured to create the first event using at least one of the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software module configured to analyze the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata; and

a software module configured to infer information about the first user and the second user based on the analyzing.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software module configured to generate a recommendation for the first user or the second user based on the analysis.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software module configured to analyze location information included in the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata; and

a software module configured to determine a radius of proximity for the first event based on the analysis.

22. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software module configured to receive additional location-related information from an external source; and

a software module configured to define properties of the first event using the additional information.

23. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a) a software module configured to receive additional sets of metadata from additional devices associated with additional users;

b) a software module configured to receive sets of contacts information from the additional devices;

c) a software module configured to receive a first set of contacts information from the first device;

d) a software module configured to analyze the first set of contacts information, the additional sets of contacts information and the additional sets of metadata associated with each of the additional users;

e) a software module configured to determine a plurality of users among the additional users who has at least one image associated with the first event;

f) a software module configured to discover a subset of users among the plurality of users whose contact information is included in the first set of contacts information; and

g) a software module configured to inform the first user and about the determined subset of users.

24. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a) a software module configured to receive a third set of metadata from the first device, wherein the third set of metadata is associated with a third image stored on the first device, including location information and time information for the third image;

b) a software module configured to compare the location information and time information for the third image to the location and time information of the first image or the second image;

c) a software module configured to determine that the location information and time information for the third image is different from the location and time information of the first image or the second image;

d) a software module configured to create a second event based on the third set of metadata, wherein the second event has a defined beginning time and a defined end time that is different than the first event; and

e) a software module configured to associate the third image with the second event instead of the first event based on the location information or the time information associated with the third image.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a software module configured to close the first event.

26. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software module configured to merge the first event and the second event into a merged event, wherein;

a beginning time of the merged event is equal to or before than the beginning times of both the first event and the second event, and an end time of the merged event is equal to or after than the end times of both the first event and the second event.

27. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a software module configured to receive an instruction from the first user to share the first image with the second user; and

a software module configured to make the first image available to the second user.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the first device stores a plurality of images, the system further comprises:

a) a software module configured to receive a query from the first user to identify one or more images on the first device that belongs to a given event;

b) a software module configured to analyze sets of metadata associated with the plurality of images;

c) a software module configured to identify zero or more images based on the analyzing; and

d) a software module configured to provide the identified zero or more images to the first user in response to the query.