Photocollage generation and modification using image recognition

• US 6,389,181 B2
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: McBride, John K., Squilla, John R., Shaffer, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US09/199,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305, 382/276, 382/170, 382/172, 382/302, 382/306, 382/307, 358/448, 358/906, 358/450, 358/400, 358/402, 358/403, 345/619, 345/630, 707/1, 707/7, 707/102, 707/100
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00135 Scanning of a photographic original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00143 Ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00175 from a still image storage medium H04N1/00172, H04N1/0018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0019 on souvenir-type products or the like, e.g. T-shirts or mugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00193 to a portable storage medium, e.g. a read-writable compact disk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for employing image recognition techniques to produce a photocollage from a plurality of images wherein the system obtains a digital record for each of the plurality of images, assigns each of the digital records a unique identifier and stories the digital records in a database; automatically sorts the digital records using at least one date type to categorize each of the digital records according at least one predetermined criteria; employs means responsive to the sorting step to compose a photocollage from the digital records. The method and system employ data types selected from pixel data; metadata; product order information; processing goal information; or customer profile to automatically sort data typically by culling or grouping to categorize according to either an event, a person, or chronologically.

Claims

1. A method of automatically producing a photocollage from a plurality of images, the method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a digital record of the plurality of images via a communication system, each of the digital records having a unique identifier which digital records are stored in a database;

b) automatically obtaining at least one predetermined, photocollage processing goal independent of manual input;

c) automatically translating the processing goal into a plurality of processing steps based upon a predetermined criteria;

d) automatically applying the plurality of processing steps using data from one or more of pixel data, processing goal information, or customer profile information in each step for sorting the digital records; and

e) automatically composing the photocollage from the digital records based on results on the sorting.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of processing steps includes employing individually or in combination culling, grouping, enhancing, annotating, associating, arranging, or composing.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the translating step further comprises employing a story-based model.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the translating step further comprises using analysis of the pixel data from one or more of the digital records.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the plurality of processing steps further comprises culling records based upon analysis of pixel data for low quality and or duplicate images.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of translating further comprises using criteria which are either subjective criteria or objective criteria.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing a photocollage further comprises generating additional processing goals based upon partial satisfaction of previous processing goals.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (a) further includes scanning the images to obtain the digital records.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising using individually or in combination either date;

time;

location;

Advanced Photo Standard information on exposure;

sound files;

or camera identification data as additional data.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising collecting customer order information as additional data further includes collecting customer order information.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising maintaining a customer profile pertinent to creating the photocollage as additional data.

12. A system of automatically producing a photocollage from a plurality of images, the system comprising:

a) means for obtaining a digital record for each of the plurality of images via a communication system, each of the digital records having a unique identifier which digital records are stored in a database;

b) means for automatically obtaining at least one predetermined, photocollage processing goal independent of manual input;

c) means for automatically translating the at least processing goal into a plurality of processing steps based upon a predetermined criteria;

d) means for automatically applying the plurality of processing steps employing data individually or in combination from one or more of pixel data, processing goal information, or customer profile information in each step for sorting the digital records; and

e) means for automatically composing the photocollage from the digital records based on results on the sorting.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for processing includes means for employing individually or in combination either culling, grouping, enhancing, annotating, associating, arranging, or composing.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for translating further comprises means for using analysis of the pixel data from one or more of the digital records.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for applying the plurality of processing steps further comprises means for culling records based upon analysis of pixel data for low quality and or duplicate images.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for translating further comprises means for using criteria that are either subjective criteria or objective criteria.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for producing the photocollage further comprises means for generating additional processing goals based upon partial satisfaction of previous processing goals.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for obtaining digital records further includes scanning the images to obtain the digital records.

19. The system of claim 12 further comprising means for using individually or in combination date;

time;

location;

Advanced Photo Standard information on exposure;

sound files;

or camera identification data as additional data.

20. The system of claim 12 further comprising the means for collecting customer order information as additional data.

21. The system of claim 12 further comprising maintaining a customer profile pertinent to creating the photocollage as additional data.