Monitoring digital images

• US 7,779,117 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayman, Timothy B., Lippert, Patrick D., Tessman, Jr., Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano, Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US11/539,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 705/51, 705/54, 705/57
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Digital images are monitored by enabling access to a digital image, receiving a notification associated with the digital image from a first user, and regulating access of the first user to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring digital images comprising:

receiving a first user identity from a first user;

enabling the first user to access a digital image while operating under the first user identity;

receiving a notification associated with the digital image from the first user while operating under the first user identity;

regulating access of the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user;

assigning a classification to the digital image based on the received notification, the classification indicating a degree of offensiveness of the digital image; and

regulating, by a computer processor, access of users in a community of users to the digital image based on the assigned classification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the users in the community include a first particular user and a second particular user distinct from the first particular user and regulating access of the users in the community includes:

enabling the first particular user to access the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image, and

preventing the second particular user from accessing the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the users in the community include a first category of users and a second category of users distinct from the first category of users and regulating access of the users in the community includes:

enabling the first category of users to access the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image, and

preventing the second category of users from accessing the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating access of the users in the community of users includes preventing all users in the community of users from accessing the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating access of the users in the community of users includes not preventing any users in the community of users from accessing the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning to the digital image a classification includes assigning a classification selected from at least a first classification indicating an image that is not relatively offensive, a second classification indicating an image that is relatively offensive, and a third classification indicating an image that is relatively extremely offensive.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein regulating access of users in a community includes not preventing any users in the community of users from accessing the digital image conditioned on the digital image being assigned to the first classification.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the users in the community include a first particular user and a second particular user distinct from the first particular user and regulating access of the users in the community includes:

enabling the first particular user to access the digital image conditioned on the digital image being assigned to the second classification, and

preventing the second particular user from accessing the digital image conditioned on the digital image being assigned to the second classification.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the users in the community include a first category of users and a second category of users distinct from the first category of users and regulating access of the users in the community includes:

enabling the first category of users to access the digital image conditioned on the digital image being assigned to the second classification, and

preventing the second category of users from accessing the digital image conditioned on the digital image being assigned to the second classification.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein regulating access of users in a community of users includes preventing all of the users in the community of users from accessing the digital image conditioned on the digital image being assigned to the third classification.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising regulating access by a community of users to the digital image based on notifications received from more than one user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein regulating access of the first user to the digital image comprises restricting access by the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to all digital images affiliated with a party that is affiliated with the digital image.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein regulating access of the first user to the digital image comprises restricting access by the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to all digital images stored by a party that stored the digital image.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein regulating access of the first user to the digital image comprises restricting access by the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to all digital images received from a party from which the digital image was received.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising restricting access by a user other than the first user to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising restricting access by a user other than the first user to all digital images affiliated with a party that is affiliated with the digital image based on the notification received from the first user.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a notification associated with the digital image from a first user comprises receiving a notification in response to the user selecting a notify button associated with the digital image.

18. The method of claim 1 in which regulating access of the first user further comprises:

identifying a storage location associated with the first user identity; and

modifying metadata associated with the first user identity.

19. The method of claim 18 in which identifying a storage location comprises identifying a storage location based upon an application of a hashing code to account information associated with the first user.

20. The method of claim 18 in which modifying metadata comprises modifying metadata associated with the digital image.

21. The method of claim 20 in which modifying metadata comprises removing metadata corresponding to the digital image from one or more tables associated with the first user identity.

22. The method of claim 18 in which modifying metadata comprises removing metadata corresponding to the first user identity from one or more tables associated with the digital image.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second user identity from a second user

regulating access of the second user, while operating under the second user identity, to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

regulating access of an owner of the digital image to the digital image.

25. The method of claim 24 in which regulating access of the owner further comprises:

identifying a storage location associated with the owner; and

modifying metadata associated with the owner.

26. The method of claim 25 in which identifying a storage location comprises identifying a storage location based upon an application of a hashing code to account information associated with the owner.

27. The method of claim 26 in which modifying metadata comprises modifying metadata associated with the digital image.

28. The method of claim 27 in which modifying metadata comprises removing metadata corresponding to the first user identity from one or more tables associated with the digital image.

29. The method of claim 28 in which modifying metadata further comprises inserting metadata indicating an investigation status in one or more tables corresponding to the digital image.

30. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a storage location containing the digital image.

31. The method of claim 30 in which identifying the storage location comprises identifying the storage location based upon account information associated with the first user.

32. The method of claim 30 in which identifying the storage location comprises identifying the storage location based upon account information associated with the owner.

33. The method of claim 30 in which identifying the storage location comprises identifying the storage location based upon a first image identifier associated with a first storage facility and a directory and a second image identifier comprising a random number.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising changing metadata associated with the stored digital image to effect restrictive access to the digital image by the first user while operating under the first user identity.

35. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving the digital image.

36. The method of claim 1 further comprising reviewing the digital image and taking an action based upon the review of the digital image.

37. The method of claim 36 in which the action comprises sending a warning notice to the owner of the digital image.

38. The method of claim 36 in which the action comprises unsharing the digital image to prevent access to the digital image by one or more users.

39. The method of claim 36 in which the action comprises replacing the digital image with a different digital image.

40. A computer program, stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions for:

receiving a first user identity from a first user;

enabling the first user to access a digital image while operating under the first user identity;

receiving a notification associated with the digital image from the first user while operating under the first user identity;

regulating access of the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user;

assigning a classification to the digital image based on the received notification, the classification indicating a degree of offensiveness of the digital image; and

regulating, by a computer processor, access of users in a community of users to the digital image based on the assigned classification.

41. The computer program of claim 40, wherein the users in the community include a first particular user and a second particular user distinct from the first particular user and the instructions for regulating access of the users in the community include instructions for:

enabling the first particular user to access the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image, and

preventing the second particular user from accessing the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image.

42. The computer program of claim 40, wherein the users in the community include a first category of users and a second category of users distinct from the first category of users and the instructions for regulating access of the users in the community include instructions for:

enabling the first category of users to access the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image, and

preventing the second category of users from accessing the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image.

43. The computer program of claim 40, wherein the instructions for regulating access of the users in the community of users include instructions for preventing all users in the community of users from accessing the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image.

44. The computer program of claim 40, wherein the instructions for regulating access of the users in the community of users include instructions for not preventing any users in the community of users from accessing the digital image based on the classification assigned to the digital image.

45. The computer program of claim 40, wherein the instructions for assigning to the digital image a classification include instructions for assigning a classification selected from at least a first classification indicating an image that is not relatively offensive, a second classification indicating an image that is relatively offensive, and a third classification indicating an image that is relatively extremely offensive.

46. A system for monitoring digital images comprising:

means for receiving a first user identity from a first user;

means for enabling the first user to access a digital image;

means for receiving a notification associated with the digital image from the first user while operating under the first user identity;

means for regulating access of the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user;

means for assigning a classification to the digital image based on the received notification, the classification indicating a degree of offensiveness of the digital image; and

means for regulating access, by a computer processor, of users in a community of users to the digital image based on the assigned classification.

47. A method of monitoring digital images, the method comprising:

receiving a first user identity from a first user;

enabling the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to;

navigate to electronic content,

perceive the electronic content after navigation to the electronic content, and provide feedback regarding the acceptability of the electronic content;

preventing the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to perceive the electronic content in subsequent navigations based on the feedback provided by the first user;

assigning a classification to the digital image based on the feedback provided by the first user, the classification indicating a degree of offensiveness of the digital image; and

regulating access, by a computer processor, of users in a community of users to the digital image based on the assigned classification.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

preventing the first user, while operating under the first user identity, to perceive other electronic content related to the content for which feedback is provided.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the electronic content includes a digital image.