Image based annotation and metadata generation system with experience based learning

• US 8,131,734 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Austin, Paul R., Gaucas, Dale E., Buckley, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jensen
• Application Number:
  US12/248,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.103, 707/749
• US Class Current: 707/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Methods and systems enhance a user'"'"'s experience when working with documents and images. Such methods and systems, provide pictures, graphics, images, etc. related to words, phrases, sentences, etc. when a pointing device is hovered over the word or phrase to help the user to understand and remember the words, phrases, sentences, etc. being read, and/or increase the enjoyment of the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring at least one input of a graphic user interface to identify a location of a graphical pointer within at least one display of said graphic user interface;

when said graphical pointer is positioned over at least one word displayed on said display, matching said word to at least one image within a database of images, said images within said database comprising textual metadata to permit said matching of said word to said image; and

displaying said at least one image on a location of said display proximate to said word;

said image comprising a hyperlink within said display, and said word being a portion of a textual article; and

updating said textual metadata of said image upon at least one user selection of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface, said updating of said textual metadata of said image being based on keywords of said textual article.

2. The method according to claim 1, said image comprising a hyperlink within said display,

said method further comprising ranking said images within said database based upon at least one user selection of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface, and

said matching of said word to said image giving preferences to higher ranked images based on said ranking of said images within said database.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising maintaining said textual metadata within a relationship table of said database and not maintaining said textual metadata within image files of said database.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said matching is further based on at least one of:

categorical relationships between said word and said textual metadata; and

user preferences.

5. A method comprising:

monitoring at least one input of a graphic user interface to identify a location of a graphical pointer within at least one display of said graphic user interface;

when said graphical pointer is positioned over at least one image displayed on said display, matching said image to at least one textual article within a database of textual articles, said image comprising textual metadata to permit said matching of said image to said textual article;

displaying at least one article identifier of said at least one textual article on a location of said display proximate to said image, said article identifier comprising a hyperlink within said display, and said textual article comprising article metadata; and

updating said article metadata of said textual article upon at least one user selection of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface, said updating of said article metadata of said textual article being based on keywords of said textual metadata of said image.

6. The method according to claim 5, said article identifier comprising a hyperlink within said display,

said method further comprising ranking said textual articles within said database based upon at least one of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface, and

said matching of said image to said textual article giving preferences to higher ranked textual articles based on said ranking of said textual articles within said database.

7. The method according to claim 5, said textual article comprising article metadata,

said method further comprising maintaining said article metadata within a relationship table of said database and not maintaining said article metadata within textual article files of said database.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein said matching is further based on at least one of:

categorical relationships between said textual article and said textual metadata of said image; and

user preferences.

9. A method comprising:

monitoring at least one input of a graphic user interface to identify a location of a graphical pointer within at least one display of said graphic user interface;

when said graphical pointer is positioned over at least one word displayed on said display, matching said word to at least one matched image within an image database of images, said images within said image database comprising textual metadata to permit said matching of said word to said matched image;

when said graphical pointer is positioned over at least one displayed image displayed on said display, matching said displayed image to at least one textual article within an article database of textual articles, said displayed image comprising textual metadata to permit said matching of said displayed image to said textual article; and

displaying one of;

said at least one matched image on a location of said display proximate to said word;

at least one article identifier of said at least one textual article on a location of said display proximate to said displayed image said matched image and said article identifier each comprising a hyperlink within said display, said word being a portion of a displayed textual article, and said textual article comprising article metadata; and

updating one of said textual metadata of said matched image and said article metadata upon at least one user selection of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface, said updating of said textual metadata of said matched image being based on keywords of said displayed textual article, and said updating of said article metadata being based on keywords of said textual metadata of said image.

10. The method according to claim 9, said matched image and said article identifier each comprising a hyperlink within said display,

said method further comprising ranking said images within said image database and ranking said textual articles within said article database based upon at least one user selection of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface,

said matching of said word to said matched image giving preferences to higher ranked images based on said ranking of said images within said image database, and

said matching of said displayed image to said textual article giving preferences to higher ranked textual articles based on said ranking of said textual articles within said article database.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

maintaining said textual metadata within a relationship table of said image database and not maintaining said textual metadata within image files of said image database; and

maintaining said article metadata within a relationship table of said article database and not maintaining said article metadata within textual article files of said article database.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said matching of said word and said matching of said displayed image are further based on at least one of:

categorical relationships between said word and said textual metadata;

categorical relationships between said textual article and said textual metadata of said displayed image; and

user preferences.

13. A system comprising:

a computer storage medium readable by a computer storing a database of images;

a processor operatively connected to said computer storage medium, said processor reading data and executing instructions stored said computer storage medium; and

a graphic user interface operatively connected to said processor, said graphic user interface having at least one input and at least one display,

said processor monitoring said input of said graphic user interface to identify a location of a graphical pointer within said display of said graphic user interface;

when said graphical pointer is positioned over at least one word displayed on said display, said processor matches said word to at least one image within said database of images, said images within said database comprising textual metadata to permit said matching of said word to said image;

said display displaying said at least one image on a location of said display proximate to said word, said image comprising a hyperlink within said display, and said word being a portion of a textual article; and

said processor updating said textual metadata of said image upon at least one user selection of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface, said updating of said textual metadata of said image being based on keywords of said textual article.

14. The system according to claim 13, said image comprising a hyperlink within said display,

said processor ranking said images within said database based upon at least one user selection of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface, and

said matching of said word to said image giving preferences to higher ranked images based on said ranking of said images within said database.

15. The system according to claim 13, said processor maintaining said textual metadata within a relationship table of said database and not maintaining said textual metadata within image files of said database.

16. A non-transitory computer storage medium readable by computer and storing instructions executable by said computer to perform a method comprising:

monitoring at least one input of a graphic user interface to identify a location of a graphical pointer within at least one display of said graphic user interface;

when said graphical pointer is positioned over at least one word displayed on said display, matching said word to at least one image within a database of images, said images within said database comprising textual metadata to permit said matching of said word to said image;

displaying said at least one image on a location of said display proximate to said word;

said image comprising a hyperlink within said display, and said word being a portion of a textual article; and

updating said textual metadata of said image upon at least one user selection of said hyperlink through said graphic user interface, said updating of said textual metadata of said image being based on keywords of said textual article.