Method and system for approving documents based on image similarity

• US 8,254,729 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Wesley T.
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/224,981
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305, 382/181, 382/190, 382/209, 382/218, 705/1.4, 707/1, 707/3, 707/4, 707/6
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A system and method for comparing graphical content (e.g., images) of documents for approval, rating, and other uses are provided. Information may be stored about one or more graphical documents. Graphical content of a first graphical document being evaluated for distribution may be compared to at least one second graphical document. An approval determination may be made for the first graphical document based on the stored information about the at least one second graphical document and the comparison.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

comparing graphical content of a first graphical document to graphical content of a second graphical document;

determining first rating data specifying a rating of the first graphical document based on the comparison with the second graphical document and based at least in part on second rating data associated with the second graphical document;

receiving a request for a document from a publisher, wherein the publisher is associated with suitability data specifying a suitability standard for documents provided to the publisher; and

approving or disapproving, by one or more processors, delivery of the first graphical document to the publisher in response to the request based on the first rating data associated with the first graphical document and the suitability standard for documents provided to the publisher.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering the first graphical document to the publisher when the first rating data associated with the first graphical document satisfies the suitability standard.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

denying delivery of the first graphical document to the publisher when the first rating data associated with the first graphical document does not satisfy the suitability standard.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first rating data comprises providing the first graphical document to one or more evaluator terminals for rating data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first rating data comprises rating data for each of a plurality of subject matters associated with the first graphical document.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein approving or disapproving delivery of the first graphical document comprises disapproving delivery of the first graphical document if the rating data for any of the plurality of subject matters does not satisfy the suitability standard.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first graphical document contains one or more links and the rating data for the plurality of subject matters comprises rating data for a subject matter of a linked document linked to the first graphical document by the one or more links.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing graphical content comprises comparing at least one of the color scheme, objects, text, size, shape, formatting, file type, and source of the first graphical document with a corresponding color scheme, objects, text, size, shape, formatting, file type, and source of the second graphical document.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing graphical content of a first graphical document to graphical content of a second graphical document comprises comparing the content of the first graphical document to the content of the second graphical document wherein the first graphical document is an unrated graphical document.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second graphical document is classified as belonging to a first category; and

comparing graphical content of a first graphical document to graphical content of a second graphical document comprises determining that the first graphical document belongs to the first category based on similarities between the first graphical document and the second graphical document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second graphical document is associated with one or more concepts; and

comparing graphical content of a first graphical document to graphical content of a second graphical document comprises associating at least one of the one or more concepts with the first graphical document based on similarities between the first graphical document and the second graphical document.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving rating feedback data from an evaluator related to the first graphical document, wherein the rating feedback data specifies feedback concerning the rating of the first graphical document; and

changing the first rating data based on the rating feedback data from the evaluator.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second graphical document is formatted in a common file type, the method further comprising:

converting the first graphical document to the common file type prior to comparing.

14. A computer implemented method comprising:

comparing graphical content of a first graphical document to graphical content of a second graphical document;

determining, by one or more processors, a similarity score between the first and second graphical documents based on the comparison;

when the similarity score exceeds a threshold similarity score;

establishing that first rating data specifying a rating of the first graphical document is the same as second rating data that is associated with the second graphical document; and

granting a distribution approval to the first graphical document based on the first rating data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second graphical document is approved for distribution.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the second graphical document is associated with one or more keywords or concepts; and

when the similarity score exceeds a threshold similarity score associating the one or more keywords or concepts with the first graphical document.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request for a documents associated with the one or more keywords or concepts; and

distributing the first graphical document in response to the request when the similarity score exceeds the threshold similarity score.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

adjusting the first rating data based on rating data for the first graphical document from one or more evaluator terminals.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first rating data comprises rating data for each of a plurality of subject matters associated with the first graphical document.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the similarity score quantifies a similarity between the graphical content of the first and second graphical documents.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

comparing textual content of the first graphical document to textual content of the second graphical document.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining, by one or more processors, a similarity score between the first and second graphical documents comprises determining a similarity score between the first and second graphical documents based on the comparison of the graphical content and the textual content.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein comparing textual content of the first graphical document to textual content of the second graphical document comprises comparing characters in the textual content of the first graphical document to characters in the textual content of the second graphical document.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the similarity score exceeds the threshold similarity score and a size of the first graphical document is different from a size of the second graphical document.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the similarity score exceeds the threshold similarity score and at least one of a shape, format or color of the first graphical document is different from at least one of a shape, format or color of the second graphical document.

26. A computer implemented method, comprising:

storing content rating information associated with a second graphical document;

comparing graphical content of a first graphical document with graphical content of the second graphical document to identify similarities between the first and second graphical documents; and

granting or denying, by one or more processors, a distribution approval to the first graphical document based on the similarities and content rating information associated with the second graphical document.

27. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus with one or more processors; and

a computer-readable memory in data communication with the data processing apparatus and storing instructions executable by the one or more processors and upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

comparing graphical content of a first graphical document to graphical content of a second graphical document;

determining first rating data specifying a rating of the first graphical document based on the comparison with the second graphical document and based at least in part on second rating data associated with the second graphical document;

receiving a request for a document from a publisher, wherein the publisher is associated with suitability data specifying a suitability standard for documents provided to the publisher; and

approving or disapproving, by one or more processors, delivery of the first graphical document to the publisher in response to the request based on the first rating data associated with the first graphical document and the suitability standard for documents provided to the publisher.

28. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus with one or more processors; and

a computer-readable memory in data communication with the data processing apparatus and storing instructions executable by the one or more processors and upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

comparing graphical content of a first graphical document to graphical content of a second graphical document;

determining, by one or more processors, a similarity score between the first and second graphical documents based on the comparison;

when the similarity score exceeds a threshold similarity score;

establishing that first rating data specifying a rating of the first graphical document is the same as second rating data that is associated with the second graphical document; and

granting a distribution approval to the first graphical document based on the first rating data.