System and method for use of images with recognition analysis

• US 8,320,707 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gokturk, Salih Burak, Shah, Munjal, Khan, Azhar
• Primary Examiner(s): STREGE, JOHN B
• Application Number:
  US13/088,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20110194777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 382/209, 382/224, 382/305, 382/276, 705/26
• US Class Current: 382/276
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59

Abstract

An index is provided that holds information about each image content item in a collection of items, For each image content item, a first information item identifying the image content item and its location on a network, and at least one of (i) a second information item identifying a signature value of an object in the image content, or (ii) identification of a recognized object in the image content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing images to be viewed, the method comprising:

associating, with a first image in a collection of images, data that identifies one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in a complete form;

determining that a first person requesting to view the first image is not one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form; and

providing the first image to the first person in an altered form, in which one or more persons are depicted to be less recognizable as compared to how the one or more persons would be depicted if the first image was to be displayed in the complete form;

enabling the first person to submit a request to be included as one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form;

providing the request to a submitter of the first image; and

enabling the submitter of the first image to designate that the first person is to be included as one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a second person requesting to view the first image is one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form; and

providing the first image for the second person in the complete form.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user- interface feature with the first image to enable any person to submit the request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first image for the first person in the altered form includes blurring at least a face of a person depicted in the first image so that an identity of the person depicted in the first image is not determinable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first image for the first person in the altered form includes redacting at least a portion of the first image depicting a person so that an identity of the person depicted in the first image is not determinable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first image for the first person in the altered form includes degrading at least a portion of the first image depicting a person so that an identity of the person depicted in the first image is not determinable.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing recognition on the first image to detect a person depicted in the first image, and wherein providing the first image includes blurring at least a portion of the first image corresponding to the person so that an identity of the person depicted in the first image is not determinable.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data that identifies one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form includes metadata that is provided with the first image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing recognition to detect the one or more persons that are depicted in the first image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first image to the first person in the altered form includes maintaining a copy of the first image in the altered form, separate from a copy of the first image in the complete form, and providing the first person the copy of the first image in the altered form.

11. A computer-readable medium for providing images to be viewed, the computer-readable medium storing instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

associating, with a first image in a collection of images, data that identifies one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in a complete form;

determining that a first person requesting to view the first image is not one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form;

providing the first image to the first person in an altered form, in which one or more persons are depicted to be less recognizable as compared to how the one or more persons would be depicted if the first image was to be displayed in the complete form;

enabling the first person to submit a request to be included as one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form;

providing the request to a submitter of the first image; and

enabling the submitter of the first image to designate that the first person is to be included as one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for:

determining that a second person requesting to view the first image is one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form; and

providing the first image for the second person in the complete form.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for providing a user-interface feature with the first image to enable any person to submit the request.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for providing the first image for the first person in the altered form includes instructions for blurring at least a face of a person depicted in the first image so that an identity of the person depicted in the first image is not determinable.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for providing the first image for the first person in the altered form includes instructions for redacting at least a portion of the first image depicting a person so that an identity of the person depicted in the first image is not determinable.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for providing the first image for the first person in the altered form includes instructions for degrading at least a portion of the first image depicting a person so that an identity of the person depicted in the first image is not determinable.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for performing recognition on the first image to detect a person depicted in the first image, and wherein instructions for providing the first image includes instructions for blurring at least a portion of the first image corresponding to the person so that an identity of the person depicted in the first image is not determinable.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the data that identifies one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form includes metadata that is provided with the first image.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for performing recognition to detect the one or more persons that are depicted in the first image.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for providing the first image to the first person in the altered form includes instructions for maintaining a copy of the first image in the altered form, separate from a copy of the first image in the complete form, and instructions for providing the first person the copy of the first image in the altered form.

21. A computer system comprising:

a memory that stores a set of instructions;

one or more processors that use instructions stored in the memory to;

associate, with a first image in a collection of images, data that identifies one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in a complete form;

determine that a first person requesting to view the first image is not one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form; and

provide the first image to the first person in an altered form, in which one or more persons are depicted to be less recognizable as compared to how the one or more persons would be depicted if the first image was to be displayed in the complete form;

enable the first person to submit a request to be included as one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form;

provide the request to a submitter of the first image; and

enable the submitter of the first image to designate that the first person is to be included as one of the one or more persons who have permission to view the first image in the complete form.