Creating social network groups

• US 8,666,123 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Rich, Miller, James Brooks
• Primary Examiner(s): ENTEZARI, MICHELLE M
• Application Number:
  US13/456,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20130287269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/30 in albums, collections or shared content, e.g. social network photos or video
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/169 Holistic features and representations, i.e. based on the facial image taken as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Embodiments generally relate to creating groups in a social network system. In one embodiment, a method includes recognizing at least one person in the at least one photo associated with a target user in a social network system, where the recognizing is based at least in part on social relevance. The method also includes creating a group in the social network system, where the group includes the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo. The method also includes associating the group with the target user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

recognizing at least one person in at least one photo associated with a target user in a social network system, wherein the recognizing is based at least in part on social relevance, wherein the recognizing of the at least one person includes identifying at least one face, and applying a facial recognition algorithm to the at least one face, wherein the applying of the facial recognition algorithm to the at least one face comprises;

matching facial features of the at least one face to facial features of at least one known face in a database, wherein the at least one known face is associated with a candidate person;

determining a degree of social relevance between the candidate person and the target user; and

determining the candidate person to be the at least one person in the at least one photo based on the degree of social relevance;

in response to recognizing the at least one person, creating a new group in the social network system from the recognized at least one person in the at least one photo, wherein the new group is a previously non-existent social network group that includes the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo, and wherein a social network group is a set of socially connected users in the social network system;

enabling the target user to verify that the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo is correctly recognized;

enabling the target user to modify identification information associated with one or more people in the group if any person is incorrectly recognized; and

associating the new group with the target user.

2. A computer-implemented method comprising:

recognizing at least one person in at least one photo associated with a target user in a social network system, wherein the recognizing is based at least in part on social relevance;

in response to recognizing the at least one person, creating a new group in the social network system from the recognized at least one person in the at least one photo, wherein the new group is a previously non-existent social network group that includes the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo, and wherein a social network group is a set of socially connected users in the social network system; and

associating the new group with the target user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the obtaining of the at least one photo comprises obtaining the at least one photo from a camera device when the target user takes the at least one photo.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the recognizing of the at least one person comprises:

identifying at least one face; and

applying a facial recognition algorithm to the at least one face.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the recognizing is based at least in part on a degree of social relevance between a candidate person and the target user.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the recognizing of the at least one person comprises:

identifying at least one face; and

applying a facial recognition algorithm to the at least one face, wherein the applying of the facial recognition algorithm to the at least one face comprises;

matching facial features of the at least one face to facial features of at least one known face in a database, wherein the at least one known face is associated with a candidate person;

determining the degree of social relevance between the candidate person and the target user; and

determining the candidate person to be the at least one person in the at least one photo based on the degree of social relevance.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising enabling the target user to verify that the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo is correctly recognized.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling the target user to verify that the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo is correctly recognized; and

enabling the target user to modify identification information associated with one or more people in the new group if any person is incorrectly recognized, wherein the enabling includes enabling the target user to add names to the new group.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the new group to the target user.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising notifying the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo that the new group has been created.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending an invitation to join the new group to the target user and the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo.

12. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to perform operations comprising;

recognizing at least one person in the at least one photo associated with a target user in a social network system, wherein the recognizing is based at least in part on social relevance;

in response to recognizing the at least one person, creating a new group in the social network system from the recognized at least one person in the at least one photo, wherein the new group is a previously non-existent social network group that includes the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo, and wherein a social network group is a set of socially connected users in the social network system; and

associating the new group with the target user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein, to obtain the at least one photo, the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising obtaining the at least one photo from a camera device when the target user takes the at least one photo.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein, to recognize the at least one person, the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising:

identifying at least one face; and

applying a facial recognition algorithm to the at least one face.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the recognizing is based at least in part on social relevance between a candidate person and the target user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein, to recognize the at least one person, the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising:

identifying at least one face; and

applying a facial recognition algorithm to the at least one face, wherein the applying of the facial recognition algorithm to the at least one face comprises;

matching facial features of the at least one face to facial features of at least one known face in a database, wherein the at least one known face is associated with a candidate person;

determining the degree of social relevance between the candidate person and the target user; and

determining the candidate person to be the at least one person in the at least one photo based on the degree of social relevance.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising enabling the target user to verify that the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo is correctly recognized.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising:

enabling the target user to verify that the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo is correctly recognized; and

enabling the target user to modify identification information associated with one or more people in the new group if any person is incorrectly recognized.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising providing the new group to the target user.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising notifying the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo that the new group has been created.