System and method for matching faces

• US 8,761,463 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheswick, William Roberts
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Aaron W
• Application Number:
  US13/909,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20130259327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/30 in albums, collections or shared content, e.g. social network photos or video
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 Feature extraction; Face representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/173 face re-identification, e.g. recognising unknown faces across different face tracks

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media for matching faces. The method includes receiving an image of a face of a first person from a device of a second person, comparing the image of the face of the first person to a database of known faces in a contacts list of the second person, identifying a group of potential matching faces from the database of known faces, and displaying to the second person the group of potential matching faces. In one variation, the method receives input selecting one face from the group of potential matching faces and displays additional information about the selected one face. In a related variation, the method displays additional information about one or more face in the displayed group of potential matching faces without receiving input.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an image of a face of a first person from a device of a second person;

identifying a group of potential matching faces from a database of known faces associated with a contacts list of the second person, the contacts list stored on the device of the second person;

communicating to the device of the second person images of the group of potential matching faces, wherein the images are associated with the contacts list;

receiving from the device of the second person a subcategory in the database of known faces; and

removing faces which are not part of the subcategory from the group of potential matching faces.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input of a selection of one face from the group of potential matching faces; and

displaying additional information about the one face.

3. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising adding the image of the face of the first person to the database of known faces with a link to the one face.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional information comprises contact information.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising displaying additional information about a face in the group of potential matching faces.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising altering the image to aid in comparing the image to the database of known faces.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the database of known faces comprises contacts from a web-based social networking website.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the web-based social networking website comprises one of Facebook.com and Myspace.com.

9. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving an image of a face of a first person from a device of a second person;

identifying a group of potential matching faces from a database of known faces associated with a contacts list of the second person, the contacts list stored on the device of the second person;

communicating to the device of the second person images of the group of potential matching faces, wherein the images are associated with the contacts list;

receiving from the device of the second person a subcategory in the database of known faces; and

removing faces which are not part of the subcategory from the group of potential matching faces.

10. The system of claim 9, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

receiving an input of a selection of one face from the group of potential matching faces; and

displaying additional information about the one face.

11. The system of claim 10, the computer-readable storage medium having further instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising adding the image of the face of the first person to the database of known faces with a link to the one face.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the additional information comprises contact information.

13. The system of claim 9, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising displaying additional information about a face in the group of potential matching faces.

14. The system of claim 9, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising altering the image to aid in comparing the image to the database of known faces.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the database of known faces comprises contacts from a web-based social networking website.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the web-based social networking website comprises one of Facebook.com and Myspace.com.

17. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an image of a face of a first person from a device of a second person;

identifying a group of potential matching faces from a database of known faces associated with a contacts list of the second person, the contacts list stored on the device of the second person;

communicating to the device of the second person images of the group of potential matching faces, wherein the images are associated with the contacts list;

receiving from the device of the second person a subcategory in the database of known faces; and

removing faces which are not part of the subcategory from the group of potential matching faces.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, the computer-readable storage device having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

receiving an input of a selection of one face from the group of potential matching faces; and

displaying additional information about the one face.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, the computer-readable storage device having further instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising adding the image of the face of the first person to the database of known faces with a link to the one face.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the additional information comprises contact information.