Automated tag suggestions

• US 8,819,030 B1
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Freed, Ian W., Robison, Keela N.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHONG H
• Application Number:
  US14/059,333
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/748, 707/913, 707/915
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• 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: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image

Abstract

Suggestions can be automatically provided to a user to enable a user to tag various electronic files or objects without having to think up or manually enter the tags. A tag suggestion algorithm can analyze various types of information, such as location, time of day, objects or persons associated with the file, and tags generated by other users for that type of file. A user can be presented with a list of suggested tags, and can select one or more tags to apply to the file. Once at least one tag is applied to a file, a user can perform a tag-inclusive search to locate that file.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a computing device having at least one processor, the method comprising:

capturing, using an image capture element of a computing device, an image;

determining, using a processor of the computing device, a location of the computing device upon capturing the image;

causing a set of tag suggestions associated with the location to be generated;

determining a confidence score for each of the set of tag suggestions for the location;

ranking the set of tag suggestions based at least in part upon the confidence score of each tag suggestion;

identifying a first tag suggestion having a first confidence score within a determined range of a second confidence score of a second tag suggestion, each of the first confidence score and the second confidence score being below a minimum confidence score;

providing at least a portion of highest ranking tag suggestions of the set of tag suggestions, including the first tag suggestion and the second tag suggestion, for use in tagging the image; and

receiving an input corresponding to selection of the first tag suggestion or the second tag suggestion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of tag suggestions are generated by:

analyzing the image using at least one image recognition algorithm; and

identifying at least one object represented in the image, the confidence score for each of the set of tag suggestions further being based at least in part on the identified at least one object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of tag suggestions are generated by:

determining user information stored on the computing device related to at least one of the location or a time the image was captured, the confidence score for each of the set of tag suggestions further being based at least in part on the determined user information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using an electronic compass, a direction of the image capture element at an approximate time of capturing the image, the confidence score for each of the set of tag suggestions further being based at least in part on the determined direction of the image capture element.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting, in response to the first tag suggestion being selected, the first confidence score upward relative to the second confidence score for the location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first confidence score being within the determined range of the second confidence score corresponds to the first confidence score and the second confidence score being substantially equal in numerical value to within the determined range.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tag suggestion and the second tag suggestion are conflicting tag suggestions for a type of tag suggestion based at least in part on the first confidence score being within the determined range of the second confidence score.

8. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to;

obtain an instance of digital content;

determine, using the processor, a location of the computing device upon obtaining the instance of digital content;

cause a set of tag suggestions associated with the location to be generated for the instance of digital content;

determine a confidence score for each of the set of tag suggestions for the location;

rank the set of tag suggestions based at least in part upon the confidence score of each tag suggestion;

identify, from the set of tag suggestions, two or more tag suggestions having substantially similar confidence scores or confidence scores below a threshold score;

provide at least a portion of highest ranking tag suggestions of the set of tag suggestions, including the two or more tag suggestions, for use in tagging the instance of digital content; and

receiving an input corresponding to selection of one of the two or more tag suggestions.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

cause a user to choose between the two or more tag suggestion with relatively similar confidence scores below the threshold score.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the two or more tag suggestions are conflicting tag suggestions for a type of tag suggestion based at least in part on the substantially similar confidence scores being within a determined range for the type of tag suggestion.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

receive a selection of a tag from the set of tag suggestions; and

associate the tag with the instance of digital content, the tag being stored in the instance of digital content or stored in a location associated with the instance of digital content.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

determine a selection of one or more tag suggestion algorithms for the instance of digital content, the selection being based at least in part upon a determined type of the digital content, a location determined using at least one location determining sensor, and a direction determined using an electronic compass.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

determine user information stored on the computing device related to at least one of a location or a time the instance of digital content was obtained, the confidence score further being based at least in part on the determined user information.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

monitor tags selected and not selected by a user for a respective type of digital content;

determine, based at least in part on the monitored tags, user preferences for the respective type of digital content; and

adjust future tag suggestions based at least in part upon the determined user preferences.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:

obtain an instance of digital content;

determine a location of the computing device upon obtaining the instance of digital content;

cause a set of tag suggestions associated with the location to be generated;

determine a confidence score for each of the set of tag suggestions for the location;

rank the set of tag suggestions based at least in part upon a confidence score of a respective tag suggestion for the location;

identify two or more tag suggestions with relatively similar confidence scores below a threshold score;

provide at least a portion of highest ranking tag suggestions of the set of tag suggestions, including the two or more tag suggestions below the threshold score, for use in tagging the instance of digital content; and

receiving an input corresponding to selection of one of the two or more tag suggestions.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to:

enable a user to select at least one of the tag suggestions as a tag to be associated with the instance of digital content.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to:

analyze the instance of digital content using at least one recognition algorithm; and

identify at least one object represented in the instance of digital content, the confidence score being based at least in part on the identified at least one object.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the two or more tag suggestions are conflicting tag suggestions for a type of tag suggestion based at least in part on the relatively similar confidence scores being within a determined range for the type of tag suggestion.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to:

monitor tags selected and not selected by a user for a respective type of instance of digital content;

determine, based at least in part on the monitored tags, user preferences for the respective type of digital content; and

adjust future tag suggestions based at least in part upon the determined user preferences.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to:

receive a selection of a tag from the set of tag suggestions; and

associate the tag with the instance of digital content, the tag at least one of being stored in the instance of digital content or stored in a location associated with the instance of digital content.