Method and apparatus for photograph finding

• US 8,867,798 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US13/776,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20130177248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 382/171, 382/190, 382/197, 382/209, 382/278, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Digital image data including discrete photographic images of a variety of different subjects, times, and so forth, are collected and analyzed to identify specific features in the photographs. In an embodiment of the invention, distinctive markers are distributed to aid in the identification of particular subject matter. Facial recognition may also be employed. The digital image data is maintained in a database and quarried in response to search requests. The search requests include criteria specifying any feature category or other identifying information, such as date, time, and location that each photograph was taken, associated with each photograph. Candidate images are provided for review by requesters, who may select desired images for purchase or downloading.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a computer system receiving, at a web site, a search request that includes a digital image selected by a user of the web site;

the computer system analyzing the digital image to identify features present in the digital image;

the computer system searching, using the identified features, a database that includes digital images;

in response to the searching, the computer system selecting one or more digital images from the database;

the computer system returning, via the web site, the selected one or more digital images to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital image selected by the user of the web site depicts a face.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing includes performing facial recognition on an image depicted in the digital image selected by the user of the web site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching includes selecting only those images in the database that have the identified features.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching includes comparing one or more of the identified features in the digital image selected by the user of the web site to identified features associated with images in the database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching includes comparing an indication of the type of objects depicted in the digital image to indications of the type of objects depicted in images in the database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching includes comparing an indication of a time value associated with the digital image to indications of time values associated with images in the database.

8. A method, comprising:

a computer system maintaining a database of images;

the computer system receiving, via a web site, a request to search the database, wherein the request includes a selected image;

the computer system identifying one or more images in the database having features similar to features in the selected image; and

the computer system returning, via the web site, at least one of the identified images in response to the request to search the database.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected image depicts a face, and wherein the identifying includes identifying one or more images in the database having facial features similar to features of the face depicted in the specified image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the facial features include an eye color.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying includes identifying one or more images in the database depicting objects that are also depicted in the selected image.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected image has an associated time value, and wherein the identifying includes identifying one or more images in the database also having the associated time value.

13. A computing system, comprising:

memory storing program instructions executable by the computing system to;

receive, via a web site, a search request to search a database including a plurality of images, wherein the search request includes a search image;

identify features in the search image;

search the database using one or more of the identified features;

return, via the web site, a response to the search request that specifies one or more of the plurality of images that have at least one of the identified features.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the database includes metadata corresponding to features of various ones of the plurality of images, and wherein the program instructions are executable to search the database by comparing one or more of the identified features to the metadata.

15. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

identify features in the search image by determining one or more objects depicted in the search image; and

search the database for images depicting at least one of the determined objects.

16. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

identify features in the search image by determining text included in the search image; and

search the database for images including at least a portion of the determined text.

17. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

identify features in the search image by determining a location associated with the search image; and

search the database for images having metadata indicative of the determined location.

18. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

identify features in the search image by determining a time value associated with the search image; and

search the database for images having metadata indicative of the determined time value.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein time value indicates a time of day.

20. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

identify features in the search image by determining facial features associated with persons in the search image; and

search the database for images depicting persons having at least one of the determined facial features.