Monitoring digital images

• US 8,909,773 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tessman, Gary Jr., Lippert, Patrick D., Hayman, Timothy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US13/769,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 709224-226, 709/229, 705/51, 705/54, 705/57, 715/539
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Digital images are monitored by enabling access to a digital image, receiving a notification associated with the digital image from a first user, and regulating access of the first user to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring digital images, comprising:

receiving a user identity from a user of a user device;

providing, by a server computer, a digital image to the user device while the user operates under the user identity;

receiving, by the server computer, a notification associated with the digital image from the user while the user operates under the user identity, wherein the notification indicates that the digital image is inappropriate;

initiating, by the server computer, an investigation of the digital image based on the notification received from the user; and

performing an action by the server computer in response to the investigation that affects the digital image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the action performed is to block the user identity from accessing the digital image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital image is associated with an owner account and the action performed is blocking the owner account.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the action performed is to block all digital images associated with the owner account.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the action performed is cancelation of the owner account.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the notification indicates that the digital image is subject to legal issues.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

identifying other digital images that have similar metadata as the digital image.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a notification occurs via a notify button displayed to the user with the digital image.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification is an email identifying the digital image.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the action performed on the digital image includes forwarding the digital image to a specialist for review.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with a computer executable instruction for monitoring digital images, comprising instructions for:

receiving a user identity from a user of a user device;

providing, by a server computer, a digital image to the user device while the user operates under the user identity;

receiving, by the server computer, a notification associated with the digital image from the user while the user operates under the user identity, wherein the notification indicates that the digital image is inappropriate;

initiating, by the server computer, an investigation of the digital image based on the notification received from the user; and

performing an action by the server computer in response to the investigation that affects the digital image.

12. The media of claim 11 wherein the action performed is to block the user identity from accessing the digital image.

13. The media of claim 11 wherein the digital image is associated with an owner account and the action performed is blocking the owner account.

14. The media of claim 13 wherein the action performed is to block all digital images associated with the owner account.

15. The media of claim 14 wherein the action performed is cancelation of the owner account.

16. The media of claim 13 wherein the notification indicates that the digital image is subject to legal issues.

17. The media of claim 13 further comprising instructions for:

identifying other digital images that have similar metadata as the digital image.

18. The media of claim 11 wherein receiving a notification occurs via a notify button displayed to the user with the digital image.

19. The media of claim 11 wherein the notification is an email identifying the digital image.

20. The media of claim 11 wherein the action performed on the digital image includes forwarding the digital image to a specialist for review.