Geo tagging and automatic generation of metadata for photos and videos

• US 9,037,583 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nitesh Ratnakar
• Original Assignee: Nitesh Ratnakar
• Inventors: Nitesh, Ratnakar
• Primary Examiner(s): MORRISON, JAY A
• Application Number:
  US12/040,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,636 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2322 using timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• 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 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Photo/video is geo tagged with GPS coordinates corresponding to the place of capture of said photo/video. ‘Geo-information’ metadata corresponding to GPS coordinates is automatically generated and attached to corresponding photo/video. The ‘geo-information’ metadata comprises of date &time of capture, geo information metadata such as local weather, local attractions, local events etc. at the time of capture of corresponding photo/video. According to another aspect, a search engine is provided with means to crawl through one or more database comprising of ‘geo-information’ metadata attached to photos/videos and generate result comprising of photos/videos with ‘geo-information’ metadata corresponding/relevant to query input. According to another aspect, present invention discloses apparatus, means and methods to attach one or more local advertisements to photos/videos and display advertisement in conjunction with corresponding photo/video on communication devices.

Claims

1. A method of attaching objective and accurate metadata to a plurality of geo-tagged images previously captured by an image capturing device and stored in a personal communication device through one or more synchronizing operations, the personal communication device communicable to a geo-information database, each of the plurality of geo-tagged images comprising an original image and a first set of metadata including a set of tagged GPS coordinates corresponding to a geographical location where the original image is captured, the geo-information database configured to store, for each of a plurality of geographical locations corresponding to one or more sets of GPS coordinates, a collection of data for information local to the geographical location, the method comprising:

retrieving, during a first synchronization operation, by the personal communication device, for each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images, from the geo-information database, a group of local data using the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image included in the first set of metadata of the geo-tagged image, the retrieved group of local data including data for information local to a geographical location corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image;

generating, during the first synchronization operation, by the personal communication device, for each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images, a second set of metadata of the geo-tagged image including the retrieved group of local data for the geo-tagged image, and attaching, by the personal communication device, the second set of metadata to the original image of the geo-tagged image;

retrieving, during a second synchronization operation, by the personal communication device, for each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images, from the geo-information database, a group of updated local data using the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image, the retrieved group of updated local data including data for updated information local to a geographical location corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image; and

generating, during the second synchronization operation, by the personal communication device, for each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images, an updated second set of metadata for the geo-tagged image including the retrieved group of updated local data for the geo-tagged image, and attaching, by the personal communication device, the updated second set of metadata for the geo-tagged image to the original image of the geo-tagged image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of metadata of a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images contains a stamp of a time and date at which the original image of the geo-tagged image was captured.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the retrieved group of local data for the geo-tagged image includes information on local weather corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates and the time and date stamp of the geo-tagged image.

4. The method of claim 1, the retrieved group of local data for a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images comprises information on a physical address corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved group of local data for a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images comprises information on one or more local events corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved group of local data for a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images comprises information on local attractions corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geo-information database is included in one or more GPS satellites through which the set of tagged GPS coordinates of a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged image is acquired.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the geo-information database is resided in at least a server remote from the personal communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the second set of metadata for a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images into an image-metadata database as image metadata attached to the original image of the geo-tagged image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal communication device comprises the image capturing device.

11. A personal communication device for attaching objective and accurate metadata to a plurality of geo-tagged images previously captured by an image capturing device and stored in the personal communication device using a geo-information database, each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images comprises an original image and a first set of metadata including a set of tagged GPS coordinates corresponding to a geographical location where the original image is captured, the personal communication device communicable to the geo-information database, the geo-information database configured to store, for each of a plurality of geographical locations corresponding to one or more sets of GPS coordinates, a collection of data for information local to the geographical location, the personal communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a system memory, said system memory storing a plurality of software modules configured to perform, when executed by the processor, a set of steps comprising;

retrieving, during a first synchronization operation, for each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images, from the geo-information database, a group of local data using the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image included in the first set of metadata of the geo-tagged image, the retrieved group of local data including data for information local to a geographical location corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image;

generating, during the first synchronization operation, for each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images, a second set of metadata including the retrieved group of local data for the geo-tagged image, and attaching the second set of metadata to the original image of the geo-tagged image;

retrieving, during a second synchronization operation, for each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images, from the geo-information database, a group of updated local data using the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image, the retrieved group of updated local data including data for updated information local to a geographical location corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image; and

generating, during the second synchronization operation, for each geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images, an updated second set of metadata for the geo-tagged image including the retrieved group of updated local data for the geo-tagged image, and attaching the updated second set of metadata for the geo-tagged image to the original image of the geo-tagged image.

12. The personal communication device of claim 11, wherein the first set of metadata of a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images contains a stamp of a time and date at which the original image of the geo-tagged image was captured.

13. The personal communication device of claim 12, wherein the retrieved group of local data for the geo-tagged image includes information on local weather corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates and the time and date stamp of the geo-tagged image.

14. The personal communication device of claim 11, wherein the retrieved group of local data for a geo-tagged image of the plurality of the geo-tagged images comprises information about a physical address corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged images.

15. The personal communication device of claim 11, wherein the retrieved group of local data for a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images includes information on one or more local events corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image at the time and date at which the original image of the geo-tagged image was captured.

16. The personal communication device of claim 11, wherein the retrieved group of local data for a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images comprises information on local attractions corresponding to the set of tagged GPS coordinates of the geo-tagged image.

17. The personal communication device of claim 11, wherein the set of steps, as performed by the plurality of software modules, further comprises:

storing the second set of metadata for a geo-tagged image of the plurality of geo-tagged images into an image-metadata database as image metadata attached to the original image of the geo-tagged image.

18. The personal communication device of claim 11, wherein the personal communication device includes the image capturing device.