Providing subject information regarding upcoming images on a display

• US 9,400,931 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ikorongo Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ikorongo Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Svendsen, Hugh Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, TOAN H
• Application Number:
  US14/870,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20160055379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/30 in albums, collections or shared content, e.g. social network photos or video
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/179 metadata assisted face recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/19 by using information detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8715 : involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal

Abstract

Methods are described for presenting in an user interface information regarding the subject faces that will appear in upcoming images. In general, many of the images available to display will be comprised of images containing subject faces. Based on a subject affinity score between the viewer and the subjects, an image affinity is computed. Based on the image affinity scores, images are selected for presentation on the display. As images are displayed, the system analyzes one or more upcoming images to determine information to display. As each image is displayed, subject information comprising the subject'"'"'s face is presented in an area of the display adjacent to the current image.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a control system comprising a processor and a memory storing program codes operable to;

detect a viewer in proximity to a display;

obtain a subject affinity for each of a plurality of other subjects that appear in a plurality of images, the subject affinity defining a subject affinity score between the viewer and a corresponding one of the plurality of other subjects, the other subjects corresponding to subjects other than the viewer, wherein a social relationship is inferred from subject face co-occurrence between the viewer and the plurality of other subjects in the plurality of images based on identifying subject face co-occurrence instances between the viewer and the plurality of other subjects appearing in a same image in the plurality of images, and wherein a higher number of subject face co-occurrences between the viewer and an other subject is indicative of a closer social relationship and a higher subject affinity;

obtain an image affinity for each image in the plurality of images based on the subject affinity for the plurality of other subjects, the image affinity defining an image affinity score between the viewer and each image in the plurality of images based on the other subjects appearing in the plurality of images;

select, by the device, based on image affinity for each of the plurality of images, a sequence of images from the plurality of images;

select, by the device, one or more images from the sequence of images that are to be presented subsequent to a current image to form one or more analysis window images; and

determine updated subject information from the one or more analysis window images, the updated subject information comprising subject representations of those subjects appearing in the one or more analysis window images; and

electronic video circuitry, coupled to the control system, operable to;

effect presentation of the current image from the sequence of images in a first area of the display, wherein only the current image from the sequence of images is presented during a presentation period; and

effect presentation of the updated subject information in a second area of the display.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a network transceiver, coupled to the control system, operable to;

communicate with an Internet image source over the Internet; and

communicate with a private network image source over a local area network.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

the control system further operable to;

determine, based on timing information, that it is time to present a next image from the sequence of images;

select, by the device, the next image in the sequence of images as a new current image; and

effect presentation of the new current image.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein detecting the viewer in proximity to the display the device further comprises:

motion sensing electronic circuitry, coupled to the control system, operable to;

detect a presence of the viewer in proximity to the device; and

electronic capture circuitry operable to;

capture information identifying the viewer.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the information identifying the viewer is an image of the viewer.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein effecting the presentation of the current image, the control system further operable to:

adjust a time duration the current image is presented according to its image affinity.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

the control system further operable to;

sort the subject representations by their corresponding subject affinity.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the viewer and the plurality of other subjects are members of a social network capable of storing information expressing social relationships in a social graph built through an invitation process, the device further comprising:

the control system further operable to;

adjust the subject affinity based on a social distance, the social distance defining a number of hops in the social graph between the viewer and each of the plurality of other subjects, wherein a lower social distance between the viewer and the other subject is indicative of the closer relationship and the higher subject affinity.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

the electronic video circuitry further operable to;

effect presentation on the display, information identifying the other subject appearing as a subject face in the plurality of images; and

effect presentation, in an area adjacent to the information identifying the other subject, a control operable to receive viewer input reflecting the subject affinity between the viewer and the other subject; and

the control system further operable to;

receive user input based on the control; and

based on the user input, adjust the subject affinity for the other subject.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the subject representations comprise likenesses of those subjects appearing in the one or more analysis window images.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is one of a digital picture frame, cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), and a media player.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the subject representations are not selected from the sequence of images.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the analysis window images are not shown on the display contemporaneously with the current image.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein a size of the analysis window is a preference defined responsive to viewer input, wherein the size identifies a number of images defining the analysis window.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the updated subject information comprises next subject indicator information, further comprising:

the control system further operable to;

determine next subject indicator information for the subject representations, the next subject indicator information indicating which subjects will appear in the next image from the sequence of images; and

the electronic video circuitry further operable to;

effect the display of the next subject indicator information in the second area of the display.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the updated subject information comprises subject status indicator information, further comprising:

the control system further operable to;

determine, the subject status indicator information, for the subject representations; and

the electronic video circuitry further operable to;

effect display of the subject status indicator information for the subject representations in the second area of the display.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprising:

the control system, in order to determine the subject status indicator information, further operable to;

determine subject occurrence counts, each subject occurrence count defining a number of times a subject corresponding to a subject representation appears in the one or more analysis window images; and

sort the subject representations by their corresponding subject occurrence counts.

18. The device of claim 16 further comprising:

the control system, in order to determine the subject status indicator information, further operable to;

determine image countdown counts, each image countdown count defining a number of images to be presented before a subject corresponding to a subject representation appears in the current image; and

sort the subject representations by their corresponding image countdown count.

19. The device of claim 16 further comprising:

the control system, in order to determine the subject status indicator information, further operable to;

determine time countdown counts, each time countdown count defining a time duration before a subject corresponding to a subject representation appears in the current image; and

sort the subject representations by their corresponding time countdown count.

20. The device of claim 16 further comprising:

the control system, in order to determine the subject status indicator information, further operable to;

determine subject prominence scores, each subject prominence score determined as a function of a face size ratio value and a zone value for a subject corresponding to a subject representation in the one or more analysis window images, wherein the subject prominence scores are determined based on one or more analysis window images; and

sort the subject representations by their corresponding subject prominence score.

21. A device comprising:

a control system comprising a processor and a memory storing program codes operable to;

detect a viewer in proximity to a display;

receive first information identifying a sequence of images,

the sequence of images selected from a plurality of images based on an image affinity for each image in the plurality of images,

the image affinity defining an image affinity score between the viewer and each image in the plurality of images based on a subject affinity derived from the viewer and other subjects appearing in the plurality of images,

the subject affinity defining a subject affinity score between the viewer and a corresponding one of the plurality of other subjects, the other subjects corresponding to subjects other than the viewer, wherein a social relationship is inferred from subject face co-occurrence between the viewer and the plurality of other subjects in the plurality of images based on identifying subject face co-occurrence instances between the viewer and the plurality of other subjects appearing in a same image in the plurality of images, and wherein a higher number of subject face co-occurrences between the viewer and an other subject is indicative of a closer social relationship and a higher subject affinity;

receive updated subject information derived from one or more analysis window images, the analysis window images selected from the sequence of images to be presented subsequent to a current image, the updated subject information comprising subject representations of those subjects appearing in the one or more analysis window images; and

electronic video circuitry, coupled to the control system, operable to;

effect presentation of the current image from the sequence of images in a first area of the display, wherein only the current image from the sequence of images is presented during a presentation period; and

effect presentation of the updated subject information in a second area of the display.

22. A method comprising:

detecting a viewer in proximity to a display;

receiving first information identifying a sequence of images,

the sequence of images selected from a plurality of images based on an image affinity for each image in the plurality of images,

the image affinity defining an image affinity score between the viewer and each image in the plurality of images based on the viewer and other subjects appearing in the plurality of images, the image affinity based on a subject affinity,

the subject affinity defining a subject affinity score between the viewer and a corresponding one of the plurality of other subjects, the other subjects corresponding to subjects other than the viewer, wherein a social relationship is inferred from subject face co-occurrence between the viewer and the plurality of other subjects in the plurality of images based on identifying subject face co-occurrence instances between the viewer and the plurality of other subjects appearing in a same image in the plurality of images, and wherein a higher number of subject face co-occurrences between the viewer and an other subject is indicative of a closer social relationship and a higher subject affinity;

receiving updated subject information derived from one or more analysis window images, the analysis window images selected from the sequence of images to be presented subsequent to a current image, the updated subject information comprising subject representations of those subjects appearing in the one or more analysis window images;

effecting presentation of the current image from the sequence of images in a first area of the display, wherein only the current image from the sequence of images is presented during a presentation period; and

effecting presentation of the updated subject information in a second area of the display.