Shuffle algorithm and navigation

• US 9,525,789 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Dwan, Michael, Ren, Jinpeng
• Primary Examiner(s): ENTEZARI, MICHELLE M
• Application Number:
  US13/888,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20140270571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for randomly and pseudo-randomly presenting images to a user. An exemplary method includes receiving a first set of images from a user, receiving a second set of conditions that an image must satisfy, creating a subset of the first set of images that satisfies the second set of conditions, selecting a random element of said subset, and displaying said random element to a user. The conditions define the breadth or narrowness of the subset of images from which a random element is chosen. The conditions may be system set, user configured, or any combination, and a user may repeat the process, or may choose to view a new image that has one or more affinities to the last randomly chosen image presented. Affinities function in similar manner to the conditions of a pseudo-random selection, but generally serve to narrow the available set of photos to a greater extent. Conditions or affinities may be, for example, time based, location based, event based, based on a relationship of the user to a person appearing in the last displayed photo, or based upon various other defined connections or commonalities.

Claims

1. A method for pseudo-randomly navigating a collection of images, comprising:

accessing a set of images;

receiving a set of conditions that an image must satisfy, the set of conditions comprising at least one image characteristic;

creating, by at least one processor, a reduced subset of images, from the set of images, that satisfy the set of conditions by selecting a plurality of images from the set of images that include the at least one image characteristic while excluding at least one image from the set of images that does not include the at least one image characteristic;

displaying, to a user via a graphical user interface of a client device, a shuffle input comprising a selectable graphical element presented via the graphical user interface;

receiving a first user selection of the shuffle input requesting a random image that satisfies the set of conditions;

in response to receiving the first user selection of the shuffle input requesting the random image, pseudo-randomly selecting a first image from the set of images by randomly identifying, by the at least one processor, the first image from the reduced subset of images that satisfy the set of conditions without considering the at least one image excluded from the reduced subset of images;

displaying, to the user via the graphical user interface of the client device, the first image in conjunction with the shuffle input, the shuffle input positioned over a portion of the displayed first image;

receiving a second user selection of the shuffle input requesting another random image that satisfies the set of conditions; and

in response to receiving the second user selection of the shuffle input requesting another random image, pseudo-randomly selecting a second image from the set of images by randomly identifying, by the at least one processor, a second image from the reduced subset of images that satisfy the set of conditions without considering the at least one image excluded from the reduced subset of images; and

displaying, to the user via the graphical user interface of the client device, the second image in conjunction with the shuffle input, the shuffle input positioned over a portion of the displayed second image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if shared images are allowed to be displayed to the user in a random presentation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a set of images designated as shared with the user,

wherein creating the reduced subset of images further comprises including, in the reduced subset of images, at least one image having the at least one image characteristic from the set of images designated as shared with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the set of conditions from the user, wherein creating the reduced subset of images is performed in response to receiving the set of conditions from the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the set of conditions from the user comprises detecting a user interaction with respect to an image displayed on the graphical user interface of the client device, the user interaction designating the at least one image characteristic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first user selection of the shuffle input comprises detecting a first touch gesture selecting the selectable graphical element presented via the graphical user interface of the client device;

and wherein receiving the second user selection of the shuffle input comprises detecting a second touch gesture selecting the selectable graphical element presented via the graphical user interface of the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of conditions further comprises at least one of a time based condition, a location based condition, a relationship based condition, or an event based condition.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an image from the set of images to the user; and

wherein receiving the set of conditions comprises receiving an indication of at least one person present in the image; and

wherein creating the reduced subset of images comprises creating the reduced subset of images from images having the at least one person present in the image.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein pseudo-randomly selecting the first image from the set of images comprises:

generating, by the at least one processor, a random number; and

randomly identifying, from the reduced subset of images that satisfy the set of conditions, the first image based on the random number.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein pseudo-randomly selecting the first image from the set of images comprises:

generating, by the at least one processor, a plurality of random numbers; and

randomly identifying, from the reduced subset of images that satisfy the set of conditions, the first image and the second image based on the plurality of random numbers.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one additional condition;

creating, by the at least one processor, a further reduced subset of images, from the reduced subset of images, that satisfy both the set of conditions and the at least one additional condition; and

wherein pseudo-randomly selecting the second image from the set of images comprises randomly identifying, by the at least one processor, the second image from the further reduced subset of images that satisfy both the set of conditions and the at least one additional condition.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one additional condition comprises at least one image characteristic present in the displayed first image.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein:

receiving the at least one additional condition comprises detecting a first touch input with respect to the displayed first image selecting at least one additional image characteristic; and

receiving the second user selection of the shuffle input comprises detecting a second touch input with respect to the graphical element positioned over the portion of the displayed first image.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the shuffle input is displayed at a same location within the graphical user interface with respect to both the first image and the second image.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

access a set of images;

receive a set of conditions that an image must satisfy, the set of conditions comprising at least one image characteristic;

create a reduced subset of images, from the set of images, that satisfy the set of conditions by selecting a plurality of images from the set of images that include the at least one image characteristic while excluding at least one image from the set of images that does not include the at least one image characteristic;

display, to a user via a graphical user interface of a client device, a shuffle input comprising a selectable graphical element presented via the graphical user interface;

receive a first user selection of the shuffle input requesting a random image that satisfies the set of conditions;

in response to receiving the first user selection of the shuffle input requesting the random image, pseudo-randomly selecting a first image from the set of images by randomly identifying the first image from the reduced subset of images that satisfy the set of conditions without considering the at least one image excluded from the reduced subset of images;

display, to the user via the graphical user interface of the client device, the first image in conjunction with the shuffle input, the shuffle input positioned over a portion of the displayed first image;

receive a second user selection of the shuffle input requesting another random image that satisfies the set of conditions; and

in response to receiving the second user selection of the shuffle input requesting another random image, pseudo-randomly select a second image from the set of images by randomly identifying the second image from the reduced subset of images that satisfy the set of conditions without considering the at least one image excluded from the reduced subset of images; and

display, to the user via the graphical user interface of the client device, the second image in conjunction with the shuffle input, the shuffle input positioned over a portion of the displayed second image.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, said instructions further causing the computing device to:

determine if shared images are allowed to be displayed to the user in a random presentation.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, said instructions further causing the computing device to:

receive a set of images designated as shared with the user,

wherein creating the reduced subset of images further comprises creating the reduced subset of images from the set of images designated as shared with the user, the reduced subset of images comprising at least one image having the at least one image characteristic from the set of images designated as shared with the user.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising receiving the set of conditions from the user, wherein creating the reduced subset of images is performed in response to receiving the set of conditions from the user.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the set of conditions from the user comprises detecting a user interaction with respect to an image displayed on the graphical user interface of the client device, the user interaction designating the at least one image characteristic.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein receiving the first user selection of the shuffle input comprises detecting a first user touch gesture selecting the selectable graphical element presented via the graphical user interface of the client device;

and wherein receiving the second user selection of the shuffle input comprises detecting a second touch gesture selecting the selectable graphical element presented via the graphical user interface of the client device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of conditions further comprises at least one of a time based condition, a location based condition, a relationship based condition, or an event based condition.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, said instructions further causing the computing device to:

display an image from the set of images to the user; and

wherein receiving the set of conditions comprises receiving an indication of at least one person present in the image; and

wherein creating the reduced subset of images comprises creating the reduced subset of images from images having the at least one person present in the image.

15. A system for randomly navigating a collection of images, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to;

access a set of images;

receive a set of conditions that an image must satisfy, the set of conditions comprising at least one image characteristic;

create a reduced subset of images, from the set of images, that satisfy the set of conditions by selecting a plurality of images from the set of images that include the at least one image characteristic while excluding at least one image from the set of images that does not include the at least one image characteristics;

display, to a user via a graphical user interface of a client device, a shuffle input comprising a selectable graphical element presented via the graphical user interface;

receive a first user selection of the shuffle input requesting a random image that satisfies the set of conditions;

in response to receiving the first user selection of the shuffle input requesting the random image, pseudo-randomly selecting a first image from the set of images by randomly identifying the first image from the reduced subset of images that satisfy the set of conditions without considering the at least one image excluded from the reduced set of images;

display, to the user via the graphical user interface of the client device, the first image in conjunction with the shuffle input, the shuffle input positioned over a portion of the displayed first image;

receive a second user selection of the shuffle input requesting another random image that satisfies the set of conditions; and

in response to receiving the second user selection of the shuffle input requesting another random image, pseudo-randomly select a second image from the set of images by randomly identifying the second image from the reduced subset of images that satisfy the set of conditions without considering the at least one image excluded from the reduced subset of images.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said instructions further cause said processor to determine if shared images are allowed to be displayed to the user in a random presentation.

17. The system of claim 16, said instructions further causing the computing device to:

receive a set of images designated as shared with the user,

wherein creating the reduced subset of images further comprises including, in the reduced subset of images, at least one image having the at least one image characteristic from the set of images designated as shared with the user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said instructions further cause the computing device to:

display an image from the set of images to the user; and

wherein receiving the set of conditions comprises receiving an indication of at least one person present in the image; and

wherein creating the reduced subset of images comprises creating the reduced subset of images from having the at least one person present in the image.