System and method for storing and presenting images and related items to a user

• US 20060047584A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Platt, John C., Vaschillo, Alexander, Ballou, Nathaniel H., Glenner, Steve C., Dart, Scott E., Hellyar, Paul S., Evans, Christopher A., Gibson, Bradley P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for presenting images and related items to a user. A digital image from a data store is assessed, and a portion of the image is defined as a region of interest. Properties are associated with this defined region, and these properties are utilized to infer relationships between the region of interest and related items in the data store. Optionally, a user input indicating a desire to view related content may be received and such content may be presented to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting items from a data store to a user, the method comprising:

providing a digital image residing in the data store;

defining at least a portion of said digital image as a region of interest; and

associating one or more properties with said region of interest.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said digital image is a digital photograph.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein defining at least a portion of said digital image includes receiving a user input indicating said portion.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein defining at least a portion of said digital image includes utilizing one or more recognition algorithms.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein associating one or more properties with said region of interest includes utilizing data from said recognition algorithm.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating one or more properties with said region of interest includes providing properties that relate to the subject matter depicted within said region of interest.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating one or more properties with said region of interest includes associating at least one reference to one or more related items residing in said data store.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein said reference is a known relationship between said digital image and at least one of said related items.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating one or more properties with said region of interest utilizes a user interface allowing the user to input said properties.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing said properties to infer a relationship between said region of interest and one or more related items residing in the data store.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising displaying said digital image and said one or more related items to the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said related items are displayed in response to a user input indicating a desire to view one or more items related to said digital image.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said digital image is displayed in response to a user input indicating a desire to view or utilize one or more items related to said related items.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein utilizing said properties to infer a relationship includes querying said data store for one or more items having associated properties similar to said properties associated with said region of interest.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein utilizing said properties to infer a relationship includes referencing a known relationship between said digital image and at least one of said related items.

16. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for navigating among items of content, the method comprising:

displaying a digital image to a user, wherein at least a portion of said digital image is defined as a region of interest;

associating one or more properties with said region of interest, wherein said properties relate to at least a portion of the subject matter shown within the region of interest;

receiving an input indicating a desire to view content related to said subject matter;

utilizing said properties to locate content related to said subject matter; and

providing said related content to a user or a client.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein said digital image resides in a data store including a database.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein displaying said digital image includes demarcating said region of interest

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein said region of interest is defined with reference to a user input indicating said portion.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein said region of interest is defined by utilizing one or more recognition algorithms.

21. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein associating one or more properties with said region of interest includes associating at least one reference to said related content.

22. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein presenting said related content includes displaying said related content in response to a user input indicating a desire to view one or more items related to said digital image.

23. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein displaying said digital image includes presenting said digital image in response to a user input indicating a desire to view one or more items related to said related content.

24. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein utilizing said properties to locate content includes querying a data store for one or more items having associated properties similar to said properties associated with said region of interest.

25. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein utilizing said properties to locate content includes referencing a known relationship between said digital image and said related content.

26. A computer-implemented method for locating items in a data store having related subject matter, the method comprising:

storing an image in a data store in accordance with a storage schema that associates one or more properties with a defined region of said image, wherein at least one of said properties relates to a subject depicted within said region; and

utilizing said one or more properties to associate said image with content related to said depicted subject.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein said storage schema contains metadata including said one or more properties.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein said defined region is selected by a user.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the subject depicted within the region is a person'"'"'s face.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, wherein said properties include said person'"'"'s name.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 30, wherein a facial detection algorithm provides said name.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, wherein said properties include a reference to said related content.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising presenting said image to a user in response to a user indicating a desire to view one or more items related to said related content.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the subject depicted within the region is a landmark or a location.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the subject depicted within the region is a focal region of a camera.

36. A computer system for presenting items to a user, the system comprising:

a data store containing a plurality of items having associated relational information that allows relationships between two or more of the plurality of items to be determined, said plurality of items containing at least one image with one or more region of interests, wherein said region of interests have said relational information associated therewith; and

a shell for presenting at least a portion of said plurality of items to a user, wherein the shell is configured to utilize said relational information to display one or more items in said data store which are related to a selected region of interest.

37. The computer system of claim 36, wherein said data store includes a relational database.

38. The computer system of claim 36, wherein said relationships between two or more of the plurality of items are determined by one or more database queries.

39. The computer system of claim 36, wherein said relationships between two or more of the plurality of items are stored in said data store.

40. The computer system of claim 36, wherein said shell is configured to accept a user input representing a selection to view items in the data store which are related to said selected region of interest.