Categorization of Digital Media Based on Media Characteristics

• US 20090307261A1
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Timothy B., Lindley, Gregory Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• 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 16/784 the detected or recognised objects being people
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/786 using motion, e.g. object motion or camera motion

Abstract

Digital media categorization can include receiving information including a plurality of media objects and a metadata tag descriptive of at least a first media object; comparing the first media object with a second media object; and selectively associating the first media object'"'"'s metadata tag with the second media object based on a result of the comparison. Each media object can include a digital image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving information comprising a plurality of media objects, each media object comprising a digital image, and a metadata tag descriptive of at least a first media object;

comparing the first media object with a second media object; and

selectively associating the first media object'"'"'s metadata tag with the second media object based on a result of the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing comprises:

detecting a first feature of the digital image of the first media object;

detecting a second feature of the digital image of the second media object; and

comparing the first feature with the second feature.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first feature is a depiction of at least a portion of a person.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the metadata tag comprises a name of the person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing comprises:

accessing a first timestamp of the first media object;

accessing a second timestamp of the second media object; and

comparing the first timestamp with the second timestamp.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing comprises:

accessing first geographical coordinates of the first media object;

accessing second geographical coordinates of the second media object; and

comparing the first geographical coordinates with the second geographical coordinates.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface to present the first media object to a user; and

displaying in the user interface a prompt that requests a metadata tag for the first media object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital image of the first media object comprises a frame of a first digital video.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the digital image of the second media object comprises a frame of either the first digital video or a second digital video.

10. A method comprising:

receiving multiple media objects, each media object comprising a digital image, wherein one or more of the received media objects are associated with one or more metadata tags;

performing one or more comparisons between the received media objects;

generating a digital media album responsive to results of the one or more comparisons, wherein the digital media album comprises at least a portion of the received media objects; and

associating a metadata tag of a media object in the digital media album with the digital media album.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of the comparisons are based on time.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of the comparisons are based on geographical coordinates of a media object.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of the comparisons are based on a feature of a digital image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the feature is a facial feature.

15. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving information comprising a plurality of media objects, each media object comprising a digital image, and a metadata tag descriptive of at least a first media object;

comparing the first media object with a second media object; and

selectively associating the first media object'"'"'s metadata tag with the second media object based on a result of the comparison.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein comparing comprises:

detecting a first feature of the digital image of the first media object;

detecting a second feature of the digital image of the second media object; and

comparing the first feature with the second feature.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first feature is a depiction of at least a portion of a person.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the metadata tag comprises a name of the person.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein comparing comprises:

accessing a first timestamp of the first media object;

accessing a second timestamp of the second media object; and

comparing the first timestamp with the second timestamp.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein comparing comprises:

accessing first geographical coordinates of the first media object;

accessing second geographical coordinates of the second media object; and

comparing the first geographical coordinates with the second geographical coordinates.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

providing a user interface to present the first media object to a user; and

displaying in the user interface a prompt that requests a metadata tag for the first media object.

22. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the digital image of the first media object comprises a frame of a first digital video.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the digital image of the second media object comprises a frame of either the first digital video or a second digital video.

24. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving multiple media objects, each media object comprising a digital image, wherein one or more of the received media objects are associated with one or more metadata tags;

performing one or more comparisons between the received media objects;

generating a digital media album responsive to results of the one or more comparisons, wherein the digital media album comprises at least a portion of the received media objects; and

associating a metadata tag of a media object in the digital media album with the digital media album.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein one or more of the comparisons are based on time.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein one or more of the comparisons are based on geographical coordinates of a media object.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein one or more of the comparisons are based on a feature of a digital image.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the feature is a facial feature.

29. A system comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor coupled with the communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving information from the communication interface, the information comprising a plurality of media objects, each media object comprising a digital image, and a metadata tag descriptive of at least a first media object;

comparing the first media object with a second media object; and

selectively associating the first media object'"'"'s metadata tag with the second media object based on a result of the comparison.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein comparing comprises:

detecting a first feature of the digital image of the first media object;

detecting a second feature of the digital image of the second media object; and

comparing the first feature with the second feature.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the first feature is a depiction of at least a portion of a person.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the metadata tag comprises a name of the person.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein comparing comprises:

accessing a first timestamp of the first media object;

accessing a second timestamp of the second media object; and

comparing the first timestamp with the second timestamp.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein comparing comprises:

accessing first geographical coordinates of the first media object;

accessing second geographical coordinates of the second media object; and

comparing the first geographical coordinates with the second geographical coordinates.

35. The system of claim 29, the operations further comprising:

providing a user interface to present the first media object to a user; and

displaying in the user interface a prompt that requests a metadata tag for the first media object.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the digital image of the first media object comprises a frame of a first digital video.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the digital image of the second media object comprises a frame of either the first digital video or a second digital video.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein the communication interface is coupled with a communication network.

39. The system of claim 29, further comprising a storage medium, wherein the storage medium is coupled with the communication interface.