Consolidating Information Relating to Duplicate Images

• US 20120051668A1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Timothy B., Lindley, Gregory Charles, Wojtyna, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• 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: G11B 27/022 Electronic editing of analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are described for resolving duplicate images. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining a selection of a single image from among a plurality of duplicate images. Each duplicate image has an associated set of metadata. The method also includes aggregating each set of metadata into aggregated information, and storing the selected image together with the aggregated information on data storage accessible to a data processing apparatus.

Claims

1. A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining a selection of a single image from among a plurality of duplicate images, each duplicate image having an associated set of metadata;

aggregating each set of metadata into aggregated information; and

storing the selected image together with the aggregated information on data storage accessible to the data processing apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each set of metadata comprises one or more image attributes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an image attribute includes one of:

an image label;

an acquisition time;

an acquisition geo-location;

a time when the duplicate image was modified;

identity of faces depicted in the duplicate image;

an address of a network location to which the image has been uploaded; and

information including an adjustment that was applied to the image, and a time when the adjustment was applied.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the aggregated information associated with the selected image includes one or more aggregated attributes corresponding to the respective one or more image attributes associated with each duplicate image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein an aggregated attribute corresponding to a respective image attribute comprises a primary attribute and a set of additional attributes.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

organizing the stored image along with other non-duplicate images on the data storage based on respective one or more primary attributes of the one or more aggregated attributes included in the aggregated information associated with the stored image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said organizing comprising at least one of sorting, grouping, joining and classifying.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a report of activity relating to the stored image based on respective one or more sets of additional attributes of the one or more aggregated attributes included in the aggregated information associated with the stored image.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said aggregating comprises:

assigning as the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute one of the respective image attributes of the duplicate images based on an assignment rule; and

forming the set of additional attributes of the aggregated attribute from respective image attributes of the duplicate images that are distinct from the primary attribute.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the assignment rule comprises mapping a respective image attribute of the selected image to the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the assignment rule comprises mapping a respective image attribute that was input by a user associated with the data storage to the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the assignment rule comprises mapping a respective image attribute of an earliest duplicate image to the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the assignment rule comprises mapping a respective image attribute of a latest duplicate image to the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the assignment rule comprises mapping a respective image attribute that is not null to the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute.

15. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

mapping each of a set of additional addresses of network locations associated with unselected duplicate images to a primary address of network location associated with a selected duplicate image.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discarding the duplicate images except for the selected image.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suggesting the single image from among the plurality of duplicate images; and

wherein said obtaining the selection includes selecting the suggested single image.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining the selection includes receiving an indication of the single image from a user associated with the data storage.

19. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a selection of a single image from among a plurality of duplicate images, each duplicate image having an associated set of metadata comprising one or more image attributes;

aggregating each set of metadata into aggregated information including one or more aggregated attributes corresponding to the respective one or more image attributes associated with each duplicate image;

storing the selected image together with the aggregated information on data storage accessible to the data processing apparatus; and

discarding the duplicate images except for the selected image.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, wherein an aggregated attribute corresponding to a respective image attribute comprises a primary attribute and a set of additional attributes, and wherein the aggregating operation comprises:

assigning as the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute one of the respective image attributes of the duplicate images based on an assignment rule; and

forming the set of additional attributes of the aggregated attribute from respective image attributes of the duplicate images that are distinct from the primary attribute.

21. A system comprising:

data storage configured to store frames; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled with the data storage and configured to perform operations comprising;

obtaining a selection of a single frame from among a plurality of duplicate frames stored on the data storage, each duplicate frame having an associated set of metadata comprising one or more frame attributes;

aggregating each set of metadata into aggregated information including one or more aggregated attributes corresponding to the respective one or more frame attributes associated with each duplicate frame, wherein an aggregated attribute corresponding to a respective frame attribute comprises a primary attribute and a set of additional attributes, and wherein the aggregating operation comprises;

assigning as the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute one of the respective frame attributes of the duplicate frames based on an assignment rule including mapping a respective frame attribute that is not null to the primary attribute of the aggregated attribute; and

forming the set of additional attributes of the aggregated attribute from respective frame attributes of the duplicate frames that are distinct from the primary attribute;

storing the selected frame together with the aggregated information on the data storage; and

discarding the duplicate frames except for the selected frame.