Intelligent content organization based on time gap analysis

• US 7,779,358 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Mohit, Dahm, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thanh T
• Application Number:
  US11/607,278
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 715/730, 715/767, 715/838, 715/851, 715/854
• US Class Current: 715/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

Gap values for a collection of images are obtained; each gap value is a temporal difference between temporally adjacent images. A first grouping of the collection of images into one or more groups is determined based at least in part on the gap values. The first grouping is performed such that each group is temporally contiguous. The first grouping is presented and input from a user is received in response to the presented first grouping. A second grouping of the collection of images into two or more groups is determined based at least in part on the user input. The second grouping is presented.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining gap values for a collection of images, wherein each gap value is a temporal difference between temporally adjacent images;

using a processor to determine a first grouping of the collection of images based at least in part on the gap values, wherein the first grouping is performed such that each group in the first grouping is temporally contiguous;

presenting the first grouping having a first number of groups;

receiving input from a user in response to the presented first grouping that includes a second number of groups that is different from the first number of groups;

using the processor to determine a second grouping of the collection of images, resulting in the second number of groups, based at least in part on the second number of groups and the gap values, wherein the second grouping is performed such that each group in the second grouping is temporally contiguous and wherein determining the first grouping and/or determining the second grouping includes;

setting a threshold to a value between 0 and 100;

setting a gap sum to 0;

determining a total gap based at least in part on an earliest date and/or time of an image in the collection of images and a latest date and/or time of an image in the collection of images;

adding a largest gap value between adjacent images in the collection of images to the gap sum;

determining if a percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold;

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold, ending the grouping process; and

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is not greater than or equal to the threshold;

adding a next largest gap value to the gap sum to obtain an updated gap sum;

determining if the percentage associated with the updated gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the updated gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold, ending the grouping process;

presenting the second grouping;

receiving an indication associated with storing the collection of images grouped according to the second grouping; and

storing, for each of the two or more groups resulting from the second grouping, the images in a given group in a corresponding directory on a file system, wherein each group resulting from the second grouping corresponds to a different directory on the file system.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving additional user input that includes one or more of the following:

an indication of a point at which to divide an existing group of images into two groups of images;

an indication of a first group of images and a second group of images to be merged, wherein the first group and the second group are temporally adjacent;

a reassignment of an image from a first group to a second group such that the number of groups does not change;

or a reassignment of an image from a first group to a second group such that the number of groups does not change and the first group and the second group are no longer temporally contiguous.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user input includes either a first indication corresponding to an increase in the number of groups or a second indication corresponding to a decrease in the number of groups.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user input is received via a dial or a slider.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the first grouping and/or determining the second grouping includes using a total gap value that is calculated based on (1) the earliest creation date and/or time in the collection and (2) the latest creation date and/or time in the collection.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the first grouping and/or determining the second grouping includes:

beginning with the largest gap value associated with the collection of images, evaluating a gap value; and

if the evaluated gap value does not satisfy a criteria, defining groups by creating breaks at points corresponding to gap values that are greater than or equal to the gap value that did not satisfy the criteria.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the first grouping and/or determining the second grouping includes using a statistical value associated with the gap values.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the collection of images is obtained from a source location specified by the user.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the collection of images includes a collection of images to be transferred.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the collection of images includes a collection of images to be transferred and the method further comprises receiving a target location specified by the user to which the collection of images is to be transferred.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving an indication to perform an automatic image editing process on the collection of images.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising associating a given group with a group name specified by the user.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising naming images in a given group using a group name specified by the user.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising tagging images in a given group with a group name specified by the user.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising creating one or more of said corresponding directories on the file system if any corresponding directory does not already exist on the file system.

16. A system, comprising:

an interface configured to;

obtain gap values for a collection of images, wherein each gap value is a temporal difference between temporally adjacent images;

present a first grouping having a first number of groups;

receive input from a user in response to the presented first grouping that includes a second number of groups that is different from the first number of groups;

present a second grouping; and

receive an indication associated with storing the collection of images grouped according to the second grouping; and

a processor configured to;

determine the first grouping of the collection of images based at least in part on the gap values, wherein the first grouping is performed such that each group is temporally contiguous and wherein the processor is configured to determine the first grouping and/or determine the second grouping by;

setting a threshold to a value between 0 and 100;

setting a gap sum to 0;

determining a total gap based at least in part on an earliest date and/or time of an image in the collection of images and a latest date and/or time of an image in the collection of images;

adding a largest gap value between adjacent images in the collection of images to the gap sum;

determining if a percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold;

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold, ending the grouping process; and

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is not greater than or equal to the threshold;

adding a next largest gap value to the gap sum to obtain an updated gap sum;

determining if the percentage associated with the updated gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the updated gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold, ending the grouping process;

determine the second grouping of the collection of images, resulting in the second number of groups, based at least in part on the second number of groups and the gap values, wherein the second grouping is performed such that each group in the second grouping is temporally contiguous; and

store, for each of the two or more groups resulting from the second grouping, the images in a given group in a corresponding directory on a file system, wherein each group resulting from the second grouping corresponds to a different directory on the file system.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to create one or more of said corresponding directories on the file system if any corresponding directory does not already exist on the file system.

18. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

obtaining gap values for a collection of images, wherein each gap value is a temporal difference between temporally adjacent images;

determining a first grouping of the collection of images based at least in part on the gap values, wherein the first grouping is performed such that each group in the first grouping is temporally contiguous;

presenting the first grouping having a first number of groups;

receiving input from a user in response to the presented first grouping that includes a second number of groups that is different from the first number of groups;

determining a second grouping of the collection of images, resulting in the second number of groups, based at least in part on the second number of groups and the gap values, wherein the second grouping is performed such that each group in the second grouping is temporally contiguous and wherein the computer instructions for determining the first grouping and/or determining the second grouping includes computer instructions for;

setting a threshold to a value between 0 and 100;

setting a gap sum to 0;

determining a total gap based at least in part on an earliest date and/or time of an image in the collection of images and a latest date and/or time of an image in the collection of images;

adding a largest gap value between adjacent images in the collection of images to the gap sum;

determining if a percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold;

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold, ending the grouping process;

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the gap sum and the total gap is not greater than or equal to the threshold;

adding a next largest gap value to the gap sum to obtain an updated gap sum;

determining if the percentage associated with the updated gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

if it is determined that the percentage associated with the updated gap sum and the total gap is greater than or equal to the threshold, ending the grouping process;

presenting the second grouping;

receiving an indication associated with storing the collection of images grouped according to the second grouping; and

storing, for each of the two or more groups resulting from the second grouping, the images in a given group in a corresponding directory on a file system, wherein each group resulting from the second grouping corresponds to a different directory on the file system.

19. A computer program product as recited in claim 18 further comprising computer instructions for creating one or more of said corresponding directories on the file system if any corresponding directory does not already exist on the file system.