Automatic media sharing via shutter click

• US 8,270,684 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kiyohara, Keith Shoji, Benjamin, Henry, Delaye, Darren, Chen, Ping Hsin, Han, Simon, Smilak, Kevin, Axe, Brian, Noshadi, Hyduke, Kanitkar, Kedar, Tsang, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US13/188,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20120027256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118, 382/225, 382/305
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for automatically sharing media between users is provided. Collections of images are received from different users, where each collection is associated with a particular user and the users may be associated with each other. The collections are grouped into one or more albums based on the content of the images in the collection, where each album is associated with a particular user. The albums from the different users are grouped into one or more event groups based on the content of the albums. The event groups are then shared automatically, without user intervention, between the different users based on their associations with each other and their individual sharing preferences.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically sharing media between users, comprising:

automatically, without user invention, receiving on at least one computing device a first collection of images associated with a first user, the first user associated with a first sharing preference and the first collection having first content data, wherein the first collection is received in response to a click of a first image shutter device;

automatically, without user invention, receiving on the at least one computing device a second collection of images associated with a second user, the second user associated with a second sharing preference and the second collection having second content data, wherein the first and second users are associated with each other, and the second image is receiving in response to a click of a second image shutter device;

comparing the first content data of the first collection and the second content data of the second collection;

determining if the first collection and second collection are captured at a substantially similar time and a substantially similar location, based on the comparison of the first content data and second content data; and

if the collection of images and second collection of images are captured at the substantially similar time and substantially similar location, automatically;

segmenting the first image to a first collection of images associated with the first user into a first set of one or more albums according to the first content data;

segmenting the second collection associated with the second user into a second set of one or more albums according to the second content data;

clustering the first and second sets of albums into an event group based on the first and second content data and a match between the first and second sharing preferences; and

providing the first and second users access to the event group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically, without user invention, receiving one or more additional images associated with one of the first collection of images or the second collection of images; and

updating the event group to include one or more additional images associated with at least one of the first and second users, and the first and second users are automatically provided access to the updated event group.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more additional images are received in response to a click of one of the first or second image shutter devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically, without user invention, providing a third user, associated with at least one of the first and second users, access to the event group, in response to determining at least one of the first and second content data includes an identity of a face corresponding to the third user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the first and second users access to the event group comprises sending a notification, with an access link to the event group, to the first and second users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein images of the first collection are frames from at least a portion of a first video, and wherein images of the second collection are frames from at least a portion of a second video.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining the first content data for images in the first collection;

and

determining the second content data for images in the second collection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the first content data comprises recognizing a first face in images of the first collection, the first content data including an identity of the first face, and

wherein determining the second content data comprises recognizing a second face in images of the second collection, the second content data including an identity of the second face.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein recognizing the first face comprises obtaining, from the first user, the first identity of the first face,

wherein recognizing the second face comprises obtaining, from the second user, the second identity of the second face,

wherein the first identity of the first face corresponds to the second user, and

wherein the second identity of the second face corresponds to the first user.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the first content data comprises recognizing a first landmark in images of the first collection, the first content data corresponding to the first landmark, and

wherein determining the second content data comprises recognizing a second landmark in images of the second collection, the second content data corresponding to the second landmark.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the first content data comprises recognizing a first object in images of the first collection, the first content data corresponding to the first object, and

wherein determining the second content data comprises recognizing a second object in images of the second collection, the second content data corresponding to the first object.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the first content data comprises extracting first metadata from images of the first collection, the first content data corresponding to the first metadata, and

wherein determining the second content data comprises extracting second metadata from images of the second collection, the second content data corresponding to the second metadata.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein extracting the first metadata comprises extracting a first time when images of the first collection were exposed, and extracting the second metadata comprises extracting a second time when images of the second collection were exposed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein extracting the first metadata comprises extracting a first location where images of the first collection were exposed, and extracting the second metadata comprises extracting a second location where images of the second collection were exposed.

15. A system for automatically sharing media between users, comprising:

one or more processors;

a media input module configured to automatically, without user invention, receive a first collection of images associated with a first user and a second collection of images associated with a second user, in response to a click of a first and second image shutter device, the first user associated with a first sharing preference and the first collection having first content data and the second user associated with a second sharing preference and the second collection having second content data, wherein the first and second users are associated with each other; and

a media sharing module configured to compare the first content data of the first collection and the second content data of the second collection, determine if the first collection and second collection are captured at a substantially similar time and substantially similar location, based on the comparison of the first content data and second content data, and if the first collection of images and second collection of images are captured at the substantially similar time and substantially similar location, automatically segment the first collection associated with the first user into a first set of one or more albums according to the first content data, segment the second collection associated with the second user into a second set of one or more albums according to the second content data, cluster the first and second sets of albums into an event group based on the first and second content data and a match between the first and second sharing preferences of the respective first and second users, and provide the first and second users access to the event group,

wherein the media input module and the media sharing module are implemented using the one or more processors.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the media input module is further configured to automatically, without user invention, receive one or more additional images associated with one of the first collection of images or the second collection of images, the media sharing module is further configured to update the event group to include one or more additional images associated with at least one of the first and second users, and the first and second users are automatically provided access to the updated event group.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more additional images are received in response to a click of one of the first or second image shutter device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the media sharing module is further configured to automatically, without user invention, provide a third user, associated with at least one of the first and second users, access to the event group, in response to determining at least one of the first and second content data includes an identity of a face corresponding to the third user.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the media sharing module comprises:

a notification manager configured to send a notification, with an access link to the event group, to the first and second users.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein images of the first collection are frames from at least a portion of a first video, and wherein images of the second collection are frames from at least a portion of a second video.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the media input module is further configured to determine the first content data for images in the first collection, and to determine the second content data for images in the second collection.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the media input module comprises:

a face recognition module configured to recognize a first face in images of the collection, the first content data including an identity of the first face, and to recognize a second face in images of the second collection, the second content data including an identity of the second face.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the face recognition module is configured to obtain, from the first user, the first identity of the first face, the first identity of the first face corresponding to the second user, and to obtain, from the second user, the second identity of the second face, the second identity of the second face corresponding to the first user.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the media input module comprises:

a landmark recognition module configured to recognize a first landmark in images of the first collection, the first content data corresponding to the first landmark, and to recognize a second landmark in images of the second collection, the second content data corresponding to the second landmark.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the media input module comprises:

an object recognition module to recognize a first object in images of the first collection, the first content data corresponding to the first object, and to recognize a second object in images of the second collection, the second content data corresponding to the second object.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the media input module comprises:

a metadata extractor to extract first metadata from images of the first collection, the first content data corresponding to the first metadata, and to extract second metadata from images of the second collection, the second content data corresponding to the second metadata.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first metadata comprises a first time when the images of the first collection were exposed, and wherein the second metadata comprises a second time when images of the second collection were exposed.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the first metadata comprises a first location where images of the first collection were exposed, and wherein the second metadata comprises a second location where images of the second collection were exposed.