An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/679,591, entitled METHOD FOR TAGGING IMAGES, filed May 9, 2005; the aforementioned priority application being hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The disclosed embodiments relate generally to the field of digital image processing. More particularly, the disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for enabling the use of captured images.
BACKGROUND
Digital photography has become a consumer application of great significance. It has afforded individuals convenience in capturing and sharing digital images. Devices that capture digital images have become low-cost, and the ability to send pictures from one location to the other has been one of the driving forces in the drive for more network bandwidth.
Due to the relative low cost of memory and the availability of devices and platforms from which digital images can be viewed, the average consumer maintains most digital images on computer-readable mediums, such as hard drives, CD-Roms, and flash memory. The use of file folders are the primary source of organization, although applications have been created to aid users in organizing and viewing digital images. Some search engines, such as GOOGLE, also enables users to search for images, primarily by matching text-based search input to text metadata or content associated with images.
Patent History
Patent number: 7519200
Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 7, 2005
Date of Patent: Apr 14, 2009
Patent Publication Number: 20060251339
Assignee: Like.com (San Mateo, CA)
Inventors: Salih Burak Gokturk (Mountain View, CA), Dragomir Anguelov (San Francisco, CA), Vincent Vanhoucke (Menlo Park, CA), Kuang-Chih Lee (Mountain View, CA), Diem Vu (Mountain View, CA), Danny Yang (Palo Alto, CA), Munjal Shah (Los Altos, CA), Azhar Khan (San Francisco, CA)
Primary Examiner: Charles Kim
Attorney: Shemwell Mahamedi LLP
Application Number: 11/246,742