Method and system for automated grouping of images

1. A method of automated grouping of digital images, comprising the steps of:

a) computing a color correlogram from image pixel values for each of the digital images;

b) grouping the color correlograms into groups within a hierarchical structure based on relative similarities of the color correlograms; and

c) assigning the images to the groups based on the hierarchical structure of the color correlograms;

wherein the step of grouping the color correlograms comprises the steps of:

i) determining a relative distance between each pair of correlograms;

ii) merging the pair of correlograms with the smallest relative distance into a merged group;

iii) forming a correlogram representing the merged group; and

iv) repeating the steps of determining, merging and forming until a predetermined criterion is met; and

wherein the predetermined criterion requires that no group represents a single image.

2. The method claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of low pass filtering and downsizing the digital images prior to the step of computing the color correlograms.

3. The method claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of inspecting the hierarchical structure and manually effecting one or more operations on the groups.

4. The method claimed in claim 3 , wherein the operations manually effected on the groups include one or more of adjusting membership of the groups, manually merging one or more of the groups, deleting one or more of the groups and assigning the images to another group, or manually creating one or more new groups.

5. The method claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of browsing the images using the hierarchical structure.

6. The method claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining the relative distance between one or more temporally adjacent pairs of correlograms if data identifying a temporal order of the images is also available.

7. The method claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining the relative distance between one or more temporally adjacent pairs of correlograms if data identifying date and time of image capture is also available.

8. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein said group correlogram is computed from the corresponding color correlograms of the merged images without processing the image pixel values themselves.

9. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of grouping the color correlograms into a hierarchical structure includes making adjustments on the image groups, such as adding a new group, removing an existing group, or changing image membership, which adjustments are carried out by manipulating the corresponding image color correlogram without referring back to the image pixel values or any other form of image content.

10. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein said grouping further comprises merging color correlograms within respective said groups.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined criterion requires that each of said groups represents more than one image.

12. A computer program product for automatically grouping a plurality of digital images comprising: a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of:

a) computing a color correlogram from image pixel values for each of the digital images;

b) grouping the color correlograms into groups within a hierarchical structure based on relative similarities of the color correlograms; and

c) assigning the images to the groups based on the hierarchical structure of the color correlograms;

wherein the step of grouping the color correlograms comprises the steps of:

i) determining a relative distance between each pair of correlograms;

ii) merging the pair of correlograms with the smallest relative distance into a merged group;

iii) forming a correlogram representing the merged group; and

iv) repeating the steps of determining, merging and forming until a predetermined criterion is met; and

wherein the predetermined criterion requires that no group represents a single image.

13. The computer program product claimed in claim 12 , further comprising the step of low pass filtering and downsizing the digital images prior to the step of computing the color correlograms.

14. The computer program product claimed in claim 12 , further comprising the step of determining the relative distance between one or more temporally adjacent pairs of correlograms if data identifying a temporal order of the images is also available.

15. The computer program product claimed in claim 12 , further comprising the step of determining the relative distance between one or more temporally adjacent pairs of correlograms if data identifying date and time of image capture is also available.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the predetermined criterion requires that each of said groups represents more than one image.

17. A system for automatically grouping a plurality of digital images comprising:

an input module for accessing a collection of unorganized digital images; and

a digital processor including a computation module for computing a color correlogram from image pixel values for each of the digital images, a grouping module for grouping the color correlograms into groups within a hierarchical structure based on relative similarities of the color correlograms, and an assignment module for assigning the images to the groups based on the hierarchical structure of the color correlograms;

wherein the grouping module comprises:

means for determining a relative distance between each pair of correlograms;

means for merging the pair of correlograms with the smallest relative distance into a merged group;

means for forming a correlogram representing the merged group; and

means for repeating the determining, merging and forming until a predetermined criterion is met; and

wherein the predetermined criterion requires that no group represents a single image.

18. The system claimed in claim 17 , further comprising a module for low pass filtering and downsizing the digital images prior to the step of computing the color correlograms.

19. The system claimed in claim 17 , further comprising a user interface for inspecting the hierarchical structure and manually effecting one or more manual operations on the groups.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the predetermined criterion requires that each of said groups represents more than one image.

21. A method of automated grouping of digital images, comprising the steps of:

a) computing a color correlogram from image pixel values for each of the digital images;

b) grouping the color correlograms into groups within a hierarchical structure based on relative similarities of the color correlograms; and

c) assigning the images to the groups based on the hierarchical structure of the color correlograms;

wherein the step of grouping the color correlograms further comprises merging color correlograms within respective said groups until a predetermined criterion is met, said predetermined criterion being that none of said groups represents a single image.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said merging is without processing the image pixel values themselves.

23. The method claimed in claim 21 , wherein the step of grouping the color correlograms into a hierarchical structure includes making adjustments on the image groups, such as adding a new group, removing an existing group, or changing image membership, which adjustments are carried out by manipulating the corresponding image color correlogram without referring back to the image pixel values or any other form of image content.

24. A method of automated grouping of digital images, comprising the steps of:

a) computing a color correlogram from image pixel values for each of the digital images;

b) grouping the color correlograms into groups within a hierarchical structure based on relative similarities of the color correlograms; and

c) assigning the images to the groups based on the hierarchical structure of the color correlograms;

wherein the step of grouping the color correlograms further comprises merging color correlograms within respective said groups until a predetermined criterion is met, said predetermined criterion being that each of said groups represents more than one image.

25. The method claimed in claim 24 , wherein the step of grouping the color correlograms into a hierarchical structure includes making adjustments on the image groups, such as adding a new group, removing an existing group, or changing image membership, which adjustments are carried out by manipulating the corresponding image color correlogram without referring back to the image pixel values or any other form of image content.