IP Library Granted Patent US 7,711,145
Granted Patent B2
US 7,711,145 · App. 11/342,053 · Granted May 4, 2010

Finding images with multiple people or objects

Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,711,145
App. No.
11/342,053
Granted
May 4, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of searching through a collection of images, includes providing a list of individuals of interest and features associated with such individuals; detecting people in the collection images; determining the likelihood(s) for each listed individual of appearing in each collection image in response to the detected people and the features associated with the listed individuals; and selecting in response to the determined likelihood(s) a number of collection images such that each individual from the list appears in the selected number of collection images.

Claims (42)

1. A method of searching through a collection of images, comprising using a digital processor to perform the following steps:

(a) providing a list of individuals of interest and features associated with such individuals wherein the list of individuals includes a number of times c r that an individual should appear in selected subset of collection images;

(b) detecting people in the collection images;

(c) determining the likelihood(s) for each listed individual of appearing in each collection image in response to the detected people and the features associated with the listed individuals; and

(d) selecting in response to the determined likelihood(s) a subset of one or more collection images such that at least two individuals from the list appear in the selected number of collection images and wherein the selected subset of collection images is chosen such that each individual from the list appears at least the number of times c r in the selected number of collection images.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected subset of collection images are used to produce an image product.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the image product is a framed photograph set, a photo calendar, an album, a slide show, a web page, a mug, a t-shirt, a mouse pad, or a puzzle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the likelihood(s) further includes:

i) using a first classifier to determine the likelihood that a detected person is a particular individual from the list individuals of interest; and

ii) using a second classifier and the likelihoods from c) to determine the likelihood that a particular image contains a particular individual from the list.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one image in the collection of images contains more than one person.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected subset of images is displayed to a user for review.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the user selects an image from the selected subset of images and that image is replaced with another image from the digital image collection.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the likelihood(s) further includes:

i) detecting features for the detected people;

ii) forming a probability network of links and nodes using the detected features for the detected people; and

iii) using the probability network and the features associated with individuals of interest to determine the likelihood(s) for each listed individual of appearing in each collection image.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the detected features include local features associated with the detected person and global features that are independent of the identity or position of the individual in the image associated with the detected person.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the likelihoods are displayed to a user and the user provides input indicating the correctness of the labels.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the likelihoods are updated based on the user input.

12. A method of searching though a collection of images, comprising using a digital processor to perform the following steps:

(a) providing a list of individuals of interest and features associated with such individuals wherein the list of individuals includes a number of times c r that an individual should appear in selected subset of collection images;

(b) detecting people in the collection images;

(c) determining the likelihood(s) for each listed individual of appearing in each collection image in response to the detected people and the features associated with the listed individuals;

(d) selecting in response to the determined likelihood(s) one or more subset(s) of collection images such that each individual from the list appears in each subset of collection images and wherein the selected subset of collection images is chosen such that each individual from the list appears at least the number of times c r in the selected number of collection images;

(e) displaying the one or more subsets of collection images to a user; and

(f) the user selecting one of the subsets of collection images.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the images from the selected subset of collection images from f) are used to produce an image product.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the image product is a framed photograph set, a photo calendar, an album, a slide show, a web page, a mug, a t-shirt, a mouse pad, or a puzzle.

15. A method of searching through a collection of images, comprising using a digital processor to perform the following steps:

(a) providing a list of objects of interest and features associated with such objects wherein the list of objects of interest includes a number of times c r that an object of interest should appear in selected subset of collection images;

(b) detecting objects in the collection images;

(c) determining the likelihood(s) for each listed object of appearing in each collection image in response to the detected objects and the features associated with the listed objects; and

(d) selecting in response to the determined likelihood(s) a subset of one or more collection images such that each object from the list appears in the selected number of collection images and wherein the selected subset of collection images is chosen such that each object of interest from the list appears at least the number of times c r in the selected number of collection images.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the images from the selected subset of collection images are used to produce an image product.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the image product is a frames photograph set, a photo calendar, an album, a slide show, a web page, a mug, a t-shirt, a mouse pad, or a puzzle.

18. A method of searching through a collection of images, comprising using a digital processor to perform the following steps:

(a) providing a list of individuals of interest and features associated with such individuals;

(b) detecting people in the collection images;

(c) determining the likelihood(s) for each listed individual of appearing in each collection image in response to the detected people and the features associated with the listed individuals;

(d) selecting in response to the determined likelihood(s) a subset of one or more collection images; and

(e) determining a likelihood that the selected subset of images contains each of the individuals of interest at least a number of times c r in the selected subset of collection images.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2023
From: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUND 83 LLC
To: MONUMENT PEAK VENTURES, LLC
Reel/Frame 064599/0304 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2017
From: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUND 83 LLC
To: MONUMENT PEAK VENTURES, LLC
Reel/Frame 041941/0079 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2013
From: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
To: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUND 83 LLC
Reel/Frame 030262/0750 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Feb 1, 2013
From: CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC.; WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY; EASTMAN KODAK INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL COMPANY, INC.; FAR EAST DEVELOPMENT LTD.; KODAK (NEAR EAST), INC.; KODAK AMERICAS, LTD.; KODAK PORTUGUESA LIMITED; KODAK REALTY, INC.; LASER-PACIFIC MEDIA CORPORATION; KODAK AVIATION LEASING LLC; KODAK PHILIPPINES, LTD.; NPEC INC.; FPC INC.; KODAK IMAGING NETWORK, INC.; PAKON, INC.; QUALEX INC.; CREO MANUFACTURING AMERICA LLC
Reel/Frame 029913/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2012
From: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY; PAKON, INC.
To: CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 028201/0420 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2006
From: GALLAGHER, ANDREW C.
To: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
Reel/Frame 017523/0987 →
Continuity (1)
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