IMAGE BROWSING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DIGITAL CONTENT PLATFORM

1 . A computer-implement method for providing a web-based image-browsing system, the method comprising:

(a) creating an image catalog populated with a plurality of product images from a plurality of merchants;

(b) indexing the plurality of product images in the image catalog such that each product image is indexed with at least one contextual tag;

(c) providing an interface for a crowdsource network to (1) identify objects within a published image on a web page of a publisher's website, and (2tag the objects within the published image with one or more contextual tags;

(d) matching a first object within the published image with a first product image from the image catalog based on a first contextual tag;

(e) matching a second object within the published image with a second product image from the image catalog based on a second contextual tag;

(f) providing a first user-actionable interface on the web page of the publisher's website for a user to activate the published image, wherein the first user-actionable interface is proximate the first object within the published image, and where upon activation by the user of the first user-actionable interface, an image frame is provided on the web page, and wherein the image frame displays the first product image of step (d); and

(g) providing a second user-actionable interface within the published image, wherein the second user-actionable interface is proximate the second object within the published image, such that activation of the second user-actionable interface replaces the first product image of step (d) within the image frame with the second product image of step (e).

2 . An image-browsing system for selecting and displaying a plurality of contextually relevant images proximate to a published image on a digital content platform, comprising:

a server, including a memory unit for storing a database having a plurality of images, each image having at least one contextual tag; and

a processor configured to provide:

an image frame proximate to the published image on the digital content platform, wherein the image frame displays a first image provided from the plurality of images in the database, and

a user-actionable interface within the published image and proximate to an object within the published image, wherein activation of the user-actionable interface replaces the first image within the frame with a second image, and wherein the second image is selected based on the object within the published image.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the second image is selected from the plurality of images in the database.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the second image includes a contextual tag that matches a contextual tag of the first image.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the second image is displayed within the image frame adjacent to the first image.

6 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the second image is provided by an Internet search result based on the contextual tag of the first image.

7 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of images in the database are indexed based on their individual contextual tag.

8 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of images in the database are indexed based on their individual contextual tag to form at least one array of contextually relevant images.

9 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of images in the database are indexed based on their individual contextual tag to form a two-dimensional array of contextually relevant images.

10 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the contextual tag is selected from the group consisting of: people, events, classes of objects, specific products, abstract concepts, photographic genres, and any combinations thereof.

11 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first image provides a hyperlink to a third-party website.

12 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the second image provides a hyperlink to a third-party website.

13 . The system of claim 2 , wherein a contextual tag of the first image matches a contextual tag attached to content surrounding the image frame on the digital content platform.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the content surrounding the image frame on the digital content platform is selected from the group consisting of: an image, text, and a video.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the contextual tag attached to the content surrounding the image frame is provided by a crowdsource network, an image-recognition program, or a text-recognition program.

16 . The system of claim 2 , wherein a contextual tag of the second image matches a contextual tag attached to content surrounding the image frame on the digital content platform.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the content surrounding the image frame on the digital content platform is selected from the group consisting of: an image, text, and a video.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the contextual tag attached to the content surrounding the image frame is provided by a crowdsource network, an image-recognition program, or a text-recognition program.

19 . A computer-implemented method for matching objects within a published image, on a web page of a publisher's website, with contextually relevant content, the method comprising:

(a) creating an image catalog populated with a plurality of product images from a plurality of merchants;

(b) establishing a link between the publisher's website and an image analysis engine to receive the image published on the publisher's website;

(c) the image analysis engine providing a computerized interface for a crowdsource network to (1) identify objects within the published image and (2match objects within the published image with matching product images from the image catalog;

(d) providing a first user-actionable interface, proximate to a first object within the published image on the web page of the publisher's website, for a user to activate the published image; and

(e) upon activation by the user, providing an image frame on the web page, wherein the image frame displays a matching product image from step (b)(2), and wherein the image frame includes a second user-actionable interface, wherein activation of the second user-actionable interface replaces the matching product image of step (b)(2within the image frame with a second image.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the second image is provided from the image catalog.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein each product image in the image catalog includes at least one contextual tag, and wherein the second image includes a contextual tag that matches a contextual tag of the matching product image of step (b)(2).

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the matching product image of step (b)(2) includes a contextual tag, and the method further comprising:

(e) conducting an Internet image search based on the contextual tag of the matching product image of step (b)(2); and

(f) selecting the second image based on the Internet image search.

23 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

indexing the plurality of product images in the image catalog based on at least one contextual tag.

24 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

indexing the plurality of product images to form at least one array of contextually relevant images.

25 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

indexing the plurality of product images to form a two-dimensional array of contextually relevant images.

26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the contextual tag is selected from the group consisting of: people, events, classes of objects, specific products, abstract concepts, photographic genres, and any combinations thereof.

27 . The method of claim 19 , wherein said method is used to provide contextually relevant advertising on a web page of a publisher's website.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the matching product image of step (b)(2) provides a hyperlink to a merchant's website.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the second image provides a hyperlink to a third-party website.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein a contextual tag of the matching product image of step (b)(2) matches a contextual tag attached to content surrounding the image frame on the website.