IP Library Granted Patent US 11,080,318
Granted Patent B2
US 11,080,318 · App. 14/310,777 · Granted Aug 3, 2021

Method for ranking and selecting events in media collections

Inventors: Madirakshi Das (Penfield, NY); Alexander C. Loui (Penfield, NY)
Assignee: KODAK ALARIS INC.
G06F16/41
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,080,318
App. No.
14/310,777
Granted
Aug 3, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for ranking events in media collections includes designating a media collection, using a processor to cluster the media collection items into a hierarchical event structure, using the processor to identify and count visually similar sub-events within each event in the hierarchical event structure, using the processor to determine a ranking of events based on the count of sub-events within each event, and associating the determined ranking with each event in the media collection.

Claims (40)

1. A method for ranking events in media collections, performed at a device having one or more processors and a processor-accessible memory, the method comprising:

designating a media collection stored on the processor-accessible memory, wherein the media collection comprises a plurality of media collection items, and wherein the media collection items capture a plurality of events;

clustering the media collection items into a hierarchical event structure, wherein the hierarchical event structure comprises events and sub-events;

identifying visually similar sub-events within each event in the hierarchical event structure, wherein the visually similar sub-events have consistent color distribution and are identified by block-level color histogram similarity;

ranking the events in descending order of importance based on a count of most to fewest visually similar sub-events within each event;

identifying a plurality of event attributes present in the ranked events;

receiving a selection from a user of a preferred event attribute;

determining a threshold target distribution of the preferred event attribute, wherein determining the threshold target distribution comprises generating a normalized histogram having a plurality of bins, wherein each bin represents a category of the preferred event attribute;

selecting a subset of ranked events that combined meet or exceed the threshold target distribution of the preferred event attribute;

selecting a first event from the subset of ranked events with a highest ranking of importance;

selecting media collection items that capture the selected first event, wherein the number of media collection items selected is based on the threshold target distribution of the preferred event attribute;

selecting a second event from the subset of ranked events;

selecting media collection items that capture the selected second event, wherein the number of media collection items selected is based on the threshold target distribution of the preferred event attribute; and

fulfilling an output product with the selected media collection items.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein ranking the events is also based on a significance score of the event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein ranking the events is also based on a distribution that models importance of an event over an elapsed time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein ranking the events is also based on a score or distribution that models interestingness of an event over an elapsed period of time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein ranking the events is also based on metadata from social networks.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein ranking the events is also based on metadata from social networks through analyzing user tags and comments.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein ranking the events is also based on the media collection items capturing the events that have been marked by a user as being a favorite or to be used for sharing.

8. A method for selecting events from media collections, comprising:

designating a media collection, wherein the media collection comprises a plurality of images;

using a processor to cluster the media collection items into a hierarchical event structure, wherein the hierarchical event structure comprises events and sub-events;

using the processor to identify and count visually similar sub-events within each event in the hierarchical event structure, wherein the visually similar sub-events have consistent color distribution and are identified by block-level color histogram similarity;

using the processor to determine a ranked list of the events in the hierarchical event structure, wherein the ranked list prioritizes the events from highest interestingness score to lowest interestingness score, wherein interestingness score is determined based on time elapsed since each of the events in the hierarchical event structure;

receiving a selection from a user of a preferred event attribute;

using the processor to calculate a threshold target distribution of the preferred event attribute, wherein calculating the threshold target distribution comprises generating a normalized histogram having a plurality of bins, wherein each bin represents a category of the preferred event attribute;

selecting a subset of ranked events that combined meet or exceed the threshold target distribution of the preferred event attribute;

selecting a first event from the subset of ranked events with a highest interestingness score ranking;

selecting images from the media collection that capture the selected first event, wherein the number of images selected is based on the threshold target distribution of the preferred event attribute;

selecting a second event from the subset of ranked events;

selecting images from the media collection that capture the selected second event, wherein the number of images selected is based on the threshold target distribution of the preferred event attribute; and

using the processor to incorporate the selected images from the media collection into an output product.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the preferred event attribute is event class.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the preferred event attribute is event size.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the preferred event attribute is media type of the event.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the ranked list of events is based on a significance score of each event.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the ranked list of events is based on metadata from social networks.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the ranked list of events is based on metadata from social networks through analyzing user tags and comments.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the ranked list of events is based on a number of images capturing the event that have been marked by a user as being a favorite or to be used for sharing.

Assignments (9)
SHORT-FORM PATENTS SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 5, 2025
From: KODAK ALARIS LLC
To: ENCINA PRIVATE CREDIT SPV 2, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072818/0674 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2025
From: FGI WORLDWIDE LLC
To: KODAK ALARIS LLC
Reel/Frame 072740/0681 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 31, 2024
From: KODAK ALARIS INC.
To: KODAK ALARIS LLC
Reel/Frame 069282/0866 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2024
From: THE BOARD OF THE PENSION PROTECTION FUND
To: KODAK ALARIS INC.
Reel/Frame 068481/0300 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 2, 2024
From: KODAK ALARIS INC.
To: FGI WORLDWIDE LLC
Reel/Frame 068325/0938 →
IP SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT (FISCAL YEAR 2022) Recorded Sep 22, 2022
From: KODAK ALARIS INC.
To: THE BOARD OF THE PENSION PROTECTION FUND
Reel/Frame 061504/0900 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2021
From: KPP (NO. 2) TRUSTEES LIMITED
To: THE BOARD OF THE PENSION PROTECTION FUND
Reel/Frame 058175/0651 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 5, 2020
From: KODAK ALARIS INC.
To: KPP (NO. 2) TRUSTEES LIMITED
Reel/Frame 053993/0454 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2015
From: DAS, MADIRAKSHI; LOUI, ALEXANDER C.
To: KODAK ALARIS INC.
Reel/Frame 035795/0292 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61840031 · Jun 27, 2013
Related Publication 20150006523A1 · Jan 1, 2015