IP Library Granted Patent US 9,507,954
Granted Patent B2
US 9,507,954 · App. 14/563,744 · Granted Nov 29, 2016

Monitoring digital images

Inventors: Gary Tessman, Jr. (Charles Town, WV); Patrick D. Lippert (Santa Ana, CA); Timothy B. Hayman (Irvine, CA)
Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
G06F21/6209G06F21/31G06Q50/184H04L63/0428H04L63/10H04L63/123H04L67/1097G06F2221/2101G06F2221/2149
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,507,954
App. No.
14/563,744
Filed
Dec 8, 2014
Granted
Nov 29, 2016
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2457
USPC
709/224
Abstract

Digital images are monitored by enabling access to a digital image, receiving a notification associated with the digital image from a first user, and regulating access of the first user to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user.

Claims (41)

1. A computer-implemented method of monitoring digital images, comprising:

providing, by a host device, a user with access to a digital image stored at a storage server of an image farm in association with an image service, the user accessing the digital image via a communication application of a client device of the user;

receiving, by the host device over an information delivery network from the client device of the user, a notification associated with the digital image from the user, the notification indicating that the user believes that the digital image violates a policy of the image service;

responsive to receiving the notification, automatically generating an investigation report including information about an owner of the digital image within the image service; and

based on the investigation report, preventing the owner's account within the image account from sharing the digital image with the user who provided the notification regarding the digital image by:

accessing an owner's screen name and an identifier associated with the digital image;

searching an image table associated with the owner's account, the owner's account including metadata stored in one or more account tables distributed over the image farm; and

removing metadata associated with the user from the image table.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a warning email to the owner account regarding the digital image.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a report of the policy violation to the owner's account.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, based on the investigation report, preventing the owner's account from sharing the digital image with a particular category of users.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising based on the investigation report, preventing the owner's account from sharing the digital image with all users.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising locking metadata associated with the digital image to prevent the owner account from making changes to the metadata.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing an owner's screen name and an identifier associated with the digital image;

searching at least one of an image table and an account table, each table associated with the owner account; and

inserting metadata into each searched table indicating that the digital image is under investigation.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

provide a user with access to a digital image at a storage server of an image farm stored in association with an image service, the user accessing the digital image via a communication application of a client device of the user;

receive, over an information delivery network from the client device of the user, a notification associated with the digital image from the user, the notification indicating that the user believes that the digital image violates a policy of the image service;

responsive to receiving the notification, automatically generate an investigation report including information about an owner of the digital image within the image service; and

based on the investigation report, prevent the owner's account within the image account from sharing the digital image with the user who provided the notification regarding the digital image by:

accessing an owner's screen name and an identifier associated with the digital image;

searching an image table associated with the owner's account, the owner's account including metadata stored in one or more account tables distributed over the image farm; and

removing metadata associated with the user from the image table.

9. The media of claim 8 , comprising further computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to send a warning email to the owner account regarding the digital image.

10. The media of claim 8 , comprising further computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to add a report of the policy violation to the owner's account.

11. The media of claim 8 , comprising further computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to, on the basis of the investigative report, prevent the owner's account from sharing the digital image with a particular category of users.

12. The media of claim 8 , comprising further computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to, on the basis of the investigative report, prevent the owner's account from sharing the digital image with all users.

13. The media of claim 8 , comprising further computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to lock metadata associated with the digital image to prevent the owner account from making changes to the metadata.

14. The media of claim 8 , comprising further computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to

access an owner's screen name and an identifier associated with the digital image; search at least one of an image table and an account table, each table associated with the owner account; and

insert metadata into each searched table indicating that the digital image is under investigation.

15. A computer-implemented method of monitoring digital images, comprising:

providing, by a host device, a user with access to a digital image stored at a storage server of an image farm in association with an image service, the user accessing the digital image via a communication application of a client device of the user;

receiving, by the host device over an information delivery network from the client device of the user, a notification associated with the digital image from the user, the notification indicating that the user believes that the digital image violates a policy of the image service;

responsive to receiving the notification, automatically generating an investigation report including information about an owner of the digital image within the image service; and

based on the investigation report, cancelling of the owner account the owner's account by:

accessing an owner's screen name and an identifier associated with the digital image;

searching an image table associated with the owner account, the owner's account including metadata stored in one or more account tables distributed over the image farm; and

removing metadata associated with the owner's account from the image table.

Assignments (8)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 5, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044129/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 18, 2016
From: AMERICA ONLINE, INC.
To: AOL LLC
Reel/Frame 038451/0231 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2016
From: AOL INC.
To: MARATHON SOLUTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 038304/0198 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2016
From: MARATHON SOLUTIONS LLC
To: BRIGHT SUN TECHNOLOGIES
Reel/Frame 038304/0217 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2016
From: BRIGHT SUN TECHNOLOGIES
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 038304/0241 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2016
From: AOL LLC
To: AOL INC.
Reel/Frame 038451/0160 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE FROM "GOOGLE INC." TO -- AMERICA ONLINE, INC. -- PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 037883 FRAME 0880. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT DOCUMENT. Recorded Apr 6, 2016
From: TESSMAN, GARY, JR.; LIPPERT, PATRICK; HAYMAN, TIMOTHY B.
To: AMERICA ONLINE, INC.
Reel/Frame 038364/0412 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2016
From: TESSMAN, GARY, JR.; LIPPERT, PATRICK D.; HAYMAN, TIMOTHY B.
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 037883/0880 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 13769203 · Feb 15, 2013
Continuation 12838588 · Jul 19, 2010
Continuation 11539587 · Oct 6, 2006
Continuation 10158180 · May 31, 2002
Continuation In Part 10007696 · Dec 10, 2001
Provisional Application 60251834 · Dec 8, 2000
Related Publication 20150096055A1 · Apr 2, 2015