IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,602,454
Granted Patent B2
US 9,602,454 · App. 14/923,659 · Granted Mar 21, 2017

Systems and methods for sending digital images

Inventors: Richard H. Salvador (Santa Monica, CA); Steve G. Salvador (Santa Monica, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H04L51/08G06F17/30247G06K9/00221G06K9/00288H04L51/28G06K2009/00328G06K2209/27
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,602,454
App. No.
14/923,659
Granted
Mar 21, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Facial recognition algorithms may identify the faces of one or more people in a digital image. Multiple types of communication may be available for the different people in the digital image. A user interface may be presented indicating recognized faces along with the available forms of communication for the corresponding person. An indication of the total number of people available to be communicated with using each form of communication may be presented. The user may have the option to choose one or more forms of communication, causing the digital image to be sent to the recipients using the selected forms of communication. An individual may have provided information for facial recognition of the individual to a service. Based on the information, the service may recognize that the individual is in an uploaded picture and send the digital image to the user account of the individual.

Claims (80)

1. A method comprising:

identifying, using a processor of a machine, a plurality of faces in an image, a first face of the plurality of faces corresponding to a first user of a plurality of users, and a second face of the plurality of faces corresponding to a second user of the plurality of users;

retrieving, based at least in part on the correspondence between the first identified face and the first user, a first address for electronic communication with the first user, the first address having a first electronic communication type;

generating a first message that includes the image, the first message being addressed to the first address;

matching, using the processor, the second face with a contact entry, the matching performed against a facial ID structure corresponding to the contact entry;

determining, based on the contact entry, that a second address for electronic communication is not present in the contact entry; and

generating, for presentation by the machine, a user interface to present a prompt for the second address for electronic communication.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each face of the plurality of identified faces corresponds to a user having one or more addresses, each address having an electronic communication type of a plurality of electronic communication types, and

further comprising:

for each electronic communication type of the plurality of electronic communication types. determining a number of identified faces of the plurality of faces corresponding to users having one or more addresses corresponding to the communication type; and

presenting, on a display device, an indication of each of the electronic communication types corresponding to the addresses of the plurality of users, each indication including the number of identified faces corresponding to the electronic communication type.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the presented indications; and

generating a second message that includes the image, the second message being addressed to the retrieved addresses corresponding to the electronic communication type corresponding to the selected indication.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to the identifying of the plurality of faces in the image, receiving an indication from the first user; and wherein

the generating of the first message addressed to the first address for communication with the first user is based on the indication received from the first user.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, for presentation by the machine, a user interface to present an option to modify the first address.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, responsive to the prompt, the second address for electronic communication;

storing the second address for electronic communication in the contact entry; and

sending, using the processor, the image to the second address for electronic communication.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

locating, using the processor, a third face in the image;

attempting to identify, using the processor, the third face; and

generating, based on failure to identify the third face, a user interface to present a selector configured to allow for a selection of a contact entry in reference to the third face.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, responsive to the selector, the selection of the contact entry;

adding facial recognition data describing the third face to the contact entry;

retrieving a third address for electronic communication from the contact entry; and

sending, using the processor, the image to the third address for electronic communication.

9. A system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to perform operations comprising:

identifying a plurality of faces in an image, a first face of the plurality of faces corresponding a first user of a plurality of users, a second face of the plurality of faces corresponding to a second user of the plurality of users;

retrieving, based at least in part on the correspondence between the first identified face and the first user, a first address for electronic communication with the first user, the first address having a first electronic communication type;

generating a first message that includes the image, the first message being addressed to the first address;

matching, using the processor the second face with a contact entry, the matching performed against a facial ID structure corresponding to the contact entry;

determining, based on the contact entry, that a second address for electronic communication is not present in the contact entry; and

generating, for presentation by the system, a user interface to present a prompt for the second address for electronic communication.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

each face of the plurality of identified faces corresponds to a user having one or more addresses, each address having an electronic communication type of a plurality of electronic communication types; and

the operations further comprise:

for each electronic communication type of the plurality of electronic communication types. determining a number of identified faces of the plurality of faces corresponding to users having one or more addresses corresponding to the communication type; and

presenting, on a display device, an indication of each of the electronic communication types corresponding to the addresses of the plurality of users, each indication including the number of identified faces corresponding to the electronic communication type.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a selection of one of the presented indications; and

generating a second message that includes the image, the second message being addressed to the retrieved addresses corresponding to the electronic communication type corresponding to the selected indication.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to the identifying of the plurality of faces in the image, receiving an indication from the first user; and wherein

the generating of the first message addressed to the first address for communication with the first user is based on the indication received from the first user.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generating, for presentation on a display device, a user interface to present an option to modify the first address.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, responsive to the prompt, the second address for electronic communication;

storing the second address for electronic communication in the contact entry; and

sending, using the processor, the image to the second address for electronic communication.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

locating a third face in the image;

attempting to identify the third face; and

generating, based on failure to identify the third face, a user interface to present a selector configured to allow for a selection of a contact entry in reference to the third face.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, responsive to the selector, the selection of the contact entry;

adding facial recognition data describing the third face to the contact entry;

retrieving a third address for electronic communication from the contact entry; and

sending the image to the third address for electronic communication.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying a plurality of faces in an image, a first face of the plurality of faces corresponding a first user of a plurality of users, a second face of the plurality of faces corresponding to a second user of the plurality of users;

retrieving, based at least in part on the correspondence between the first identified face and the first user, a first address for electronic communication with the first user, the first address having a first electronic communication type;

generating a first message that includes the image, the first message being addressed to the first address;

matching the second face with a contact entry, the matching performed against a facial ID structure corresponding to the contact entry;

determining, based on the contact entry, that a second address for electronic communication is not present in the contact entry; and

generating, for presentation by the machine, a user interface to present a prompt for the second address for electronic communication.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable of claim 17 , wherein:

each face of the plurality of identified faces corresponds to a user having one or more addresses, each address having an electronic communication type of a plurality of electronic communication types; and

the operations further comprise:

for each electronic communication type of the plurality of electronic communication types, determining a number of identified faces of the plurality of faces corresponding to users having one or more addresses corresponding to the communication type; and

presenting, on a display device, an indication of each of the electronic communication types corresponding to the addresses of the plurality of users, each indication including the number of identified faces corresponding to the electronic communication type.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 14179920 · Feb 13, 2014
Related Publication 20160050171A1 · Feb 18, 2016