Artificial intelligence assisted tagging of users in digital media online
A system, computer program, and method for storing and sharing images such as photographs via a communications network ( 16 ) and for permitting the identification of objects within the images. The invention allows the identification of objects such as persons within the photos without requiring the person submitting the photos to type in identification information for each and every photo in a photo album. The invention also allows users to automatically share their photos with others and to automatically search for photos and/or certain people in photos.
1. A method implemented within a computer system including a plurality of computing devices connected via a communications network, the method associating users of the computer system with digital media accessible to the computer system, the method comprising:
distinguishing between users of the computer system via one or more unique user identifiers stored in a computer-readable medium accessible to the computer system, the users of the computer system including a named user and an identifying user, the named user being different from the identifying user, the named user having naming information associated with a unique user identifier of the named user;
in response to an input from the identifying user indicating a selection of an image, determining a unique image identifier corresponding to the image selected;
receiving, from the identifying user, an input indicating a selection of the named user from a list of other users of the computer system, the list of other users including naming information previously provided by other users, the list of other users including one or more users in a contact list associated with the identifying user, the identifying user's contact list including the named user;
in response to receiving from the identifying user the input indicating the selection of the named user from the list of other users, determining a unique user identifier of the named user;
receiving, from the identifying user, one or more inputs indicating a set of coordinates corresponding to a location of the named user within the image; and
applying artificial intelligence algorithms to image data of other images accessible to said computer system to locate images matching characteristics of a subset of image data bound by the set of coordinates corresponding to the location of the named user within the image, wherein the set of coordinates corresponding to the location of the named user within the image is associated with the unique user identifier of the named user and the unique image identifier.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the artificial intelligence algorithms include an image recognition algorithm.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to locating an image matching image characteristics of a subset of image data bound by the set of coordinates corresponding to the location of the named user within the image, providing information about the stored association to a computing device of the named user, the information indicating that the named user has been associated with one or more images.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the information about the stored association is provided via an email.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of coordinates defines a polygonal area.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of coordinates defines a circular area.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, via one or more of the plurality of computing devices, a graphical user interface for presentation to a user of the computer system, the graphical user interface configured to display a representation of the set of coordinates, thereby indicating the location of the named user within the image.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to locating an image matching image characteristics of a subset of image data bound by the coordinates corresponding to the location of the named user within the image, providing to a computing device of the named user an interface configured for the named user to select or deselect users of the computer system for which to store an association with the unique image identifier.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a digital photo album associated with the named user, the digital photo album including a collection of images; and
in response to locating an image matching image characteristics of a subset of image data bound by the coordinates corresponding to the location of the named user within the image, adding the image to the digital photo album associated with the named user.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the naming information includes one or more of a name, e-mail address, other naming information, or a home page address.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein naming information includes a screen name.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a located image matching characteristics of the subset of image data does not have a prior stored association with the named user.