IP Library Granted Patent US 11,093,112
Granted Patent B2
US 11,093,112 · App. 16/433,903 · Granted Aug 17, 2021

Navigating digital content using visual characteristics of the digital content

Inventors: Peter N. Belhumeur (New York, NY); David J. Kriegman (San Diego, CA); Thomas Berg (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: DROPBOX, INC.
G06F3/0482G06F3/0481G06F3/0485G06F3/04842G06F3/04845G06F3/04883G06F16/50G06F16/532G06F16/538G06F16/54G06K9/4671G06F2203/04806
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,093,112
App. No.
16/433,903
Granted
Aug 17, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

One or more embodiments of a digital content system allow a user to conveniently search and/or navigate through a collection of digital content items. In particular, a user can interact with a client device to search for and identify one or more digital content items within a collection of digital content items. For example, the digital content system may provide a photo from a collection of photos via a graphical user interface. The digital content system can receive a user input identifying a selection of one or more visual features within the photo. Based on the selected visual feature(s), the digital content system may identify photos from the collection of photos that include the identified visual feature(s) and provide access to the identified photos via the graphical user interface.

Claims (72)

1. A method comprising:

providing, via a graphical user interface, a display of a first digital content item from a collection of digital content items;

detecting a first user input identifying a visual feature from the first digital content item;

in response to detecting the first user input identifying the visual feature:

identifying, by at least one processor, a subset of digital content items comprising a plurality of digital content items from the collection of digital content items that each have the visual feature;

determining a target orientation for the visual feature from the first digital content item based on visual characteristics of the visual feature; and

aligning a display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item by rotating the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item to the target orientation;

after detecting the first user input, detecting a second user input to navigate through the subset of digital content items; and

in response to detecting the second user input:

displaying a second digital content item from the subset of digital content items; and

aligning a display of the visual feature as it appears in the second digital content item by rotating the visual feature as it appears in the second digital content item to the target orientation.

2. The method as recited by claim 1 , wherein aligning the display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item comprises aligning a zoomed-in portion of the first digital content item that includes the visual feature.

3. The method as recited by claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting an additional user input after the first user input, the additional user input identifying an additional visual feature from the first digital content item; and

in response to detecting the additional user input identifying the additional visual feature:

identifying, by at least one processor, a subset of the subset of digital content items comprising a plurality of digital content items from the subset of digital content items that each have the visual feature and the additional visual feature; and

aligning a display of the additional visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item.

4. The method as recited by claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the first user input:

displaying the rotated visual feature in a foreground; and

displaying the first digital content item in a background.

5. The method as recited by claim 1 , further comprising displaying a graphical element in association with the aligned display of the visual feature.

6. The method as recited by claim 5 , wherein detecting the second user input comprises detecting a touch input with respect to the graphical element.

7. The method as recited by claim 1 , wherein displaying the second digital content item comprises displaying the second digital content item in a background behind a display of the rotated visual feature as it appears in the second digital content item in the foreground.

8. The method as recited by claim 1 , wherein aligning the display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item comprises rotating the visual feature to the target orientation to correct a tilt of the visual feature within the first digital content item.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory containing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

provide, via a graphical user interface, a display of a first digital content item from a collection of digital content items;

detect a first user input identifying a visual feature from the first digital content item;

in response to detecting the first user input identifying the visual feature:

identify a subset of digital content items comprising a plurality of digital content items from the collection of digital content items that each have the visual feature;

determine a target orientation for the visual feature from the first digital content item based on visual characteristics of the visual feature; and

align a display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item by rotating the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item to the target orientation;

detect, after detecting the first user input, a second user input to navigate through the subset of digital content items; and

in response to detecting the second user input:

display a second digital content item from the subset of digital content items; and

align a display of the visual feature as it appears in the second digital content item by rotating the visual feature as it appears in the second digital content item to the target orientation.

10. The system as recited by claim 9 , wherein aligning the display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item comprises aligning a zoomed-in portion of the first digital content item that includes the visual feature.

11. The system as recited by claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

detect an additional user input after the first user input, the additional user input identifying an additional visual feature from the first digital content item; and

in response to detecting the additional user input identifying the additional visual feature:

identify a subset of the subset of digital content items comprising a plurality of digital content items from the subset of digital content items that each have the visual feature and the additional visual feature; and

align a display of the additional visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item.

12. The system as recited by claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

in response to the first user input:

display the rotated visual feature in a foreground; and

display the first digital content item in a background.

13. The system as recited by claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to display a graphical element in association with the aligned display of the visual feature, wherein detecting the second user input comprises detecting a touch input with respect to the graphical element.

14. The system as recited by claim 9 , wherein aligning the display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item comprises rotating the visual feature to the target orientation to correct a tilt of the visual feature within the first digital content item.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:

provide, via a graphical user interface, a display of a first digital content item from a collection of digital content items;

detect a first user input identifying a visual feature from the first digital content item;

in response to detecting the first user input identifying the visual feature:

identify a subset of digital content items comprising a plurality of digital content items from the collection of digital content items that each have the visual feature;

determine a target orientation for the visual feature from the first digital content item based on visual characteristics of the visual feature; and

align a display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item by rotating the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item to the target orientation;

detect, after detecting the first user input, a second user input to navigate through the subset of digital content items; and

in response to detecting the second user input:

display a second digital content item from the subset of digital content items; and

align a display of the visual feature as it appears in the second digital content item by rotating the visual feature as it appears in the second digital content item to the first target orientation.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited by claim 15 , wherein aligning the display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item comprises aligning a zoomed-in portion of the first digital content item that includes the visual feature.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited by claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

detect an additional user input after the first user input, the additional user input identifying an additional visual feature from the first digital content item; and

in response to detecting the additional user input identifying the additional visual feature:

identify a subset of the subset of digital content items comprising a plurality of digital content items from the subset of digital content items that each have the visual feature and the additional visual feature; and

align a display of the additional visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited by claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

in response to the first user input:

display the rotated visual feature in a foreground; and

display the first digital content item in a background.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited by claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to display a graphical element in association with the aligned display of the visual feature, wherein detecting the second user input comprises detecting a touch input with respect to the graphical element.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited by claim 15 , wherein aligning the display of the visual feature as it appears in the first digital content item comprises rotating the visual feature to the target orientation to correct a tilt of the first visual feature within the first digital content item.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 069635/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069604/0611 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055670/0219 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2019
From: BELHUMEUR, PETER N.; KRIEGMAN, DAVID J.; BERG, THOMAS
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 049397/0935 →