IP Library Granted Patent US 12,222,980
Granted Patent B2
US 12,222,980 · App. 18/362,482 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Generating congruous metadata for multimedia

Inventors: Malcolm Slaney (Sunnyvale, CA); Kilian Weinberger (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
G06F16/5838G06F16/58G06F16/587G06F16/68G06F16/683G06F16/687G06F16/78G06F16/7847G06F16/787
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,222,980
App. No.
18/362,482
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of generating congruous metadata is provided. The method includes receiving a similarity measure between at least two multimedia objects. Each multimedia object has associated metadata. If the at least two multimedia objects are similar based on the similarity measure and a similarity threshold, the associated metadata of each of the multimedia objects are compared. Then, based on the comparison of the associated metadata of each of the at least two multimedia objects, the method further includes generating congruous metadata. Metadata may be tags, for example.

Claims (40)

1. A method comprising:

using, by a computing device, information indicating an absence of user verification of computer-generated congruous metadata to dynamically adjust an adjustable similarity threshold from less restrictive to more restrictive;

analyzing, by the computing device, digital data of first and second content items and determining a similarity between the first and second content items based on the digital data analysis;

determining, by the computing device, that the similarity determined for the first and second content items satisfies the more restrictive adjustable similarity threshold that is set based on the absence of user verification;

responsive to determining that the similarity satisfies the more restrictive adjustable similarity threshold, analyzing, by the computing device, a first set of metadata associated with the first content item and a second set of metadata associated with the second content item, and generating, absent user verification, a third set of metadata found in both the first and second sets of metadata based on the analysis;

storing, by the computing device, the third set of metadata generated absent user verification in a data store, the storing comprising associating the third set of metadata with the first content item and the second content item; and

identifying, by the computing device, one or both of the first and second content items using the third set of metadata.

2. The method of claim 1 , the storing further comprising labeling the third set of metadata as computer-generated congruous metadata indicating that the third set of metadata accurately describes the first content item and the second content item.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the third set of metadata in a content item search and retrieval operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second content items are images.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second content items are audio objects.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second content items are videos.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third sets of metadata are tag annotations.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first and second sets of metadata are user-supplied tag annotations, and the third set of metadata comprises those user-supplied tag annotations from the first and second sets of metadata determined, based on the analysis of the first and second sets of metadata, to be accurately descriptive of the first and second content items.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second content items belong to a set of content items comprising at least one other content item whose similarity with the first and second content items satisfies the more restrictive adjustable similarity threshold, and the third set of metadata is associated with each content item in the set of content items.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of metadata each comprise time and location indications that are analyzed and used in generating the third set of metadata based on the analysis.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device perform a method comprising:

using information indicating an absence of user verification of computer-generated congruous metadata to dynamically adjust an adjustable similarity threshold from less restrictive to more restrictive;

analyzing digital data of first and second content items and determining a similarity between the first and second content items based on the digital data analysis;

determining that the similarity determined for the first and second content items satisfies the more restrictive adjustable similarity threshold that is set based on the absence of user verification;

responsive to determining that the similarity satisfies the more restrictive adjustable similarity threshold, analyzing a first set of metadata associated with the first content item and a second set of metadata associated with the second content item and generating, absent user verification, a third set of metadata found in both the first and second sets of metadata based on the analysis;

storing the third set of metadata in a data store, the storing comprising associating the third set of metadata generated absent user verification with the first content item and the second content item; and

identifying one or both of the first and second content items using the third set of metadata.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the storing further comprising labeling the third set of metadata as computer-generated congruous metadata indicating that the third set of metadata accurately describes the first content item and the second content item.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the method further comprising using the third set of metadata in a content item search and retrieval operation.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the first and second content items are images.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the first and second content items are audio objects.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the first and second content items are videos.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the first, second and third sets of metadata are user-supplied tag annotations, and wherein the third set of metadata comprises those user-supplied tag annotations from the first and second sets of metadata determined, based on the analysis of the first and second sets of metadata, to be accurately descriptive of the first and second content items.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the first and second content items belong to a set of content items comprising at least one other content item whose similarity with the first and second content items satisfies the more restrictive adjustable similarity threshold, and the third set of metadata is associated with each content item in the set of content items.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the first and second sets of metadata each comprise time and location indications that are analyzed and used in generating the third set of metadata based on the analysis.

20. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:

using logic executed by the processor for using information indicating an absence of user verification of computer-generated congruous metadata to dynamically adjust an adjustable similarity threshold from less restrictive to more restrictive;

analyzing logic executed by the processor for analyzing digital data of first and second content items and determining a similarity between the first and second content items based on the digital data analysis;

determining logic executed by the processor for determining that the similarity determined for the first and second content items satisfies the more restrictive adjustable similarity threshold that is set based on the absence of user verification;

analyzing logic executed by the processor for, responsive to determining that the similarity satisfies the more restrictive adjustable similarity threshold, analyzing a first set of metadata associated with the first content item and a second set of metadata associated with the second content item and generating, absent user verification, a third set of metadata found in both the first and second sets of metadata based on the analysis;

storing logic executed by the processor for storing the third set of metadata generated absent user verification in a data store, the storing comprising associating the third set of metadata with the first content item and the second content item; and

identifying logic executed by the processor for identifying one or both of the first and second content items using the third set of metadata.

Assignments (6)
SUPPLEMENTAL PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072915/0540 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: SLANEY, MALCOLM; WEINBERGER, KILIAN
To: YAHOO! INC.
Reel/Frame 065208/0335 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: YAHOO! INC.
To: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 065227/0390 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
To: OATH INC.
Reel/Frame 065228/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: OATH INC.
To: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
Reel/Frame 065228/0595 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: YAHOO AD TECH LLC (FORMERLY VERIZON MEDIA INC.)
To: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
Reel/Frame 065229/0001 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16281158 · Feb 21, 2019
Continuation 12042306 · Mar 4, 2008
Related Publication 20230376527A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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Cited By (1)
US 12,684,178