IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,548,324
Granted Patent B2
US 12,548,324 · App. 18/045,794 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Methods and systems for dynamically modifying metadata while serving images

Inventor: Christopher Zacharias (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Zebrafish Labs, Inc.
G06V20/30G06F16/58G06F16/5866G06V10/70G06V10/95H04N1/32128G06V2201/10H04N2201/3225
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,548,324
App. No.
18/045,794
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for dynamically serving image metadata. The method includes receiving, at an image service system from a client system, a request for obtaining an image. The image is associated with inherent metadata. The method includes serving, by the image service system, the image to the client system in response to the request for obtaining the image. While serving the image to the client system, the method includes modifying, by the image service system, the inherent metadata associated with the image that is served to the client system in accordance with a predetermined criterion. The inherent metadata of the image stored by the image service system is not modified and the predetermined criterion is based on a context associated with the request of the image.

Claims (49)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, at an image service system from a client system, a first request for obtaining an image,

wherein the image is associated with inherent metadata, and

wherein the client system is associated with a type of a client system, the type selected from a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet computer, and a mobile phone including the type having different manufacturers or models;

serving, by the image service system, the image to the client system in response to the first request for obtaining the image; and

while serving the image to the client system,

determining a context associated with the first request of the image, the context comprising the type of the client system;

determining a predetermined criterion for modifying one or more parameters of inherent metadata, the one or more parameters configured to modify an appearance of the image based on the context associated with the first request of the image, wherein the predetermined criterion is associated with a user of the client system;

modifying, by the image service system, the inherent metadata associated with the image that is served to the client system in accordance with the predetermined criterion to improve display of the image on the type of the client system based on system specifications of that type, wherein:

the inherent metadata of the image stored by the image service system is not modified,

the predetermined criterion is based on the context associated with the first request of the image, the context comprising the type of the client system,

responsive to a determination that the client system is of a first type, the image is modified in accordance with a first predetermined criterion,

responsive to a determination that the client system is of a second type, different of the first type, the first image is modified in accordance with a second predetermined criterion different from the first predetermined criterion, and

the context associated with the first request of the image further comprises a type of a website or a type of an application;

receiving, at the image service system from the client system, a second request for obtaining the image;

re-serving, by the image service system, the image to the client system in response to the second request for obtaining the image; and

while re-serving the image to the client system, modifying, by the image service system, the inherent metadata of the image in accordance with the predetermined criterion, so that the modified metadata associated with the re-served image is different than the modified metadata associated with the served image, wherein the second request for obtaining the image corresponds to a request to reload the image and re-serving the image corresponds to reloading the image on the client system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying, by the image service system, the inherent metadata associated with the image includes removing information associated with a location where the image was captured.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying, by the image service system, the inherent metadata includes changing pixel dimensions of the image.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the inherent metadata includes changing an orientation of the image.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the inherent metadata includes changing a color profile of the image.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criterion is determined based on a user input received by the client system.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criterion is determined based on a user account associated with the first request for obtaining the image.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the inherent metadata associated with the image, by the image service system, includes changing one or more dimensions of the image or one or more parameters associated with the appearance of the image.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further including:

receiving, at the image service system from the client system, a request for modifying the predetermined criterion.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of the website or the type of the application comprises a social media type, an advertisement type, a commercial type, or a news type.

11 . An image service system comprising:

a processor;

a memory including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause an image service system to:

receive, from a client system, a first request for obtaining an image, wherein the image is associated with inherent metadata,

wherein the client system is associated with a type of a client system, the type selected from a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet computer, and a mobile phone including the type having different manufacturers or models;

serve the image to the client system in response to the first request for obtaining the image; and

while serving the image to the client system,

determine a context associated with the first request of the image, the context comprising the type of the client system;

determine a predetermined criterion for modifying one or more parameters of inherent metadata, the one or more parameters configured to modify an appearance of the first image based on the context associated with the first request of the image, wherein the predetermined criterion is associated with a user of the client system;

modify, by the image service system, the inherent metadata associated with the image that is served to the client system in accordance with the predetermined criterion to improve display of the image on the type of the client system based on system specifications of that type, wherein:

the inherent metadata of the image stored by the image service system is not modified, and

the predetermined criterion is based on the context associated with the first request of the image, the context comprising the type of the client system,

responsive to a determination that the client system is of a first type, the image is modified in accordance with a first predetermined criterion, and

responsive to a determination that the client system is of a second type, different of the first type, the image is modified in accordance with a second predetermined criterion different from the first predetermined criterion; and

the context associated with the first request of the image further comprises a type of a website or a type of an application;

receive, at the image service system from the client system, a second request for obtaining the image;

re-serve, by the image service system, the image to the client system in response to the second request for obtaining the image; and

while re-serving the image to the client system, modifying, by the image service system, the inherent metadata of the image in accordance with the predetermined criterion, so that the modified metadata associated with the re-served image is different than the modified metadata associated with the served image, wherein the second request for obtaining the image corresponds to a request to reload the image and re-serving the image corresponds to reloading the image on the client system.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein

said modifying the inherent metadata includes improving display on the type of the client system based on system specifications of that type.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein modifying, by the image service system, the inherent metadata associated with the image includes removing information associated with a location where the image was captured.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein modifying, by the image service system, the inherent metadata includes changing pixel dimensions of the image.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2023
From: ZACHARIAS, CHRISTOPHER
To: ZEBRAFISH LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062451/0759 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63255345 · Oct 13, 2021
Related Publication 20230403362A1 · Dec 14, 2023
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