IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,110,927
Granted Patent B2
US 9,110,927 · App. 12/277,689 · Granted Aug 18, 2015

Method and apparatus for organizing digital photographs

Inventors: Randolph Preston McAfee (San Marino, CA); Shanmugasundaram Ravikumar (Berkeley, CA)
Assignee: YAHOO! INC.
G06F17/30265G06F17/3028
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 9,110,927
App. No.
12/277,689
Granted
Aug 18, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and system for organizing digital photographs is disclosed. A plurality of digital photographs are obtained. Each digital photograph in the plurality is analyzed to obtain metadata related to the digital photograph and/or photograph content information related to the digital photograph. The metadata and/or the photograph content information is then analyzed. The plurality of digital photographs are automatically organized into clusters. Each cluster is associated with one or more predetermined cluster parameter. Each cluster parameter is associated with a metadata item. The digital photographs are then displayed (e.g., in a web page) on a computing device in accordance with the cluster parameter(s). One or more of the digital photographs are reorganized into a different cluster each time additional metadata related to the one or more digital photographs is received.

Claims (40)

1. A method comprising:

analyzing, by a processor, each digital photograph in a plurality of digital photographs to obtain one or more items of metadata related to the each digital photograph;

analyzing each digital photograph to obtain photograph content information related to the each digital photograph, the analyzing of each digital photograph further comprising performing image recognition on the each digital photograph to obtain said photograph content information, the photograph content information comprising a particular person's face;

analyzing, by the processor, the metadata items related to the each digital photograph;

automatically organizing, by the processor, the plurality of digital photographs into clusters,

each cluster associated with at least one cluster parameter and the photograph content information,

each cluster parameter related to a metadata item, the at least one cluster parameter comprising a maximum number of digital photographs for the corresponding cluster;

determining, by the processor, whether the corresponding cluster contains more digital photographs than the maximum number of digital photographs for the corresponding cluster;

when the corresponding cluster contains more digital photographs than the maximum number, dividing, by the processor, the corresponding cluster into two or more clusters having additional cluster parameters;

causing, by the processor, the digital photographs organized into the clusters to be displayed on a display of a computing device in accordance with the at least one cluster parameter;

after the organizing and causing to display steps, receiving, by the processor from a user operating the computing device, additional metadata items related to one or more of the plurality of digital photographs; and

reorganizing, by the processor, one or more of the digital photographs into a different cluster based on the additional metadata items.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing each digital photograph in the plurality to obtain one or more items of metadata related to the each digital photograph further comprises analyzing each digital photograph in the plurality to obtain one or more of date, time that the digital photograph is stored on the processor, time taken, and event.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing each digital photograph to obtain one or more items of metadata further comprises analyzing each digital photograph to obtain a location associated with the each digital photograph.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining the plurality of digital photographs.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the obtaining a plurality of digital photographs further comprises receiving the plurality of digital photographs from a digital camera.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving instructions to move a digital photograph from one cluster to another cluster.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving instructions to form a new cluster.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving instructions to organize a digital photograph into the new cluster.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving instructions to rearrange a cluster.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the causing the digital photographs organized into the clusters to be displayed further comprises transmitting thumbnails of the digital photographs to the computing device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer program instructions capable of being executed by a computer processor, the computer program instructions defining the steps of:

analyzing each digital photograph in a plurality of digital photographs to obtain one or more items of metadata related to the each digital photograph;

analyzing each digital photograph to obtain photograph content information related to the each digital photograph, the analyzing of each digital photograph further comprising performing image recognition on the each digital photograph to obtain said photograph content information, the photograph content information comprising a particular person's face;

analyzing the metadata items related to the each digital photograph;

automatically organizing the plurality of digital photographs into clusters,

each cluster associated with at least one cluster parameter and the photograph content information,

each cluster parameter related to a metadata item, the at least one cluster parameter comprising a maximum number of digital photographs for the corresponding cluster;

determining whether the corresponding cluster contains more digital photographs than the maximum number of digital photographs for the corresponding cluster;

when the corresponding cluster contains more digital photographs than the maximum number, dividing the corresponding cluster into two or more clusters having additional cluster parameters;

causing the digital photographs organized into the clusters to be displayed on a display of a computing device in accordance with the at least one cluster parameter;

after the organizing and causing to display steps, receiving, from a user operating the computing device, additional metadata items related to one or more of the plurality of digital photographs; and

reorganizing, by the processor, one or more of the digital photographs into a different cluster based on the additional metadata items.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the computer program instructions defining the step of analyzing each digital photograph in the plurality to obtain one or more items of metadata related to the each digital photograph further comprises computer program instructions defining the step of analyzing each digital photograph in the plurality to obtain one or more of date, time that the digital photograph is stored on the computer processor, time taken, and event.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the computer program instructions defining the step of analyzing each digital photograph to obtain one or more items of metadata further comprises computer program instructions defining the step of analyzing each digital photograph to obtain a location associated with the each digital photograph.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of obtaining the plurality of digital photographs.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of receiving instructions to move a digital photograph from one cluster to another cluster.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of receiving instructions to form a new cluster.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of receiving instructions to organize a digital photograph into the new cluster.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of receiving instructions to rearrange a cluster.

Assignments (9)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE ASSIGNOR NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 052853 FRAME: 0153. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 29, 2021
From: R2 SOLUTIONS LLC
To: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056832/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053654 FRAME 0254. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST GRANTED PURSUANT TO THE PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED. Recorded Dec 30, 2020
From: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP
To: R2 SOLUTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 054981/0377 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 8, 2020
From: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP
To: ACACIA RESEARCH GROUP LLC; AMERICAN VEHICULAR SCIENCES LLC; BONUTTI SKELETAL INNOVATIONS LLC; CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT LLC; INNOVATIVE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; LIFEPORT SCIENCES LLC; LIMESTONE MEMORY SYSTEMS LLC; MOBILE ENHANCEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC; MONARCH NETWORKING SOLUTIONS LLC; NEXUS DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; PARTHENON UNIFIED MEMORY ARCHITECTURE LLC; R2 SOLUTIONS LLC; SAINT LAWRENCE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; STINGRAY IP SOLUTIONS LLC; SUPER INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGIES LLC; TELECONFERENCE SYSTEMS LLC; UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 053654/0254 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2020
From: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
To: R2 SOLUTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 053459/0059 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: ACACIA RESEARCH GROUP LLC; AMERICAN VEHICULAR SCIENCES LLC; BONUTTI SKELETAL INNOVATIONS LLC; CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT LLC; INNOVATIVE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; LIFEPORT SCIENCES LLC; LIMESTONE MEMORY SYSTEMS LLC; MERTON ACQUISITION HOLDCO LLC; MOBILE ENHANCEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC; MONARCH NETWORKING SOLUTIONS LLC; NEXUS DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; PARTHENON UNIFIED MEMORY ARCHITECTURE LLC; R2 SOLUTIONS LLC; SAINT LAWRENCE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; STINGRAY IP SOLUTIONS LLC; SUPER INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGIES LLC; TELECONFERENCE SYSTEMS LLC; UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052853/0153 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2016
From: YAHOO! INC.
To: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
Reel/Frame 038950/0592 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2016
From: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
To: YAHOO! INC.
Reel/Frame 038951/0295 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2016
From: YAHOO! INC.
To: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
Reel/Frame 038383/0466 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 25, 2008
From: MCAFEE, RANDOLPH PRESTON; RAVIKUMAR, SHANMUGASUNDARAM
To: YAHOO! INC.
Reel/Frame 021888/0276 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100128987A1 · May 27, 2010