Patent ID: 7869658
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: G06F,G06K

Abstract:
1. A computer-mediated method for providing representative images in a collection, the image records each including one or more captured digital images, the method comprising: using a computer to provide the steps of: classifying the image records spatio-temporally into groups wherein the classifying further comprises clustering the image records into events and then into subevents, wherein the groups are the subevents; partitioning the image records of each of the groups into a set of clusters, the partitioning being between a hierarchy of three feature clusters and a remainder cluster and being based on a predetermined plurality of saliency features, the feature clusters each having one of the saliency features, and the remainder cluster lacking the saliency features, the clustering further comprises, in order the steps of: (a) clustering the image records of each of the subevents between a first feature cluster and a first non-feature cluster based on a face metric; (b) when the first non-feature cluster includes one or more of the image records, clustering respective image records of the first non-feature cluster between a second feature cluster and a second non-feature cluster based on a main subject metric; (c) when the second non-feature cluster includes one or more of the image records, clustering respective image records of the second non-feature cluster between a third feature cluster and a remainder cluster based on a duplicate image records metric; ascertaining a hierarchically highest cluster in each of the sets to provide the highest clusters; and designating a representative image of each of the groups from the respective image records, the designating being based on the respective saliency feature of the highest cluster when the highest cluster is a feature cluster and independent of the saliency features when the highest cluster is the remainder cluster.