Patent ID: 7542610

Claim:
A method for enabling selection of image content items, the method comprising: using a processor to perform steps comprising: performing image analysis on a collection of image content items to obtain information about each image content item; wherein performing image analysis includes (i) identifying one or more objects in individual image content items, (ii) determining a category of each identified object, the category of each object being one of a plurality of possible object categories; (iii) identifying a set of features that are specific to the determined category of the identified object in each image content item, and (iv) determining information based on the set of features for the determined category that characterizes the identified object, the information characterizing the object to be separately identifiable from at least some other identified objects in the determined category; storing the information obtained from the image analysis in one or more data stores; identifying one or more criteria determined from a text or image content provided in connection with either a user or programmatically identified input; and performing a search operation to identify one or more image content items that satisfy the one or more criteria of the input using the stored information in the one or more data stores; wherein at least some of the collection of image content items correspond to images of merchandise objects; wherein performing the search operation includes selecting one or more image content items of merchandise objects for display with a document in response to said input specifying a merchandise object in the document; wherein selecting one or more images of merchandise objects for display with the document includes selecting the one or more images based on a determination that the one or more images of merchandise objects are similar to the specified merchandise object; providing a link with each of the selected one or more images of the merchandise objects, wherein the link is selectable to enable a user to purchase the merchandise objects from a network site operated by the merchant.