Patent Document ID: 8392415
Application ID: 11561661
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for creating a hierarchy of clusters of a plurality of images, the method being performed by a processing system including a processor and a memory unit coupled to the processor, the method comprising: a) determining interval lengths between pairs of neighboring images of the plurality of images, each interval length being the difference between the values of a parameter associated with the images of each pair, at least one of the images being stored in the memory unit; b) sorting all pairs of neighboring images of the plurality of images in an order of the determined interval lengths; c) selecting a seed pair of images based on the determined interval lengths; d) assigning the seed pair to a first cluster; e) determining an interval length between one of the images in the first cluster and a neighboring image in a second cluster; f) comparing (i) the interval length between the image in the first cluster and the neighboring image in the second cluster to the interval length of the seed pair and (ii) at least one visual characteristic of the image in the first cluster and the neighboring image in the second cluster; and g) based on the comparing: (i) assigning the neighboring image to the first cluster based on the result of the comparing; and (ii) combining the first cluster and the second cluster to form a single cluster, the second cluster being a child cluster of the first cluster in the hierarchy of clusters of the plurality of images.