Systems and methods for suggesting information for a photo to a user associated with the photo

Abstract

According to one embodiment, systems, methods and computer-readable media provide for receiving, from a user, a first photo image of a first person, identifying a person in the first photo image and accessing a database comprising at least one stored image template (e.g., each stored image template comprising data representing a face of a person and name tag information associated to said person's name). A comparison of the first photo image to the at least one stored image template may then be performed and it may be determined, as a result of the comparing, that the first photo image includes a person's face matching an image template already stored in the database. A name associated with the matching image template may then be output to the user as a suggestion for a tag to associate with the first photo image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus operable to facilitate analysis of a digital image, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory storing a program for directing the processor, the processor being operable with the program to:
 receive, from a user, a first photo image of a first person; 
 receive, from the user, a name to associate as a tag with the first photo image, the name comprising the name of the first person; 
 create, using photo recognition software and based at least on the first photo image a first template for the first person, the first template comprising data representing the first person's face; 
 store the first template in a database and in association with the name; 
 receive from the user a second photo image; 
 compare the second photo image to the first template; 
 determine, as a result of the comparing, that the second photo image includes the first person's face; and 
 output to the user the name as a suggestion for a tag to associate with the second photo image. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable with the program to access a database storing a plurality of templates, the plurality of templates including the first template; and
 wherein the processor being operable with the program to compare the second photo image to the first template comprises the processor being operable with the program to compare the second photo image to each of the plurality of templates.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of templates comprise a plurality of templates associated with the user. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein each template of the plurality of templates comprises data representing a respective person's face, each respective person comprising a person previously tagged by the user in a photo image received by the user. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processor being operable with the program to determine, as a result of the comparing, that the second photo image includes the first person's face comprises the processor being operable with the program to:
 determine that a face included in the second photo image matches the first template of the plurality of templates to a first degree and that the face included in the second photo image matches a second template of the plurality of templates to a second degree,   the first degree indicating a higher likelihood that the face included in the second photo image is the face of the first person.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the database is stored in the memory. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the database is stored in a second memory distinct from the memory which stores the program. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the database comprises a personalized database of templates created for the user and by the processor operating in accordance with the program. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor being operable with the program to determine, as a result of the comparing, that the second photo image includes the first person's face comprises the processor being operable with the program to:
 determine a correlation between a face included in the second photo image and the first template.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor being operable with the program to determine, as a result of the comparing, that the second photo image includes the first person's face comprises the processor being operable with the program to:
 determining a degree to which a face included in the second photo image matches the first template.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor being operable with the program to output to the user the name as a suggestion for a tag to associate with the second photo image comprises the processor being operable with the program to output to the user the suggestion along with the second photo image. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable with the program to: identify a group of photo images received from the user;
 determine, based at least on the first template, that the first person's face is included in each of the photo images of the group; and   output to the user a suggestion to tag each of the photos in the group with the name of the first person.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable with the program to:
 output to the user a mechanism via which the user may reject the suggestion.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further operable with the program to:
 determine that the user has not rejected the suggestion; and   storing the name of the first person in association with the second photo image.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable with the program to:
 determine that the user has accepted the suggestion; and   store the name of the first person in association with the second photo image.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable with the program to:
 revise the first template.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor being operable with the program to revise the first template comprises the processor being operable with the program to:
 receive from the user a third photo image;   determine that the third photo image includes the first person's face; and   revise the first template base on the third photo image.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for instructing a processor, the instructions causing the processor to:
 receive, from a user, a first photo image of a first person;   receive, from the user, a name to associate as a tag with the first photo image, the name comprising the name of the first person;   create, using photo recognition software and based at least on the first photo image a first template for the first person, the first template comprising data representing the first person's face;   store the first template in a database and in association with the name;   receive from the user a second photo image;   compare the second photo image to the first template;   determine, as a result of the comparing, that the second photo image includes the first person's face; and   output to the user the name as a suggestion for a tag to associate with the second photo image.   
     
     
         19 . A method of facilitating analysis of a digital image, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a user, a first photo image of a first person;   receiving, from the user, a name to associate as a tag with the first photo image, the name comprising the name of the first person;   creating, by a processor of a computing device using photo recognition software and based at least on the first photo image a first template for the first person, the first template comprising data representing the first person's face;   storing the first template in a database and in association with the name;   receiving from the user a second photo image;   comparing, by the processor, the second photo image to the first template;   determining, by the processor and as a result of the comparing, that the second photo image includes the first person's face; and   outputting, by the processor and to the user, the name as a suggestion for a tag to associate with the second photo image.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus operable to facilitate analysis of a digital image, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory storing a program for directing the processor, the processor being operable with the program to:
 receive, from a user, a first photo image of a first person; 
 identify, by the processor, a person in said first photo image; 
 access, by the processor, a database comprising at least one stored image template, each stored image template comprising data representing a face of a person and name tag information associated to said person's name; 
 compare the first photo image to the at least one stored image template; 
 determine, as a result of the comparing, that the first photo image includes a person's face matching an image template already stored in the database; and 
 output to the user the name associated with the matching image template as a suggestion for a tag to associate with the first photo image. 
   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for instructing a processor, the instructions causing the processor to:
 receive, from a user, a first photo image of a first person;   identify, by the processor, a person in said first photo image;   access, by the processor, a database comprising at least one stored image template, each stored image template comprising data representing a face of a person and name tag information associated to said person's name;   compare the first photo image to the at least one stored image template;   determine, as a result of the comparing, that the first photo image includes a person's face matching an image template already stored in the database; and   output to the user the name associated with the matching image template as a suggestion for a tag to associate with the first photo image.   
     
     
         22 . A method of facilitating analysis of a digital image, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a user, a first photo image of a first person;   identifying, by a processor of a computing device, a person in said first photo image;   accessing, by the processor, a database comprising at least one stored image template, each stored image template comprising data representing a face of a person and name tag information associated to said person's name;   comparing the first photo image to the at least one stored image template;   determining, as a result of the comparing, that the first photo image includes a person's face matching an image template already stored in the database; and   outputting to the user the name associated with the matching image template as a suggestion for a tag to associate with the first photo image.