Saving device for image sharing, image sharing system, and image sharing method

Abstract

The saving device for image sharing includes an image acquiring unit configured to acquire the images offered by a sharer of the images, a sharee information storing unit configured to store sharee information with respect to at least one sharee, a subject assessing unit configured to assess whether or not a person subject is included in the acquired images, an image associating unit configured to associate the images assessed as not including a person subject with the images assessed as including a person subject, based on the sharee information, and a shared image determining unit configured to determine the images to be shared with the sharee or sharees from among the associated images and the images assessed as including a person subject, based on the sharee information. The image sharing system and an image sharing method use such a device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by a computer system, an image uploaded by a first person;   applying, by the computer system, facial recognition processing to the image to extract at least one face associated with a second person;   comparing, by the computer system, the at least one face associated with the second person with information associated with each person of a plurality of persons registered on at least one server; and   registering, by the computer system, the second person on the at least one server in response to an absence of a match between the at least one face associated with the second person and the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons includes a representative image for the person. 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons further includes at least one of an ID, image delivery destination information, relationship level with other persons, sex, layout preferences, and image keywords associated with the person. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prompting, by the computer system, registration of the second person on the at least one server in response to the absence of a match between the at least one face associated with the second person and the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons.   
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the prompting further comprises:
 providing at least one of a notification on a screen display and an audio instruction for the first person.   
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons includes a plurality of representative images having a priority order. 
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the comparing, by the computer system, the at least one face associated with the second person with information associated with each person of a plurality of persons further comprises:
 comparing the at least one face associated with the second person with each representative image of the plurality of representative images based on the priority order until determination of a match between the at least one face associated with the second person and a representative image of the plurality of representative images.   
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the registering is performed at least in part by the first person. 
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the registering further comprises:
 using the image as a representative image for the second person.   
     
     
         10 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer system includes the at least one server. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to perform computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving an image uploaded by a first person;   applying facial recognition processing to the image to extract at least one face associated with a second person;   comparing the at least one face associated with the second person with information associated with each person of a plurality of persons registered on at least one server; and   registering the second person on the at least one server in response to an absence of a match between the at least one face associated with the second person and the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons includes a representative image for the person. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 prompting registration of the second person on the at least one server in response to the absence of a match between the at least one face associated with the second person and the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the prompting further comprises:
 providing at least one of a notification on a screen display and an audio instruction for the first person.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the registering is performed at least in part by the first person. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor, and   a memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to perform:   receiving an image uploaded by a first person;   applying facial recognition processing to the image to extract at least one face associated with a second person;   comparing the at least one face associated with the second person with information associated with each person of a plurality of persons registered on at least one server; and   registering the second person on the at least one server in response to an absence of a match between the at least one face associated with the second person and the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons includes a representative image for the person. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 prompting registration of the second person on the at least one server in response to the absence of a match between the at least one face associated with the second person and the information associated with each person of the plurality of persons.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the prompting further comprises:
 providing at least one of a notification on a screen display and an audio instruction for the first person.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the registering is performed at least in part by the first person.