Displaying tags in media

Abstract

A system, computer program, and method for storing and sharing images such as photographs via a communications network (16) and for permitting the identification of objects within the images. The invention allows the identification of objects such as persons within the photos without requiring the person submitting the photos to type in identification information for each and every photo in a photo album. The invention also allows users to automatically share their photos with others and to automatically search for photos and/or certain people in photos.

1 . A method comprising:
 by one or more computing devices, receiving via a communications network an item of digital media and identifying data associated with the item of digital media from a first user, the identifying data defining a bounded two-dimensional region surrounding a particular feature within the item of digital media and associating a first identification with the bounded two-dimensional region;   by the one or more computing devices, receiving via the communications network an input from a second user selecting the item of digital media;   by the one or more computing devices, accessing the item of digital media and the identifying data; and   by the one or more computing devices, providing via the communications network for presentation to the second user a graphical user interface comprising the item of digital media and an identifications list separate from the item of digital media, the identifications list comprising the first identification and a second identification, and the graphical user interface being configured to:
 provide a visual or graphical indication, within the item of digital media, of the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification by the identifying data in response to user interaction with the first identification in the identifications list; and 
 suppress the visual or graphical indication of the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification in response to user interaction with the second identification in the identifications list. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interaction with the first identification comprises a cursor hovering over the first identification. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interaction with the first identification comprises a cursor hovering near the first identification. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to provide additional information to the second user in response to the user interaction with the first identification in the identifications list. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifications list is rendered in the graphical user interface below the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual or graphical indication of the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification comprises a border outlining the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification and surrounding the particular feature. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first identification comprises a link. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the link is associated with a user profile of a user of a social-networking system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to provide data identifying a person associated with the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification in response to the user interaction with the first identification in the identifications list. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data identifying the person associated with the bounded two-dimensional region comprises an e-mail address or text-message number of the person. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises one or more controls to remove the first identification. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying data is related to other descriptive information accessible to the one or more computing devices. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying software configured when executed to:
 receive via a communications network an item of digital media and identifying data associated with the item of digital media from a first user, the identifying data defining a bounded two-dimensional region surrounding a particular feature within the item of digital media and associating a first identification with the bounded two-dimensional region;   receive via the communications network an input from a second user selecting the item of digital media;   access the item of digital media and the identifying data; and   provide via the communications network for presentation to the second user a graphical user interface comprising the item of digital media and a identifications list separate from the item of digital media, the identifications list comprising the first identification and a second identification, and the graphical user interface being configured to:
 provide a visual or graphical indication, within the item of digital media, of the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification by the identifying data in response to user interaction with the second identification in the identifications list; and 
 suppress the visual or graphical indication of the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification in response to user interaction with the second identification in the identifications list. 
   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the user interaction with the first identification comprises a cursor hovering over the first identification. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the user interaction with the first identification comprises a cursor hovering near the first identification. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to provide additional information to the second user in response to the user interaction with the first identification in the identifications list. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the identifications list is rendered in the graphical user interface below the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the visual or graphical indication of the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification comprises a border outlining the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification and surrounding the particular feature. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first identification comprises a link. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the link is associated with a user profile of a user of a social-networking system. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to provide data identifying a person associated with the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification in response to the user interaction with the first identification in the identifications list. 
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the data identifying the person associated with the bounded two-dimensional region comprises an e-mail address or text-message number of the person. 
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the identifying data is related to other descriptive information accessible to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. 
     
     
         24 . A system comprising:
 at least one computing device comprising a storage device; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the computing device comprising instructions executable by the computing device, the computing device operable when executing the instructions to:
 receive via a communications network an item of digital media and identifying data associated with the item of digital media from a first user, the identifying data defining a bounded two-dimensional region surrounding a particular feature within the item of digital media and associating a first identification with the bounded two-dimensional region; 
 receive via the communications network an input from a second user selecting the item of digital media; 
 access the item of digital media and the identifying data; and 
 provide via the communications network for presentation to the second user a graphical user interface comprising the item of digital media and a identifications list separate from the item of digital media, the identification list comprising the first identification and a second identification, and the graphical user interface being configured to: 
 provide a visual or graphical indication, within the item of digital media, of the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification by the identifying data in response to user interaction with the second identification in the identifications list; and 
 suppress the visual or graphical indication of the bounded two-dimensional region associated with the first identification in response to user interaction with the second identification in the identifications list. 
   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the identifying data is related to other descriptive information accessible to the computing device.