Scheme for determining the locations and timing of advertisements and other insertions in media

Abstract

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores one or more computer programs adapted to cause a processor based system to execute steps that include analyzing an image, identifying one or more faces in the image using a face recognition technique, designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest, and determining whether an insertion area exists in the image where additional content can be inserted without obstructing the first area of interest. Another computer program is adapted to cause a processor based system to execute steps that include determining whether the insertion area can be divided into two or more regions based on color. Methods and processor based apparatuses that perform one or more of these steps are also disclosed.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method, comprising:
 analyzing an image;   identifying one or more faces in the image;   designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces; and   determining whether an insertion area exists in the image where additional content can be inserted without obstructing the first area of interest.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the prominence of the identified faces to define which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 determining a sharpness of a focus of each of the identified faces; and   using the sharpness of the focuses of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the using the sharpness of the focuses of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the focus of the identified faces to set the sharpness of the focus that will qualify a face to be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 determining a size of each of the identified faces; and   using the size of each of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the using the size of each of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the size of the identified faces to define the size of the identified faces that will be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the adjustable threshold setting associated with the size of the identified faces defines the size of the identified faces that will be included in the first area of interest based on whether a face is a certain proportion to another face. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the adjustable threshold setting associated with the size of the identified faces represents a certain percentage of a largest one of the identified faces. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 inserting the additional content into the insertion area.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 determining whether the insertion area includes two or more regions within the insertion area that generally have different colors; and   dividing the insertion area into the two or more regions that generally have different colors;   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 inserting the additional content into one of the two or more regions that generally have different colors such that the additional content is completely contained within the one of the two or more regions.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein a color and appearance of the inserted additional content are chosen such that it blends well with the one of the two or more regions. 
     
     
         39 . A system, comprising:
 a storage medium configured for storing content; and   a processor based apparatus that is configured to execute steps comprising,
 analyzing an image; 
 identifying one or more faces in the image; 
 designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces; and 
 determining whether an insertion area exists in the image where additional content can be inserted without obstructing the first area of interest. 
   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the prominence of the identified faces to define which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 determining a sharpness of a focus of each of the identified faces; and   using the sharpness of the focuses of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the using the sharpness of the focuses of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the focus of the identified faces to set the sharpness of the focus that will qualify a face to be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 determining a size of each of the identified faces; and   using the size of each of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the using the size of each of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the size of the identified faces to define the size of the identified faces that will be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the adjustable threshold setting associated with the size of the identified faces defines the size of the identified faces that will be included in the first area of interest based on whether a face is a certain proportion to another face. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the adjustable threshold setting associated with the size of the identified faces represents a certain percentage of a largest one of the identified faces. 
     
     
         47 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more computer programs adapted to cause a processor based system to execute steps comprising:
 analyzing an image;   identifying one or more faces in the image;   designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces; and   determining whether an insertion area exists in the image where additional content can be inserted without obstructing the first area of interest.   
     
     
         48 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 47 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the prominence of the identified faces to define which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         49 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 47 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 determining a sharpness of a focus of each of the identified faces; and   using the sharpness of the focuses of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         50 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 49 , wherein the using the sharpness of the focuses of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the focus of the identified faces to set the sharpness of the focus that will qualify a face to be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         51 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 47 , wherein the designating at least one of the identified faces collectively as a first area of interest based on a prominence of the identified faces comprises:
 determining a size of each of the identified faces; and   using the size of each of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         52 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 51 , wherein the using the size of each of the identified faces as at least part of determining which of the identified faces should be included in the first area of interest comprises:
 using an adjustable threshold setting associated with the size of the identified faces to define the size of the identified faces that will be included in the first area of interest.   
     
     
         53 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 47 , wherein the one or more computer programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:
 inserting the additional content into the insertion area.   
     
     
         54 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 47 , wherein the one or more computer programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:
 determining whether the insertion area includes two or more regions within the insertion area that generally have different colors; and   dividing the insertion area into the two or more regions that generally have different colors;   
     
     
         55 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 54 , wherein the one or more computer programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:
 inserting the additional content into one of the two or more regions that generally have different colors such that the additional content is completely contained within the one of the two or more regions.   
     
     
         56 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 55 , wherein a color and appearance of the inserted additional content are chosen such that it blends well with the one of the two or more regions.