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US6480840B2
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Method and computer program product for subjective image content similarity-based retrieval
Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures LLC
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Filing: 2001-08-13
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Granted: 2002-11-12
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Expires: 2021-08-13
Abstract
Abstract A user preference for a desired image is determined by using one or more examples and counterexamples of a desired image in order to define the user preference. A relative preference of a user for one or more image components or one or more depictive features is automatically extracted from the examples and counterexamples of the desired image. Then, a user subjective definition of a desired image is formulated using the relative preferences for either the image components or the depictive features.
Inventors
- 👤 Wei Zhu
- 👤 Rajiv Mehrotra
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:37
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/50; G06F16/58; G06F16/583; G06F16/5838; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99932; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S707/99935; Y10S707/99936; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943; Y10S707/99944
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 38
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A method for generating a preference record indicating a user preference for a desired image, the method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a query image, wherein the query image is characterized by a query image representation including one or more query image components; (b) providing one or more examples and counterexamples of said desired image for deriving a user preference; (c) automatically analyzing said one or more examples and counterexamples to estimate user preference by automatically extracting a relative preference of a user for either one or more image components or one or more depictive features from the examples and counterexamples of said desired image; (d) formulating a user-derived preference related to said desired image using the relative preferences for the image components and the depictive features; and (e) generating a preference record from the query image representation and the user-derived preference, whereby the relative preferences automatically estimated from the examples and counterexamples extends the representation of the query image for a specific user preference.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
166 words
A method for generating a preference record indicating a user preference for a desired image, the method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a query image, wherein the query image is characterized by a query image representation including one or more query image components; (b) providing one or more examples and counterexamples of said desired image for deriving a user preference; (c) automatically analyzing said one or more examples and counterexamples to estimate user preference by automatically extracting a relative preference of a user for either one or more image components or one or more depictive features from the examples and counterexamples of said desired image; (d) formulating a user-derived preference related to said desired image using the relative preferences for the image components and the depictive features; and (e) generating a preference record from the query image representation and the user-derived preference, whereby the relative preferences automatically estimated from the examples and counterexamples extends the representation of the query image for a specific user preference.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the query image representation is a predetermined multi-level hierarchical image representation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as in claim 2 wherein the query image representation includes a color-based representation, a shape-based representation or a texture-based representation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method as in claim 1 wherein the examples comprise image representations including one or more image components and the query image is a pseudo-query image generated by the union of all the image representations of the examples.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises identifying similar and dissimilar image components among examples and counterexamples of said desired image.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein an image component can be either an entire image or a segment of an image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as in claim 6 , wherein step (c) further comprises identifying similar and dissimilar depictive features of either the image components or the image among the examples and counterexamples of said desired image.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as in claim 7 , wherein depictive features include color, color composition, texture, structure, or shape.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises computing the relative preference for an image component based on a frequency of occurrence of the image component in the examples and counter examples of said desired image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises computing the relative preference for an image component based on a similarity of the image components among examples and counter examples of said desired image.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises computing the relative preference for a depictive feature based on a frequency of occurrence of the feature in the examples and counter examples of said desired image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises computing the relative preference for a depictive feature based on a similarity of the depictive feature among examples and counter examples of said desired image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein step (d) of formulating the user-derived preference includes formulating a list of either desired or undesired image components and the relative preferences of said components to the user.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein step (d) of formulating the user-derived preference includes formulating a list of either desired or undesired depictive features of either an image component or an image and their relative preferences to the user.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as in claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing the preference record.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
A computer storage medium having instructions stored therein for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1 .
Claim 18
Independent Claim
216 words
A method for retrieving user desired images from a database based on a user preference for a desired image, the method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a query image, wherein the query image is characterized by a query image representation including one or more query image components; (b) applying the query image representation to identify and retrieve a candidate set of images from the database; (c) formulating a user subjective definition of said desired image using either image components or depictive features from one or more examples and counterexamples of said desired image comprising: (c1) automatically analyzing said one or more examples and counterexamples to estimate user preference by automatically extracting a relative preference of said user for either one or more image components or one or more depictive features from the examples and counterexamples of said desired images; (d) applying the user subjective definition of said desired image to identify and retrieve said user desired images from the candidate set of images; and (e) wherein the occurrence of a similar image component or depictive feature in an example and the query image increases the relative preference of the user and the occurrence of a similar image component or depictive feature in a counterexample and the query image decreases the relative preference of the user.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
216 words
A method for retrieving user desired images from a database based on a user preference for a desired image, the method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a query image, wherein the query image is characterized by a query image representation including one or more query image components; (b) applying the query image representation to identify and retrieve a candidate set of images from the database; (c) formulating a user subjective definition of said desired image using either image components or depictive features from one or more examples and counterexamples of said desired image comprising: (c1) automatically analyzing said one or more examples and counterexamples to estimate user preference by automatically extracting a relative preference of said user for either one or more image components or one or more depictive features from the examples and counterexamples of said desired images; (d) applying the user subjective definition of said desired image to identify and retrieve said user desired images from the candidate set of images; and (e) wherein the occurrence of a similar image component or depictive feature in an example and the query image increases the relative preference of the user and the occurrence of a similar image component or depictive feature in a counterexample and the query image decreases the relative preference of the user.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the query image representation is a predetermined multi-level hierarchical image representation.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as in claim 18 wherein the query image representation includes a color-based representation, a shape-based representation or a texture-based representation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method as in claim 16 wherein the examples comprise image representations including one or more image components and the query image is a pseudo-query image generated by the union of all the image representations of the examples.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein step (c) further comprises identifying similar and dissimilar image components among examples and counterexamples of said desired image.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as in claim 21 , wherein said image component can be either an entire image or a segment of an image.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as in claim 22 , wherein step (c) further comprises identifying similar and dissimilar depictive features of either image components or the image among the examples and counterexamples of said desired image.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as in claim 23 , wherein depictive features include color, color composition, texture, structure, or shape.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein step (c) further comprises computing the relative preference for an image component based on a frequency of occurrence of the image component in the examples and counter examples of said desired image.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein step (c) further comprises computing the relative preference for an image component based on a similarity of the image components among examples and counter examples of said desired image.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein step (c) further comprises computing the relative preference for a depictive feature based on a frequency of occurrence of the feature in the examples and counter examples of said desired image.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein step (c) further comprises computing the relative preference for a depictive feature based on a similarity of the depictive feature among examples and counter examples of said desired image.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein step (c) of formulating the definition of said desired image includes formulating a list of either desired or undesired image components and their relative preferences to the user.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein step (c) of formulating the definition of said desired image includes formulating a list of either desired or undesired depictive features of either an image component or an image and their relative preferences to the user.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein step (d) further comprises the step of ranking retrieved images based on the relative preference of either the image components or the depictive features.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as in claim 16 further comprising the step of displaying the retrieved images.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
20 words
A computer storage medium having instructions stored therein for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 17 .
Claim 36
Independent Claim
192 words
A method for retrieving one or more desired images based on user preference for a desired image, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing one or more examples and counterexamples of a desired image for deriving a user preference; (b) identifying an image representation from at least the examples; (c) formulating a user subjective definition of said desired image using either image components or depictive features from said examples and counterexamples of said desired image comprising: (c1) automatically analyzing said one or more examples and counterexamples to estimate user preference by automatically extracting a relative preference of said user for either one or more image components or one or more depictive features from the examples and counterexamples of said desired images, wherein the occurrence of a similar image component or depictive feature in an example and in the image representation increases the relative preference of the user and the occurrence of a similar image component or depictive feature in a counterexample and in the image representation decreases the relative preference of the user; and (d) applying the user subjective definition of said desired image to identify and retrieve user desired images.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
192 words
A method for retrieving one or more desired images based on user preference for a desired image, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing one or more examples and counterexamples of a desired image for deriving a user preference; (b) identifying an image representation from at least the examples; (c) formulating a user subjective definition of said desired image using either image components or depictive features from said examples and counterexamples of said desired image comprising: (c1) automatically analyzing said one or more examples and counterexamples to estimate user preference by automatically extracting a relative preference of said user for either one or more image components or one or more depictive features from the examples and counterexamples of said desired images, wherein the occurrence of a similar image component or depictive feature in an example and in the image representation increases the relative preference of the user and the occurrence of a similar image component or depictive feature in a counterexample and in the image representation decreases the relative preference of the user; and (d) applying the user subjective definition of said desired image to identify and retrieve user desired images.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
20 words
A computer storage medium having instructions stored therein for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 34 .
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-11 | 2006-05-13 | 2006-11-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-11 | 2010-05-13 | 2010-11-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-11 | 2014-05-13 | 2014-11-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |