Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and system that automatically analyzes digital images containing people or objects to generate derived data from the images including non-imaging numerical data and text data. The image content of the digital image can then be destroyed and the derived data can be stored along with any associated capture metadata for use and/or analysis. By converting images containing people to derived data and associated capture metadata, which does not include images of people or likenesses of people, the privacy of the individual is maintained. The method is useful for security monitoring and advertising.

Abstract: Pre-image-acquisition information is obtained by a digital camera and transmitted to a system external to the digital camera. The system is configured to provide image-acquisition settings to the digital camera. In this regard, the digital camera receives the image-acquisition settings from the external system and performs an image-acquisition sequence based at least upon the received image-acquisition settings. Accordingly, the determination of image-acquisition settings can be performed remotely from the digital camera, where data-processing resources can greatly exceed those within the digital camera.

Abstract: A method for producing and presenting a virtual immersive multimedia presentation in a virtual world environment. The method includes obtaining access to a plurality of digital multimedia, obtaining access to a virtual world environment capable of displaying digital multimedia. Based on a designated criteria automatically selecting one or more of the following: a subset of the digital multimedia from the plurality of digital multimedia, an immersive virtual environment from the plurality of prefabricated environments, and an avatar configuration from the plurality of avatar configurations for creating the digital multimedia presentation for display in the virtual world environment.

Abstract: Metadata associated with a digital content record is modified, where the digital content record is to be provided to a particular recipient, and has associated therewith an account. A recipient list associated with the account identifies one of three or more metadata detail levels associated with each of a plurality of potential recipients. In this regard, a particular metadata detail level is determined based at least upon a comparison of the particular recipient and the recipient list. Then, the metadata associated with the digital content record is adjusted in accordance with the particular metadata detail level. Accordingly, a relative detail, or resolution, of information provided by the metadata may be controlled.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to determining presentation effects for a sequence of digital content records based at least upon a comparison of environmental conditions in which the digital content records were captured. Examples of such environmental conditions include time-date of capture, geographic location of capture, direction of capture, altitude of capture, etc. By determining presentation effects based upon environmental conditions, such presentation effects can be quickly and intelligently determined, with reduced user interaction as compared to conventional schemes.

Abstract: Video communication systems and methods for operating the same are provided with the method determining privacy settings for a video communication event; establishing a video communication link with a video communication system at a remote site; capturing video images of a field of view of at least one image capture device; determining a video context based at least in part upon a determined contextual classification for the communication event; analyzing the captured video images to identify privacy sensitive areas in the captured video images, using a scene analysis algorithm which examines a content of the video images and image context characteristics of the video images based upon the determined privacy settings; modifying the image characteristics in identified privacy sensitive image areas of captured video images, to control the image and image context characteristics to an extent consistent with the determined privacy settings; and transmitting the modified video images.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to the organizing of digital content by events, so that retrieval of such digital content in a manner meaningful and logical to users is achieved. In this regard, an event may be defined at least by event boundaries, such as a span of time, a geographic area, an acquirer of digital content, or a subject of digital content. Digital content that can be deemed to accord with the event boundaries may be associated with the event and made available for access and retrieval.

Abstract: In a computer-mediated method for providing representative images, image records are classified spatio-temporally into groups. In each group, image records are partitioned into clusters and the hierarchically highest cluster is ascertained. The partitioning is between a hierarchy of feature clusters and a remainder cluster, based on a predetermined plurality of saliency features. Feature clusters each have one or more of the saliency features. The remainder cluster lacks the saliency features. Feature clusters are each exclusive of the saliency features of any higher clusters in the hierarchy and non-exclusive of the saliency features of any lower feature clusters in the hierarchy. A representative image of each group is designated from respective image records based on: the respective saliency feature of the highest cluster when the highest cluster is a feature cluster and independent of the saliency features when the highest cluster is the remainder cluster.