Abstract: A method for storing a video summary for a digital video sequence captured with a digital video capture device, comprising: capturing a digital video sequence with the digital video capture device, wherein the digital video sequence includes a plurality of video frames; storing the digital video sequence in a processor-accessible memory; identifying one or more key video snippets, each key video snippet corresponding to a set of video frames from the stored digital video sequence; assembling the key video snippets to form a video summary; and storing the video summary in a processor-accessible memory by storing metadata associated with the stored digital video sequence, wherein the metadata provides an indication of the video frames corresponding to the video summary.

Abstract: A method of providing an all-in-focus video from a single captured video is disclosed. The method uses a processor to perform the steps of acquiring a single captured video of a scene such that during capture there are at least two differing focus settings by using the single captured video to provide a plurality of videos having at least a first video at the first focus setting and a second video at the second focus setting and providing an all-in-focus video from the plurality of videos.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reading a machine-readable optical code encoding information formed in an image that is presented to a user. The method includes using a processor to receive the image with the machine-readable optical code; using a graphic user interface to visually present the received image on a display; using the graphic user interface to receive a user selection of the machine-readable optical code; using a processor to decode the selected machine-readable optical code; and using the graphic user interface to present information referenced by the decoded information on the display.

Abstract: A network connected computer receives data from a wireless communication device including location data and user data. The computer is programmed to determine if the wireless communication device is in a vicinity of a preselected location, stored on the computer, based on the data for identifying the location of the wireless communication device. The computer transmits data to the communication device for notifying the user of the communication device that the user is in the vicinity of the preselected location. Directional information can then be sent to the communication device for the user to access in order to assist the user in finding the preselected location.

Abstract: An image file for storing a still digital image and metadata related to the still digital image, the image file including digital image data representing the still digital image, and metadata that categorizes the still digital image as an important digital image, wherein the categorization uses a range of levels and the range of levels includes at least three different integer values.

Abstract: A method for associating event times or time periods with digital images in a collection for determining if a digital image is of interest, includes storing a collection of digital images each having an associated capture time; comparing the associated capture time in the collection with a special event time to determine if a digital image in the collection is of interest, wherein the comparing step includes calculation of a special event time associated with a special event based on the calendar time associated with the special event and using such information to perform the comparison step; and associating digital images of interest with the special event.

Abstract: A method of identifying groups of related digital images in a digital image collection, comprising: analyzing each of the digital images to generate associated feature descriptors related to image content or image capture conditions; storing the feature descriptors associated with the digital images in a metadata database; automatically analyzing the metadata database to identify a plurality of frequent itemsets, wherein each of the frequent itemsets is a co-occurring feature descriptor group that occurs in at least a predefined fraction of the digital images; determining a probability of occurrence for each the identified frequent itemsets; determining a quality score for each of the identified frequent itemsets responsive to the determined probability of occurrence; ranking the frequent itemsets based at least on the determined quality scores; and identifying one or more groups of related digital images corresponding to one or more of the top ranked frequent itemsets.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of generating a digital collage layout for a group of digital images is disclosed. A group of digital images is retrieved from a computer accessible memory. A determination is made whether to select the digital collage layout from a stored collection of digital collage layouts or to generate a new set of digital collage layouts and select the digital collage layout from the new set. Based on determination, the digital collage layout is provided from the stored collection or from the new set.

Abstract: A computing system for automatically identifying individual regions in a digital image that include a human face, forming combined padded regions and automatically evaluating each of the regions including calculating a fitness score for each of the combined padded regions and ignoring at least one of the combined padded regions whose fitness score is below a known threshold.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for modifying a digital image comprises padding two or more face regions in the image and digitally defining at least one combined padded region that includes the two or more face regions. At least one border of the combined padded region is collinear with a border of one of the individual regions. Each of the borders of the at least one combined padded region is selected so as to be collinear with at least one border of one of the individual padded regions.

Abstract: A method for presenting digital images having a high interest level to a particular person selected from a set of candidate digital images. The candidate digital image are analyzed to designate one or more image elements, and familiarity levels are determined of the designated image elements to the particular person. For each candidate digital image, an associated interest level to the particular person is determined responsive to the determined familiarity levels. One or more of the candidate digital images are selected based on the determined interest levels and are presented to the particular person.

Abstract: A method of computing at least one photogenic route from a starting location to a destination location, including; computing photogenic values for images in a large collection representing a geographic region that includes the starting location and the destination location; computing a photogenic index for each route segment based on computed photogenic values of images taken along the route segment; computing at least one photogenic route from the starting location to the destination location and presenting the route(s) to a user.

Abstract: A digital video camera system that provides a video summary using a method that includes: designating a reference image containing a particular person; capturing a video sequence of the scene using the image sensor, the video sequence including a time sequence of image frames; processing the captured video sequence using a video processing path to form a digital video file; during the capturing of the video sequence, analyzing the captured image frames using a person recognition algorithm to identify a subset of the image frames that contain the particular person; forming the video summary including fewer than all of the image frames in the captured video sequence, wherein the video summary includes at least part of the identified subset of image frames containing the particular person; storing the digital video file in the storage memory; and storing a representation of the video summary in the storage memory.

Abstract: A method for increasing the interest level of a digital image to a particular person based on an interest level function that determines an interest level of a particular digital image to the particular person responsive to familiarity levels of image elements in the particular digital image. The initial digital image includes one or more image elements having associated initial familiarity levels, the initial digital image having an initial interest level as characterized by the interest level function responsive to the initial familiarity levels. The set of image elements are modified, thereby providing a modified digital image having an increased interest level to the particular person as characterized by the interest level function responsive to modified familiarity levels associated with the modified image elements. The modified digital image is then displayed to the particular person.

Abstract: A digital camera system having a retail mode, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system for forming an image of a scene; a data processing system; a storage memory; and a program memory storing instructions configured to implement a method for automatically deleting captured digital images. The stored instructions include setting the digital camera system to operate in the retail mode in response to detecting a predefined first condition; enabling a user to capture a plurality of digital images, storing any digital images captured while the digital camera system is operating in the retail mode in the storage memory; and automatically deleting at least some of the stored digital images from the storage memory in response to detecting a predefined second condition, wherein any stored digital images that were not captured in the retail mode are not deleted from the storage memory.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for modifying a digital image comprising identifying two or more individual regions in the digital image that each include a human face, and digitally defining at least one combined region that includes the two or more individual regions wherein at least one border of the at least one combined region is collinear with a border of one of the individual regions.

Abstract: A method for searching a database of digital media assets that has been indexed according to a set of general indexers. The method includes receiving a search query and defining specialized search conditions by identifying one or more elements of the search query corresponding to one or more specialized indexers. General search conditions are defined by identifying elements of the search query corresponding to the general indexers. A subset of the digital media assets are identified by applying the general search conditions, and the subset of the digital media assets is indexed using the identified specialized indexers. The subset of the digital media assets are ranked by applying the specialized search conditions.

Abstract: A method for browsing a collection of digital images on a soft-copy display comprising: receiving a collection of digital images; interactively user selecting a digital image using a user interface; determining a plurality of subsets of the digital images, wherein each subset shares a common category with the selected digital image; and displaying the subsets of digital images on the soft-copy display, together with the selected digital image.

Abstract: A method of making a digital image file from a visible first digital image and from a visible second digital image of a machine-readable optical code, wherein the machine-readable optical code encodes information associated with or derived from the first digital image includes using a scanner to scan the visible first digital image and using the scanner to scan the visible second digital image and using a processor to make the digital image file by storing in a memory the scanned first digital image in an image portion and storing the scanned second digital image in retrievable association with the first digital image in an information portion.

Abstract: A method and a device for displaying images on a digital media frame is disclosed. In one embodiment, the device includes a memory, a processing unit, a display, an interface circuit, and a display circuit. The interface circuit has at least one receiving port capable of identifying various types of networking protocols that are used to transfer the image data. The processing unit attaches auxiliary information to each image before images are stored in a memory. The display circuit displays images according to the image data received. The digital media frame further contains a user input device, which allows a user to alter the image display sequence. The user input device is an input device other than a keyboard or a cursor control device.