Life-logging system with third-person perspective

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11140308-B2
Application number	US-201816045262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

A life-logging system is configured to register a plurality of cameras and a plurality of users to a life-logging network. The life-logging system receives a plurality of camera profiles associated with the plurality of cameras and a user profile associated with a user. The life-logging system determines location information associated with the user and identifies a camera of the plurality of cameras for capturing an image of the user based on the plurality of camera profiles, the user preferences, and the location information. The life-logging system arranges for the image of the user captured by the camera to be delivered to a client device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for capturing images of a user, comprising:
receiving, by a camera registration unit, a plurality of camera profiles associated with a plurality of cameras;
receiving, by a user registration unit, a user profile associated with the user, the user profile comprising user preferences;
determining, by a tracking unit, location information associated with the user;
determining, by a planning unit, a plurality of image capture opportunities based on the user location information, the user preferences, and camera parameters stored in the camera profiles;
identifying, by the planning unit, one or more cameras of the plurality of cameras for each image capture opportunity, wherein identifying the one or more cameras comprises generating a plurality of scores and comparing the scores to the user preferences in the user profile, wherein the plurality of scores are associated with predicted picture quality, estimated length or duration of detour, novelty of the picture, and predicted user feedback;
calculating a path around the identified one or more cameras;
providing an itinerary comprising a different location and a different time point for each image capturing opportunity and the path, to a client device;
providing instructions to the identified one or more cameras for capturing images of the user;
arranging, by a communication unit, for the images of the user captured by the identified one or more cameras to be delivered to the client device; and
verifying, by the client device, whether a person in the images is the user by comparing the person in the images with live facial recognition data of the user obtained through a camera of the client device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein each camera profile includes a location of a respective camera and identifying a camera for capturing an image of the user comprises comparing the location information to the camera locations.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein each camera profile includes a camera parameter of a respective camera, the camera parameter being a characteristic of images captured by the respective camera, and wherein identifying the camera for capturing the image comprises comparing the user preferences to the camera parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the camera parameters include one or more of angle, zoom, capture mode, or lighting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user preferences include elements of an image, image quality criteria, face visibility, novelty of an image, location of an image, and time elapsed between images.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information includes a current location of the user based on information received from the client device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the information received from the client device includes GPS coordinates.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information includes a likely future location of the user based on information received from the client device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information received from the client device includes one or more of a planned travel route, previous travel information, or schedule information of the user.

10. A life-logging system, comprising:
a processing device configured to execute instructions stored in a memory device to:
register, by a camera registration unit, a plurality of cameras to a life-logging network;
register, by a user registration unit, a user to the life-logging network;
identify, by a planning unit, one or more cameras from the plurality of cameras, wherein identifying the one or more cameras comprises generating a plurality of scores and comparing the scores to user preferences in a user profile, wherein the plurality of scores are associated with predicted picture quality, estimated length or duration of detour, novelty of the picture, and predicted user feedback;
receive a plurality of images of the user captured by the identified one or more cameras;
analyze, by a storage unit, the plurality of images to select a subset of images from the plurality of images, wherein the subset of images are different from stored images in the storage unit, wherein the stored images are previous images of the user captured by the plurality of cameras;
deliver, by a communication unit, the subset of images to a client device associated with the user; and
verify, by the client device, whether a person in the subset of images is the user by comparing the person in the images with live facial recognition data of the user obtained through a camera of the client device.

11. The life-logging system of claim 10 , wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the instructions to select, by a planning unit, a camera of the plurality of cameras to capture an image and provide an instruction to the camera for capturing the images.

12. The life-logging system of claim 11 , wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the instructions to provide a notification to the client device regarding the selected camera.

13. The life-logging system of claim 12 , wherein the planning unit is further configured to determine an itinerary including a plurality of selected cameras and the notification to the client device includes the itinerary.

14. The life-logging system of claim 13 , wherein the itinerary includes locations for image capture opportunities.

15. A life-logging system, comprising:
a processing device configured to execute instructions stored in a memory device to:
register, by a camera registration unit, a plurality of cameras to a life-logging network;
receive, by a tracking unit, an indication of a location of a user;
select, by a planning unit, one or more cameras of the plurality of cameras based on the location of the user, wherein selecting the one or more cameras comprises generating a plurality of scores and comparing the scores to user preferences in a user profile, wherein the plurality of scores are associated with predicted picture quality, estimated length or duration of detour, novelty of the picture, and predicted user feedback;
calculate, by the planning unit, a predicted picture quality score for each of the one or more cameras;
determine, by the planning unit, to capture an image of the user by a first camera selected from the one or more cameras, wherein the first camera has one or more predicted picture quality scores higher than one or more corresponding threshold scores predefined in user preferences of the user;
transmit, by a communication unit, an instruction to the camera to capture an image of the user based on the determination; and
verify, by a client device, whether a person in the captured image is the user by comparing the person in the captured image with live facial recognition data of the user obtained through a camera of the client device.

16. The life-logging system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more corresponding threshold scores includes lighting threshold score, field-of-view threshold score, resolution threshold score, and angle threshold score.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Pinel Florian
• Johnson Benjamin L
• Byron Donna K

Classifications

• H04N23/661 Primary

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• G06Q10/1093

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title

• H04N1/00209 Primary

  Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax · CPC title