Automatic canonical digital image selection method and apparatus

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device perform a method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of candidate digital images associated with an object, the object corresponding to an object type, a number of fiducial points being associated with the object type;
• analyzing each candidate digital image of the plurality, the analyzing comprising detecting the object and the number of fiducial points in the candidate digital image;
• determining an n-dimensional feature vector for a candidate digital image of the plurality using pixel data corresponding to the number of fiducial points detected in the candidate digital image, the feature vector determination being performed for each candidate digital image of the plurality to determine a plurality of feature vectors;
• forming a plurality of clusters using the plurality of feature vectors, each cluster of the plurality having a number of candidate digital images assigned to it using the feature vector determined for each candidate digital image of the number;
• determining, for a cluster of the plurality of clusters, a canonical score for each candidate digital image assigned to the cluster;
• selecting, for the cluster of the plurality of clusters, a set of canonical digital images from the number of candidate digital images assigned to the cluster;
• and
• maintaining, in a data store, an association between a canonical digital image of the set, the canonical score determined for the canonical digital image and a set of search terms, the set of search terms being associated with the object, the maintaining being performed for each canonical digital image of the set such that each canonical digital image, of the set, has an associated canonical score and the associated set of search terms.

A computing device comprising:

• a processor;
• a non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
• obtaining logic executed by the processor for obtaining a plurality of candidate digital images associated with an object, the object corresponding to an object type, a number of fiducial points being associated with the object type;
• analyzing logic executed by the processor for analyzing each candidate digital image of the plurality, the analyzing comprising detecting the object and the number of fiducial points in the candidate digital image;
• determining logic executed by the processor for determining an n-dimensional feature vector for a candidate digital image of the plurality using pixel data corresponding to the number of fiducial points detected in the candidate digital image, the feature vector determination being performed for each candidate digital image of the plurality to determine a plurality of feature vectors;
• forming logic executed by the processor for forming a plurality of clusters using the plurality of feature vectors, each cluster of the plurality having a number of candidate digital images assigned to it using the feature vector determined for each candidate digital image of the number;
• determining logic executed by the processor for determining, for a cluster of the plurality of clusters, a canonical score for each candidate digital image assigned to the cluster;
• selecting logic executed by the processor for selecting, for the cluster of the plurality of clusters, a set of canonical digital images from the number of candidate digital images assigned to the cluster;
• and
• maintaining logic executed by the processor for maintaining, in a data store, an association between a canonical digital image of the set, the canonical score determined for the canonical digital image and a set of search terms, the set of search terms being associated with the object, the maintaining being performed for each canonical digital image of the set such that each canonical digital image, of the set, has an associated canonical score and the associated set of search terms.