Automatic story creation using semantic classifiers for images and associated meta data

A method for automatically creating an image product comprising the steps of:

• automatically analyzing a plurality of digital media files so as to obtain associated meta data and derived meta data with respect to said plurality of digital media files;
• automatically determining the occurrence and number of occurrences of substantial similar meta data elements among said digital media files;
• automatically grouping said digital media files based on the number of times a particular meta data element occurs among said plurality of digital media files;
• automatically determining the classification associated with the most occurring meta data elements;
• and
• automatically creating a digital media output product utilizing classifications associated with the most frequently occurring meta data elements incorporated therein.

A program storage device readable by a computer system, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer system to perform method steps for generating an image product, said method steps comprising:

• detecting an image product trigger;
• locating a plurality of digital media files associated with an event associated with the product trigger;
• automatically classifying the plurality of digital media files based on analyzing metadata associated therewith;
• automatically selecting ones of the plurality of digital media files based on the classifying step;
• ranking the selected ones of the digital media files;
• selecting a product format based upon the event associated with the product trigger;
• and
• generating an image product based on the selected product format including the ranked digital media files.