Method and system for segmenting and identifying events in images using spoken annotations

A computer program product for automatically organizing digitized photographic images into events based on spoken annotations, where the events are useful in organizing photographic albums, said computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of:

• providing natural-language text based on spoken annotations corresponding to at least some of the photographic images;
• extracting predetermined information from the natural-language text that characterizes the annotations of the images;
• segmenting the images into events by examining each annotation for the presence of certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events;
• and
• identifying each event by assembling the categories of information into event descriptions;
• wherein the step of segmenting the images into events comprises the steps of:
• assigning a strength value for the certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events;
• computing the evidence in favor of and against an event break with regard to a current frame by summing the strength values from the certain categories of information present for the current frame relative to a preceding frame already allocated to a current event;
• and
• allocating the frame to a new event when the summarized strength values in favor of an event break exceed a predetermined threshold, otherwise allocating the frame to the current event.

A system for automatically organizing digitized photographic images into events based on spoken annotations, where the events are useful in organizing photographic albums, said system comprising:

• an input for receiving natural-language text based on spoken annotations corresponding to a plurality of frames of photographic images;
• an event extraction stage for extracting predetermined information from the natural-language text that characterizes the annotations of the images;
• an event segmentation stage for segmenting the images into events by examining each annotation for the presence of certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events;
• and
• an event identification stage for identifying each event by assembling the categories of information into event descriptions,
• wherein the event segmentation stage comprises a processor that:
• assigns a strength value for the certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events;
• computes the evidence in favor of and against an event break with regard to a current frame by summing the strength values from the certain categories of information present for the current frame relative to a preceding frame already allocated to a current event;
• and
• allocates the frame to a new event when the summarized strength values in favor of an event break exceed a predetermined threshold, otherwise allocating the frame to the current event.

A method for automatically organizing digitized photographic images into events, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing spoken annotations corresponding to a plurality of frames of photographic images;
• segmenting the images into events by examining each annotation for the presence of certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events;
• and
• identifying each event by assembling the categories of information into event descriptions,
• wherein the step of segmenting the images into events comprises the steps of:
• assigning a strength value for the certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events;
• computing the evidence in favor of and against an event break with regard to a current frame by summing the strength values from the certain categories of information present for the current frame relative to a preceding frame already allocated to a current event;
• and
• allocating the frame to a new event when the summarized strength values in favor of an event break exceed a predetermined threshold, otherwise allocating the frame to the current event.

A system for automatically organizing digitized photographic images into events based on spoken annotations, where the events are useful in organizing photographic albums, said system comprising:

• an input for receiving spoken annotations corresponding to a plurality of frames of photographic images;
• an event segmentation stage for segmenting the images into events by examining each annotation for the presence of certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events;
• and
• an event identification stage for identifying each event by assembling the categories of information into event descriptions,
• wherein the event segmentation stage comprises a processor that:
• assigns a strength value for the certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events;
• computes the evidence in favor of and against an event break with regard to a current frame by summing the strength values from the certain categories of information present for the current frame relative to a preceding frame already allocated to a current event;
• and
• allocates the frame to a new event when the summarized strength values in favor of an event break exceed a predetermined threshold, otherwise allocating the frame to the current event.