# US 8,542,294 B2 · Adjusting time metadata of digital media items

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- Number: US 8,542,294 B2
- Document ID: US8542294B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/758,506
- Filed: 2013-02-04
- Published: 2013-06-06
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-12
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Nikhil Bhatt; Alexander David Wallace
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542294B2

## CPC

- H04N 5/76: Television signal recording
- H04N 5/77: between a recording apparatus and a television camera
- H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence)
- H04N 21/4622: {Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859)}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for adjusting time metadata of digital media items. A digital image captured at a location is associated with a time of capture and a location of capture. It is determined that a time of capture of the digital image is in a preset time zone that is different from a time zone of the location. In response to the determining, multiple locations are provided, each being associated with a respective time zone including a time zone of the location. A selection of a location is received and the time of capture is adjusted based on a time zone associated with the selected location.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
an image receiver configured to receive a digital image, including a time of capture of the digital image corresponding to a preset time zone;
a location receiver configured to receive location information identifying a location, including a time of recording of the location information corresponding to a reference time zone;
a comparison unit configured to compare the preset time zone with the reference time zone; and
a processor operatively coupled to the image receiver and the location receiver, the processor configured to
detect an assignment of the digital image to the location; and
generate an indication of a time zone conflict, responsive to the comparison by the comparison unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the preset time zone is associated with the digital image in response to input.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is associated with the preset time zone, and wherein the processor is configured to associate the time of capture with the preset time zone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:
transmit the location information to a time zone database operatively coupled to the processor, the time zone database configured to store time zones and location information of locations that lie in each of the stored time zones;
receive, from the time zone database, a time zone in which the transmitted location information lies; and
adjust the time of capture of the digital image based on the received time zone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein to adjust the time of capture of the digital image based on the received time zone, the processor is further configured to:
determine a difference between the received time zone and the preset time zone; and
offset the time of capture by the difference.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein to offset the time of capture by the difference, the processor is configured to add the difference to the time of capture.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1,
wherein the processor is further configured to display a message indicating a conflict between the time of capture and the time of recording on a display device operatively coupled to the processor, upon determining that the preset time zone is different from the reference time zone, and
wherein the processor is further configured to receive input to resolve the conflict between the time of capture and the time of recording.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a time zone database operatively coupled to the processor, the time zone database configured to store time zones and location information of locations that lie in each of the stored time zones.

### Claim 9

A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by data processing apparatus, a digital image captured at a first location at a time of capture in a preset time zone;
determining, by the data processing apparatus, that the preset time zone is different from a time zone of the first location;
providing, by the data processing apparatus, a plurality of locations, each associated with a respective time zone;
receiving, by the data processing apparatus, a selection of a second location from the provided plurality of locations; and
adjusting, by the data processing apparatus, the time of capture based on the time zone associated with the second location.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the digital image captured at a first location comprises:
receiving the digital image from an image capture device;
receiving location information identifying the first location from a location capture device; and
associating the digital image with the first location.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10,
wherein the location information includes geographic coordinates identifying the first location, and
wherein associating the digital image with the first location comprises:
storing the geographic coordinates as digital image metadata that includes the time of capture.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the first location is defined by geographic coordinates recorded at the first location, wherein the geographic coordinates include a time at which the geographic coordinates were recorded,
wherein determining that the preset time zone is different from a time zone of the first location further comprises:
transmitting the geographic coordinates recorded at the first location to a time zone database;
receiving, from the time zone database, a time zone associated with the geographic coordinates recorded at the first location; and
comparing the received time zone with the preset time zone.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of locations are arranged in a hierarchy of locations.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting the time of capture comprises:
determining a difference between the time zone that is associated with the digital image and the time zone of the first location; and
offsetting the time of capture by the difference.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, on which are stored software instructions, executable by data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
receiving a digital image captured at a first location at a time of capture;
determining that the time of capture is in a preset time zone that is different from a time zone of the first location;
providing a plurality of locations, each associated with a respective time zone;
receiving a selection of a second location from the provided plurality of locations; and
adjusting the time of capture based on a time zone associated with the second location.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The medium of claim 15, wherein receiving the digital image captured at a first location comprises:
receiving the digital image from an image capture device;
receiving location information identifying the first location from a location capture device; and
associating the digital image with the first location.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The medium of claim 16, wherein associating the digital image with the first location is in response to user input.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The medium of claim 16,
wherein associating the digital image with the first location comprises storing global positioning system coordinates corresponding to the first location as digital image metadata that includes the time of capture.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The medium of claim 15,
wherein the first location is defined by geographic coordinates recorded at the first location, including a time at which the coordinates are recorded,
wherein determining that the time of capture is in a preset time zone that is different from a time zone of the first location further comprises:
transmitting the coordinates to a time zone database that stores coordinates of locations and associated time zones;
receiving, from the time zone database, a time zone associated with the coordinates recorded at the location; and
comparing the received time zone with the preset time zone.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The medium of claim 15,
wherein providing the plurality of locations are arranged in a hierarchy of locations, and
wherein a node location represents a continent and children locations of the node location represent collections of one or more countries in the continent, the collections representing corresponding time zones, each collection associated with a corresponding cluster of coordinates that collectively identify the one or more countries in the collection.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:
transmitting geographic coordinates that collectively identify the one or more countries in the collection to a time zone database.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The medium of claim 21, wherein adjusting the time of capture based on a time zone associated with the second location further comprises:
receiving, from the time zone database, a time zone defined for the one or more countries in the collection; and
comparing the received time zone with the preset time zone.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The medium of claim 15, adjusting the time of capture associated with the digital image further comprises:
determining a difference between the time zone that is associated with the digital image and the time zone of the first location; and
offsetting the time of capture by the difference.