Method and apparatus for image collection and analysis

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

• obtaining first images, wherein the obtaining is performed automatically by a first mobile communication device of a group of mobile communication devices;
• determining a first image analysis criteria including first characteristics associated with an event;
• determining from the first characteristics whether the first mobile communication device is likely to have captured images of the event;
• responsive to determining that the first mobile communication device is likely to have captured images of the event:
• applying image pattern recognition to the first images according to the first image analysis criteria to identify a first target image that includes the event;
• determining second image analysis criteria from the first target image, wherein the second image analysis criteria includes second characteristics associated with the event;
• and
• providing the second image analysis criteria to a second mobile communication device of the group of mobile communication devices to enable the second mobile communication device to perform image pattern recognition on second images according to the second image analysis criteria to identify a second target image that includes the event.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processing system including a processor;
• and
• a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
• obtaining first images, wherein the obtaining is performed automatically by a first mobile communication device of a group of mobile communication devices;
• determining, by the first mobile communication device, first image analysis criteria including first characteristics associated with an event;
• applying image pattern recognition to the first images according to the first image analysis criteria to identify a first target image that includes the event;
• determining second image analysis criteria from the first target image, wherein the second image analysis criteria includes second characteristics associated with the event;
• providing the second image analysis criteria to a second mobile communication device of the group of mobile communication devices to enable the second mobile communication device to perform a second image pattern recognition on second images according to the second image analysis criteria to identify a second target image that includes the event;
• receiving the second image pattern recognition from the second mobile communication device;
• and
• determining whether the second mobile communication device is likely to have captured images of the event based on the second image pattern recognition.