Apparatus, method and computer program product for using images in contact lists maintained in electronic devices

摘要

An electronic device having a memory, a display, control apparatus and a data processor. When the data processor executes a program stored in the memory of the electronic device, the electronic device receives an image containing a person, the image further containing a face component, the face component containing the face of the person; displays the image on the display; locates the face component within the image; emphasizes the face component; receives image annotation information concerning the face component; and saves the image annotation information to the memory of the electronic device. The image annotation information may take the form of contact information for use in a contact database. A method uses the face component to locate other images in the database that also contain the person, and adds the annotation information to those images.

主权项

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one memory configured to store an image database; an image annotation database; and at least one program configured to control the electronic device when executed; at least one display device configured to display visual information; control apparatus configured to receive control commands from a user of the electronic device; and at least one data processor configured to execute the at least one program, wherein when the at least one program is executed the electronic device is configured to receive an image; to perform face detection on the image to locate face components; in response to detection of at least one face component containing a face of at least one person, to save image annotation information identifying the location of the face component within the image to the image annotation database; to present the image using the display to a user so that the at least one face component is emphasized; to receive additional image annotation information selected by the user, the additional image annotation information concerning the at least one person; and to save the additional image annotation information to the image annotation database; and to allow the user to launch communication operations from the image in response to an image being annotated with annotation information, wherein when an image is first displayed, an icon is superimposed over a portion of the image containing a person to indicate whether a communication operation can be launched to the person contained in the image, and in response to an annotation that has not been created for the person, a communication operation cannot be initiated targeting the person.