Evaluating subject interests from digital image records

Abstract

A method of evaluating a user subject interest is based at least upon an analysis of a user's collection of digital image records and is implemented at least in part by a data processing system. The method receives a defined user subject interest, receives a set of content requirements associated with the defined user-subject-interest, and identifies a set of digital image records from the collection of digital image records each having image characteristics in accord with the content requirements. A subject-interest trait associated with the defined user-subject-interest is evaluated based at least upon an analysis of the set of digital image records or characteristics thereof. The subject-interest trait is associated with the defined user-subject-interest in a processor-accessible memory.

1 . A method for evaluating a user subject interest based at least upon an analysis of a user's collection of digital image records, the method implemented at least in part by a data processing system and comprising the steps of:
 receiving a defined user subject interest;   receiving a set of content requirements associated with the defined user-subject-interest;   identifying a set of digital image records from the collection of digital image records each deemed to have image characteristics in accord with the content requirements;   evaluating a subject-interest trait associated with the defined user-subject-interest based at least upon an analysis of the set of digital image records or characteristics thereof; and   associating the evaluated subject-interest trait with the defined user-subject-interest in a processor-accessible memory.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of digital image records includes fewer digital image records than a superset of digital image records, wherein the superset of digital image records includes fewer digital image records than the collection of digital image records, and wherein the step of identifying the set of digital image records includes (a) first identifying the superset of digital image records from the collection of digital image records each deemed to have image characteristics in accord with some but not all of the content requirements and (b) then identifying the set of digital image records from the superset of digital image records as those having image characteristics in accord with all of the content requirements. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject-interest trait is a level-of-interest exhibited by the user in the defined user-subject-interest. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defined user-subject-interest is a sport, and the subject-interest trait is a kind of equipment the user prefers when playing the sport. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defined user subject-interest is an activity and the subject-interest trait relates to characteristics of user involvement in the activity. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of content requirements is received from a processor-accessible memory system that stores a plurality of defined user-subject-interests, each having associated therewith a set of content requirements, wherein each set of content requirements includes at least one content requirement that is different than every other or substantially every other set of content requirements. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defined user-subject-interest is received from a third-party advertiser. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of transmitting the associated subject-interest trait and defined user-subject-interest to the third-party advertiser. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of verifying that a fee has been received from the third-party advertiser prior to executing the transmitting step. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the content requirements in the set of content requirements are received from a third-party advertiser. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of evaluating the subject-interest trait comprises:
 obtaining contextual information about time, location, or both time and location related to the set of digital image records;   identifying an image analysis utility based at least upon an analysis of the obtained contextual information; and   analyzing an image in the set of digital image records using at least the identified image analysis utility.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the identified image analysis utility is an object recognition utility. 
     
     
         13 . A processor-accessible memory system storing instructions configured to cause a data processing system to implement a method for evaluating a user subject interest based at least upon an analysis of a user's collection of digital image records, wherein the instructions comprise:
 instructions for receiving a defined user subject interest;   instructions for receiving a set of content requirements associated with the defined user-subject-interest;   instructions for identifying a set of digital image records from the collection of digital image records each deemed to have image characteristics in accord with the content requirements;   instructions for evaluating a subject-interest trait associated with the defined user-subject-interest based at least upon an analysis of the set of digital image records or characteristics thereof; and   instructions for associating the evaluated subject-interest trait with the defined user-subject-interest in a processor-accessible memory.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the set of digital image records includes fewer digital image records than a superset of digital image records, wherein the superset of digital image records includes fewer digital image records than the collection of digital image records, and wherein the instructions for identifying the set of digital image records includes instructions for (a) first identifying the superset of digital image records from the collection of digital image records each deemed to have image characteristics in accord with the content requirements and (b) then identifying the set of digital image records from the superset of digital image records at least by excluding digital image records in the superset determined to have been improperly deemed in (a) to have image characteristics in accord with the content requirements. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the set of content requirements is received from a processor-accessible memory system that stores a plurality of defined user-subject-interests, each having associated therewith a set of content requirements, wherein each set of content requirements includes at least one content requirement that is different than every other or substantially every other set of content requirements. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions for evaluating the subject-interest trait comprises instructions for:
 obtaining contextual information about time, location, or both time and location related to the set of digital image records;   identifying an image analysis utility based at least upon an analysis of the obtained contextual information; and   analyzing an image in the set of digital image records using at least the identified image analysis utility.   
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a data processing system; and   a memory system communicatively connected to the data processing system and storing instructions configured to cause the data processing system to implement a method for evaluating a user subject interest based at least upon an analysis of a user's collection of digital image records, wherein the instructions comprise:   instructions for receiving a defined user subject interest;   instructions for receiving a set of content requirements associated with the defined user-subject-interest;   instructions for identifying a set of digital image records from the collection of digital image records each deemed to have image characteristics in accord with the content requirements;   instructions for evaluating a subject-interest trait associated with the defined user-subject-interest based at least upon an analysis of the set of digital image records or characteristics thereof; and   instructions for associating the evaluated subject-interest trait with the defined user-subject-interest in a processor-accessible memory.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of digital image records includes fewer digital image records than a superset of digital image records, wherein the superset of digital image records includes fewer digital image records than the collection of digital image records, and wherein the instructions for identifying the set of digital image records includes instructions for (a) first identifying the superset of digital image records from the collection of digital image records each deemed to have image characteristics in accord with the content requirements and (b) then identifying the set of digital image records from the superset of digital image records at least by excluding digital image records in the superset determined to have been improperly deemed in (a) to have image characteristics in accord with the content requirements. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of content requirements is received from a processor-accessible memory system that stores a plurality of defined user-subject-interests, each having associated therewith a set of content requirements, wherein each set of content requirements includes at least one content requirement that is different than every other or substantially every other set of content requirements. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions for evaluating the subject-interest trait comprises instructions for:
 obtaining contextual information about time, location, or both time and location related to the set of digital image records;   identifying an image analysis utility based at least upon an analysis of the obtained contextual information; and   analyzing an image in the set of digital image records using at least the identified image analysis utility.