Event-based media grouping, playback, and sharing

Abstract

Exemplary methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for capturing, organizing, sharing, and/or displaying media. For example, using embodiments of the disclosed technology, a unified playback and browsing experience for a collection of media can be created automatically. For instance, heuristics and metadata can be used to assemble and add narratives to the media data. Furthermore, this representation of media can recompose itself dynamically as more media is added to the collection. While a collection may use a single user's content, sometimes media that is desirable to include in the collection is captured by friends and/or others at the same event. In certain embodiments, media content related to the event can be automatically collected and shared among selected groups. Further, in some embodiments, new media can be automatically incorporated into a media collection associated with the event, and the playback experience dynamically updated.

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
 receiving digital media data, the digital media data comprising digital image data or digital video data;   identifying one or more persons in the digital media using a facial recognition technique;   evaluating whether the one or more identified persons are members of a list of acceptable recipients for the digital media; and   outputting the digital media for viewing by the one or more identified persons if the one or more identified persons are determined to be members of the list of acceptable recipients.   
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 13 , wherein the identifying comprises:
 accessing social network data from a social network server; and   determining the identity of the one or more persons based at least in part on the social network data.   
     
     
         15 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the social network data comprises image tag data and social network image data, the image tag data identifying one or more persons in the social network image data. 
     
     
         16 . A system, comprising:
 a memory or storage device storing a program;   a processing unit operable to execute the program, wherein said execution of the program causes the processing unit to:
 input a first instance of digital media, the first instance of digital media including location and time data for the first instance of digital media; 
 input a second instance of digital media, the second instance of digital media including location and time data for the second instance of digital media; 
 evaluate the location and time data for the first instance of digital media and the location and time data for the second instance of digital media to determine whether the first instance of digital media and the second instance media were created within a geographic location or outside of a geographic location; and 
 determine whether to cluster the first instance of digital media and the second instance of digital media into an event-related group of digital media for an event by determining whether the location and time data for the second instance of digital media is within an event boundary of the location and time data for the first instance of digital media, the event boundary applied being selected from among multiple available event boundaries, the event boundary applied further being a first event boundary if the first instance of digital media and the second instance media were created within the geographic location or a second event boundary if the first instance of digital media and the second instance media were created outside of the geographic location. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said execution of the program further causes the processing unit to:
 cluster the first instance of digital media and the second instance of digital media into the event-related group of digital media if the second event boundary is applied; and   not to cluster the first instance of digital media and the second instance of digital media into the event-related group of digital media if the first event boundary is applied.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein each of the multiple available event boundaries comprises a time period criteria and a location criteria. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the geographic location corresponds to an area around a user's home, and wherein the time period criteria and the location criteria for the first event boundary are more constrained than the time period criteria and the location criteria for the second event boundary. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said execution of the program further causes the processing unit to:
 receive an indication of a selection of an event-sharing media setting from among a plurality of event-sharing media settings;   determine a set of one or more recipients for the event-related group of digital media based at least in part on the indication of the selection; and   output the group of digital media for viewing by the set of one or more recipients.   
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving instances of digital media generated by a plurality of mobile device users, each instance of digital media comprising data indicating a time and location at which the respective instance of digital media was generated;   automatically creating groups of digital media related by time and location from the received instances of digital media, the groups including a first group of digital media and a second group of digital media, the first group of digital media being different than the second group of digital media but comprising one or more common instances of digital media;   automatically notifying a first group of one or more recipients that the first group of digital media is available for viewing; and   automatically notifying a second group of one or more recipients that the second group of digital media is available for viewing.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first group of one or more recipients comprises one or more recipients that are different than the second group of one or more recipients. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving respective media-sharing settings from each of the mobile device users; and   determining the first group of one or more recipients and the second group of one or more recipients based at least in part on the respective media-sharing settings.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the media-sharing settings received is a setting for sharing with individuals identified in a social network database stored on a social network server, and wherein the method further comprises accessing the social network database in order to include the individuals in the first group of one or more recipients or in the second group of one or more recipients. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the accessing the social network is automatically performed using an application programming interface associated with the social network. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the media-sharing settings received is a setting for sharing with individuals who are identified as being members of a list of acceptable recipients for the digital media and who are further identified as being at an event with one or more of the plurality of mobile device; and
 wherein the method further comprises identifying one or more individuals who are members of a list of acceptable recipients for the digital media and who are at the event with the one or more of the plurality of mobile device users.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the identifying comprises:
 accessing a social network account;   receiving data from the social network account indicating that a selected individual is at the event;   determining that the selected individual is also on the list of acceptable recipients for the digital media; and   adding the selected individual to the first group of one or more recipients or to the second group of one or more recipients.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the identifying comprises:
 performing facial recognition on one or more of the instances of digital media, and thereby recognizing that a selected individual is present in the one or more of the instances of digital media;   determining that the selected individual is also on the list of acceptable recipients for the digital media; and   adding the selected individual to the first group of one or more recipients or to the second group of one or more recipients.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the identifying further comprises accessing a social network account and receiving data from the social network account, the data comprising image data for one or more individuals and data indicating identities of the one or more individuals; and wherein the facial recognition is performed using the data received from the social network. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the identifying comprises:
 receiving an instance of digital media from a selected individual, the time and location data being within an event boundary for one of the groups of digital media;   determining that the selected individual is also on the list of acceptable recipients for the digital media; and   adding the selected individual to the first group of one or more recipients or the second group of one or more recipients.   
     
     
         31 .- 60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 prior to the receiving, identifying, evaluating, and outputting:
 displaying a plurality of available event-sharing media settings, the available event-sharing media settings including a setting for sharing digital media data with persons recognized by the facial recognition technique that are also members of the list of acceptable recipients; and 
 receiving an indication of a selection of the setting for sharing digital media data with persons recognized by the facial recognition technique that are also members of the list of acceptable recipients. 
   
     
     
         62 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 13 , wherein the identifying and evaluating are performed automatically as digital media data is received but the outputting is performed only after a confirmation screen is displayed to a user and after the user confirms, via the confirmation screen, that the digital media is to be output for viewing by the one or more identified person.