System and method for creating a customized digital image

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems for providing viewers of a digital image with information about identifiable and scenes within the image. In an embodiment, digital images, uploaded to a host website, are customized through the incorporation of some number of selectable informational links and other text based information to provide viewers of the image real-time access to social and advertising related information regarding certain identifiable objects and scenes in the image. The selectable information links are incorporated within and around the digital image in a process referred to herein as image tagging.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method comprising:
 identifying objects and scenes of interest within identifiable areas of a digitized still photo, wherein the identifiable areas comprise less than the entire digitized still photo;   identifying a product information hyperlink to be associated with one of the identifiable areas of the digitized still photo;   linking the identified product information hyperlink with said one of the identifiable areas of the digitized still photo; and   displaying the digitized still photo to a viewer;
 wherein the step of identifying the product information hyperlink includes:
 associating the product information hyperlink with descriptive text associated with said one of the identifiable areas, said displaying step including displaying the descriptive text to the viewer together with the digitized still photo. 
 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the product information hyperlink is automatically associated with the descriptive text as a result of performing an automatic search query with respect to at least one term in the descriptive text. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the product information hyperlink is manually associated with the descriptive text. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the objects and scenes of interest in the digitized still photo are associated with the identifiable areas of the digitized still photo by circumscribing each of said areas. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the viewer, a selection of the product information hyperlink;   retrieving information, from an address included in the selected product information hyperlink, said address identifying a location of content on an electronic network; and   displaying said retrieved information to the viewer.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the retrieved information is displayed to the viewer whenever the viewer scrolls over the identifiable area associated with the product information hyperlink. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the product information hyperlink is displayed to the viewer as part of a pop-up window. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the product information hyperlink is displayed to the viewer as part of a banner ad. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving the descriptive text as input from a supplier of the digitized still photo.   
     
     
         32 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory connected to the processor and storing instructions for operating the processor to perform the steps of:
 identifying objects and scenes of interest within identifiable areas of a digitized still photo, wherein the identifiable areas comprise less than the entire digitized still photo; 
 identifying a product information hyperlink to be associated with one of the identifiable areas of the digitized still photo; 
 linking the identified product information hyperlink with said one of the identifiable areas of the digitized still photo; and 
 displaying the digitized still photo to a viewer; 
 wherein the step of identifying the product information hyperlink includes:
 associating the product information hyperlink with descriptive text associated with said one of the identifiable areas, said displaying step including displaying the descriptive text to the viewer together with the digitized still photo. 
 
   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the product information hyperlink is automatically associated with the descriptive text as a result of performing an automatic search query with respect to at least one term in the descriptive text. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the product information hyperlink is manually associated with the descriptive text. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the objects and scenes of interest in the digitized still photo are associated with the identifiable areas of the digitized still photo by circumscribing each of said areas. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the processor is further operative to:
 receive, from the viewer, a selection of the product information hyperlink;   retrieve information, from an address included in the selected product information hyperlink, said address identifying a location of content on an electronic network; and   display said retrieved information to the viewer.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the retrieved information is displayed to the viewer whenever the viewer scrolls over the identifiable area associated with the product information hyperlink. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the product information hyperlink is displayed to the viewer as part of a pop-up window. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the product information hyperlink is displayed to the viewer as part of a banner ad. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the processor is further operative to receive the descriptive text as input from a supplier of the digitized still photo.