Organizing media items based on metadata similarities

Abstract

A media item selection application is provided for use with computing devices. The media item selection application is configured to identify media items that have significant similarities in metadata values, such as location and time period. The media item selection application is further configured to visualize similar media items as a group, depicted as a section within a collection or gallery, in which each group is a suggestion for a natural collection of media items representing an event. Where media items do not fall within a group of a particular size with significant similarities, groups are consolidated to create a second type of collection which covers a time-period between two significant groups. Further, the media item selection application is configured to depict media items that show extraordinary similarity as a virtual stack of all such media items.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 obtaining timestamp information for a plurality of media items; 
 assigning each media item of the plurality of media items to one of a plurality of media item groups based at least in part on the timestamp information, each media item group of the plurality of media item groups having at least one media item one or more media items of the plurality of media items assigned to it, the plurality of media item groups comprising a current media item group and a previous media item group, the current media item group representing a first period of time, the previous media item group representing a second period of time that is earlier than the first period of time; 
 determining a number of media items assigned to the a previous media item group, the previous media item group representing a second period of time that is earlier than the first period of time; 
 determining a number of media items assigned to the current media item group of the plurality of media item groups; 
 performing a comparison between the number of media items assigned to the current media item group and a threshold number of media items; 
 based at least on a) the comparison, b) the number of media items assigned to the previous media item group, and c) the length of the second period of time, determining to compound the current media item group with the previous media item group of the plurality of media item groups thereby forming a compound group comprising the one or more media items assigned to the current media item group and the one or more media items assigned to of the previous media item group, the compound group representing a third period of time comprising the first period of time and the second period of time; 
 wherein the previous media item group is formed by compounding at least two of the plurality of media item groups to form the previous media item group; 
 displaying on a video display an indication that the compound group represents the third period of time; and 
 wherein the method is performed by a computing device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one media item of the plurality of media items is a digital image, a digital photo, a digital video, or a digital audio file. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein length of the second period of time is greater than the length of the first period of time. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  3  1, wherein the length of the first period of time is or is approximately one day and the length of the second period of time is or is approximately multiple days. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the comparison is a first comparison; and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining a number of media items assigned to of the previous media item group; 
 performing a second comparison between the number of media items assigned to of the previous media item group and the threshold number of media items; and 
 determining to compound the current media item group with the previous media item group based at least in part on the second comparison. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining geographic location information for the plurality of media items; and 
 assigning each media item of the plurality of media items to one of a plurality of media item groups based at least in part on the geographic location information. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining digital compass heading information for the plurality of media items; and 
 assigning each media item of the plurality of media items to one of a plurality of media item groups based at least in part on the digital compass heading information. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compound group comprises a stack; wherein the stack of the compound group comprises a plurality of media items, of the plurality of media items of the compound group; and wherein the method further comprises displaying, on the video display, in association with the indication that the compound group represents the third period of time, a representation of the stack of the compound group. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 assigning a particular media item, of the plurality of media items of the compound group, to the stack of the compound group based at least in part on a comparison between a digital compass heading value associated with the particular media item and a digital compass heading value associated with another media item, of the plurality of media items of the compound group, assigned to the stack of the compound group. 
 
     
     
       10. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of a method comprising:
 obtaining timestamp information for a plurality of media items; 
 assigning each media item of the plurality of media items to one of a plurality of media item groups based at least in part on the timestamp information, each media item group of the plurality of media item groups having at least one media item one or more media items of the plurality of media items assigned to it, the plurality of media item groups comprising a current media item group and a previous media item group, the current media item group representing a first period of time, the previous media item group representing a second period of time that is earlier than the first period of time; 
 determining a number of media items assigned to the a previous media item group, the previous media item group representing a second period of time that is earlier than the first period of time; 
 determining a number of media items assigned to the current media item group of the plurality of media item groups; 
 performing a comparison between the number of media items assigned to the current media item group and a threshold number of media items; 
 based at least on a) the comparison, b) the number of media items assigned to the previous media item group, and c) the length of the second period of time, determining to compound the current media item group with the previous media item group of the plurality of media item groups thereby forming a compound group comprising the one or more media items assigned to the current media item group and the one or more media items assigned to of the previous media item group, the compound group representing a third period of time comprising the first period of time and the second period of time; 
 wherein the previous media item group is formed by compounding at least two of the plurality of media item groups to form the previous media item group; and 
 displaying on a video display an indication that the compound group represents the third period of time. 
 
     
     
       11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein at least one media item of the plurality of media items is a digital image, a digital photo, a digital video, or a digital audio file. 
     
     
       12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein length of the second period of time is greater than the length of the first period of time. 
     
     
       13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim  12  10, wherein the length of the first period of time is or is approximately one day and the length of the second period of time is or is approximately multiple days. 
     
     
       14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the comparison is a first comparison; and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining a number of media items assigned to of the previous media item group; 
 performing a second comparison between the number of media items assigned to of the previous media item group and the threshold number of media items; and 
 determining to compound the current media item group with the previous media item group based at least in part on the second comparison. 
 
     
     
       15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , the method further comprising:
 obtaining geographic location information for the plurality of media items; and 
 assigning each media item of the plurality of media items to one of a plurality of media item groups based at least in part on the geographic location information. 
 
     
     
       16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , the method further comprising:
 obtaining digital compass heading information for the plurality of media items: and 
 assigning each media item of the plurality of media items to one of a plurality of media item groups based at least in part on the digital compass heading information. 
 
     
     
       17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the compound group comprises a plurality of media items; and wherein the method further comprises:
 assigning each media item, of the plurality of media items of the compound group, to a stack, of a plurality of stacks, of the compound group; and 
 displaying, on the video display, in association with the indication that the compound group represents the third period of time, a representation of each stack, of the plurality of stacks, of the compound group. 
 
     
     
       18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 17 , wherein assigning a particular media item, of the plurality of media items of the compound group, to a stack, of the plurality of stacks of the compound group, is based at least in part on a comparison between a digital compass heading value associated with the particular media item and a digital compass heading value associated with a media item assigned to a stack, of the plurality of stacks, of the compound group. 
     
     
       19. A method comprising:
 obtaining a digital compass heading value for each of a plurality of media items; 
 obtaining timestamp information for the plurality of media items; 
 assigning each media item of the plurality of media items to one of a plurality of media item groups based at least in part on the timestamp information, each media item group of the plurality of media item groups having at least one media item one or more media items of the plurality of media items assigned to it, the plurality of media item groups comprising a current media item group and a previous media item group, the current media item group representing a first period of time, the previous media item group representing a second period of time that is earlier than the first period of time; 
 wherein the step of assigning comprises assigning at least two media items of the plurality of media items to the same group of media items based at least in part on the digital compass heading value for a first media item of the at least two media items being within a threshold compass heading angular value amount of the digital compass heading value for a second media item of the at least two media items; 
 determining a number of media items assigned to a previous media item group, the previous media item group representing a second period of time that is earlier than the first period of time; 
 determining a number of media items assigned to the current media item group of the plurality of media item groups; 
 performing a comparison between the number of media items assigned to the current media item group and a threshold number of media items; 
 based at least on a) the comparison, b) the number of media items assigned to the previous media item group, and c) the length of the second period of time, determining to compound the current media item group with the previous media item group of the plurality of media item groups thereby forming a compound group comprising the one or more media items assigned to the current media item group and the one or more media items assigned to of the previous media item group, the compound group representing a third period of time comprising the first period of time and the second period of time; 
 wherein the previous media item group is formed by compounding at least two of the plurality of media item groups to form the previous media item group; 
 displaying on a video display an indication that the compound group represents the third period of time; 
 displaying on a video display an indication that the first media item and the second media item are assigned to the same group of media items; and 
 wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein obtaining the digital compass heading values comprises extracting the digital compass heading values from data associated with the plurality of media items. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 19 , wherein obtaining the digital compass heading values comprises extracting the digital compass heading values from Exchange image file format (Exif) data associated with the plurality of media items. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising assigning the at least two media items of the plurality of media items to the same group of media items based at least in part on the digital compass heading value for the first media item being within a threshold angular value in orientation of the digital compass heading value for the second media item. 
     
     
       23. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of a method comprising:
 obtaining a digital compass heading value for each of a plurality of media items; 
 obtaining timestamp information for the plurality of media items; 
 assigning each media item of the plurality of media items to one of a plurality of media item groups based at least in part on the timestamp information, each media item group of the plurality of media item groups having at least one media item one or more media items of the plurality of media items assigned to it, the plurality of media item groups comprising a current media item group and a previous media item group, the current media item group representing a first period of time, the previous media item group representing a second period of time that is earlier than the first period of time; 
 wherein the step of assigning comprises assigning at least two media items of the plurality of media items to the same group of media items based at least in part on the digital compass heading value for a first media item of the at least two media items being within a threshold compass heading angular value amount of the digital compass heading value for a second media item of the at least two media items; 
 determining a number of media items assigned to a previous media item group, the previous media item group representing a second period of time that is earlier than the first period of time; 
 determining a number of media items assigned to the current media item group of the plurality of media item groups; 
 performing a comparison between the number of media items assigned to the current media item group and a threshold number of media items; 
 based at least on the a) comparison, b) the number of media items assigned to the previous media item group, and c) the length of the second period of time, determining to compound the current media item group with the previous media item group of the plurality of media item groups thereby forming a compound group comprising the one or more media items assigned to the current media item group and the one or more media items assigned to of the previous media item group, the compound group representing a third period of time comprising the first period of time and the second period of time; 
 wherein the previous media item group is formed by compounding at least two of the plurality of media item groups to form the previous media item group; 
 displaying on a video display an indication that the compound group represents the third period of time; and 
 displaying on a video display an indication that the first media item and the second media item are assigned to the same group of media items. 
 
     
     
       24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 23 , wherein obtaining the digital compass heading values comprising extracting the digital compass heading values from data associated with the plurality of media items. 
     
     
       25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 23 , wherein obtaining the digital compass heading values comprising extracting the digital compass heading values from Exchange image file format (Exif) data associated with the plurality of media items. 
     
     
       26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 23 , the method further comprising assigning the at least two media items of the plurality of media items to the same group of media items based at least in part on the digital compass heading value for the first media item being within a threshold angular value in orientation of the digital compass heading value for the second media item. 
     
     
       27. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim  26  23, wherein the threshold angular value in orientation is or is approximately 45 degrees.