Album Page Reduction Preserving Story Consistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

When creating an album with fewer pages than a model album, existing methods struggle to maintain the consistency of the story by simply deleting intermediate data, leading to a loss of narrative coherence.

Innovation Solution

A computer-readable storage medium with a program that selects similar images based on analysis results from both model and candidate image groups, creates a layout using these images, sets a priority order for elements, and reduces the number of pages accordingly to ensure story consistency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the number of pages of the album to be created is reduced to be smaller than the number of pages of the model album, then the productivity and efficiency of album creation is improved, but the consistency of the story of the album may be lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealbum creation efficiencyVSAvoidstory consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the model album's story structure and identifies key pages that carry essential narrative elements before the page reduction process. By pre-establishing the story framework and determining which pages contain critical story elements, the system can make informed decisions about which pages to retain or merge, thereby maintaining story consistency while achieving the desired page count reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different treatment strategies to different pages based on their local characteristics and importance to the story. Pages containing critical narrative elements are preserved with higher priority, while pages with redundant or less important content are candidates for deletion or merging. This localized quality assessment ensures that story consistency is maintained in critical sections while allowing flexibility in non-critical areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If intermediate data is simply deleted to reduce the number of pages, then the device complexity and processing time are reduced, but the consistency of the story is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing complexityVSAvoidstory coherence
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the story consistency is continuously evaluated during the page reduction process. After each deletion or merging operation, the system checks whether the remaining pages still maintain coherent narrative flow. If story consistency deteriorates below a threshold, the system adjusts its deletion strategy, preserving pages that are critical for maintaining story coherence. This feedback loop enables the system to balance processing simplicity with story integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary analysis layer that evaluates the story structure and page relationships before and during the deletion process. This intermediary component acts as a mediator between the simple deletion operation and the complex story consistency requirement, providing intelligent guidance on which pages can be safely removed without compromising the overall narrative. The intermediary analysis includes detecting scene transitions, identifying key moments, and assessing page interdependencies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11887214B2Storage medium storing program for generating album data, image processing method for generating album data, and image processing apparatus for generating album data
Publication Date: 2024.01.30 CANON KK
  • US11887214B2 patent drawing
  • US11887214B2 patent drawing
  • US11887214B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An object of the present disclosure is to reduce the number of pages while guaranteeing the consistency of the story of an album. One embodiment of the present invention is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as: a selection unit configured to select, based on analysis results of each of a plurality of model images used in a model album and analysis results of each image in a candidate image group that is used in an album, similar images similar to the model images from among the candidate image group; a creation unit configured to create a layout in which the similar images selected by the selection unit are arranged in templates of the model album; and a reducing unit configured to reduce a number of pages of the layout.