Photo Location Assignment Using Electronic Data Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital photos captured by devices without GPS sensors or with disabled GPS sensors often lack location data, as existing technologies rely on GPS coordinates embedded in metadata, which are not available in such cases.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine a photo location by analyzing user-generated electronic information items such as emails, calendar entries, and browsing history to identify visit locations and associate them with the photo, independent of location sensors, using confidence measures to validate the accuracy of the location assignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS sensor is used to determine photo location, then location data accuracy is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses electronic information items (emails, calendar entries, browsing history) as intermediary data sources to infer visit locations. Instead of directly using GPS sensors, the system analyzes patterns in electronic information to determine locations where the user was present, thereby solving the contradiction by providing location data without requiring GPS hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/GPS-based location detection system with an information-processing system that analyzes electronic data patterns. This substitution eliminates the need for GPS sensors while still achieving location determination through computational analysis of electronic information items.
2Use of energy by moving object
If GPS sensor is disabled or unavailable, then power consumption and device complexity are reduced, but location data availability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy or alternative source of location information by analyzing electronic information items that contain location-related data. Instead of relying on GPS sensor output, the system extracts location information from emails, calendar entries, and browsing history, thereby maintaining location data availability without the power consumption of GPS sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses data that the user already generates and stores (electronic information items) to determine location. This self-service approach leverages existing user data without requiring additional sensors or external services, eliminating the need for GPS while maintaining location tracking capability.
3Measurement precision
If multiple data sources are analyzed to determine visit location, then location assignment accuracy is improved, but processing time and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies confidence measures to evaluate the strength of evidence from different data sources. Instead of equally processing all possible data sources, the system selectively focuses on sources that meet certain confidence thresholds, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining or improving location assignment accuracy through quality-over-quantity selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses confidence measures as feedback mechanisms to evaluate and prioritize different data sources. By continuously assessing the reliability of each data source and adjusting processing focus accordingly, the system optimizes the balance between processing time and location accuracy, avoiding unnecessary computation from low-confidence sources.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for identifying a photo that lacks location metadata indicating where the photo was captured and determining a photo location to associate with the photo. In some implementations, a photo associated with a user is identified that includes metadata indicating a date and/or time it was captured, but lacks location data indicating where the photo was captured. In some versions of those implementations, a relationship of the metadata of the photo to at least one of a location date and a location time associated with a visit location of the user is determined. A photo location may be determined based on the visit location and associated with the photo. In some implementations, the visit location of the user may be determined independent of any location sensor.