U.S. patent application number 16/058779 was filed with the patent office on 2018-12-06 for ensuring a desired distribution of content in a multimedia document for different demographic groups utilizing demographic information.
The applicant listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Lisa M. Bradley, Brian O'Donovan, Aaron J. Quirk, Lin Sun.
Application Number | 20180349681 16/058779 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56850561 |
Filed Date | 2018-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180349681 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bradley; Lisa M. ; et
al. |
December 6, 2018 |
ENSURING A DESIRED DISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT IN A MULTIMEDIA DOCUMENT
FOR DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS UTILIZING DEMOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION
Abstract
A method, system and computer program product for ensuring a
desired distribution of images in a multimedia document among
different demographic groups. Demographic criteria (e.g., age) is
received to form demographic groups of members of an organization.
Demographic information along with interests of the members are
retrieved. Such member data is analyzed within the constraints of
the demographic criteria to generate a statistical distribution of
members of the organization that forms an initially desired
distribution of content of the multimedia document among the
demographic groups of the organization. An indication is then
provided to the user regarding whether the current distribution of
the content of the multimedia document among the demographic groups
of the organization satisfies or does not satisfy the desired
distribution of content among the demographic groups. In this
manner, the user can ensure a desired distribution of content in
the multimedia document among different demographic groups.
Inventors: |
Bradley; Lisa M.; (Cary,
NC) ; O'Donovan; Brian; (Dublin, IE) ; Quirk;
Aaron J.; (Cary, NC) ; Sun; Lin; (Morrisville,
NC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56850561 |
Appl. No.: |
16/058779 |
Filed: |
August 8, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14821981 |
Aug 10, 2015 |
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16058779 |
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14635854 |
Mar 2, 2015 |
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14821981 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/9535 20190101;
G06T 11/60 20130101; G06K 9/00268 20130101; G06K 9/00281 20130101;
G06K 9/00288 20130101; G06Q 30/0254 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06K 9/00 20060101
G06K009/00; G06T 11/60 20060101 G06T011/60; G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02; G06F 17/30 20060101 G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A computer program product for ensuring a desired distribution
of images in a multimedia document among different demographic
groups, the computer program product comprising a computer readable
storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program
code comprising the programming instructions for: receiving
demographic criteria to form demographic groups of members of an
organization; retrieving demographic information of said members of
said organization; retrieving interests of said members of said
organization; analyzing said demographic information and said
interests of said members of said organization within constraints
of said demographic criteria to generate a statistical distribution
of members to form a desired distribution of content of said
multimedia document among said demographic groups of said
organization; receiving content of said multimedia document for
analysis; analyzing said content of said multimedia document based
on said demographic criteria; determining a current distribution of
said content of said multimedia document among said demographic
groups of said organization based on said analysis; and adjusting
said content of said multimedia document by adding or deleting
images to satisfy said desired distribution of content among said
demographic groups of said organization in response to said current
distribution of said content of said multimedia document among said
demographic groups of said organization not satisfying said desired
distribution of content among said demographic groups of said
organization.
2. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the
program code further comprises the programming instructions for:
providing an indication that said current distribution of said
content of said multimedia document among said demographic groups
of said organization satisfies or does not satisfy said desired
distribution of content among said demographic groups of said
organization.
3. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the
program code further comprises the programming instructions for:
receiving source images of said content of said multimedia
document.
4. The computer program product as recited in claim 3, wherein the
program code further comprises the programming instructions for:
providing images from said source images of said content of said
multimedia document to be added to said multimedia document to
adjust said content of said multimedia document to satisfy said
desired distribution of content among said demographic groups of
said organization.
5. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the
program code further comprises the programming instructions for:
providing images from said content of said multimedia document to
be deleted from said multimedia document to adjust said content of
said multimedia document to satisfy said desired distribution of
content among said demographic groups of said organization.
6. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the
program code further comprises the programming instructions for:
storing said generated statistical distribution of members that
form said desired distribution of content of said multimedia
document among said demographic groups of said organization.
7. The computer program product as recited in claim 6, wherein the
program code further comprises the programming instructions for:
receiving information pertaining to said content of said multimedia
document; and adjusting said stored statistical distribution of
members that form said desired distribution of content of said
multimedia document among said demographic groups of said
organization based on said received content information.
8. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein said
analysis of said content of said multimedia document based on said
demographic criteria utilizes a facial recognition algorithm.
9. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein said
demographic criteria comprises one or more of the following: age,
race, gender, department, interest, religion and family
classification.
10. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein
said multimedia document comprises one of the following: a
yearbook, a slideshow, a video and a website.
11. A system, comprising: a memory for storing a computer program
for ensuring a desired distribution of images in a multimedia
document among different demographic groups; and a processor
connected to said memory, wherein said processor is configured to
execute the program instructions of the computer program
comprising: receiving demographic criteria to form demographic
groups of members of an organization; retrieving demographic
information of said members of said organization; retrieving
interests of said members of said organization; analyzing said
demographic information and said interests of said members of said
organization within constraints of said demographic criteria to
generate a statistical distribution of members to form a desired
distribution of content of said multimedia document among said
demographic groups of said organization; receiving content of said
multimedia document for analysis; analyzing said content of said
multimedia document based on said demographic criteria; determining
a current distribution of said content of said multimedia document
among said demographic groups of said organization based on said
analysis; and adjusting said content of said multimedia document by
adding or deleting images to satisfy said desired distribution of
content among said demographic groups of said organization in
response to said current distribution of said content of said
multimedia document among said demographic groups of said
organization not satisfying said desired distribution of content
among said demographic groups of said organization.
12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the program
instructions of the computer program further comprise: providing an
indication that said current distribution of said content of said
multimedia document among said demographic groups of said
organization satisfies or does not satisfy said desired
distribution of content among said demographic groups of said
organization.
13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the program
instructions of the computer program further comprise: receiving
source images of said content of said multimedia document.
14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the program
instructions of the computer program further comprise: providing
images from said source images of said content of said multimedia
document to be added to said multimedia document to adjust said
content of said multimedia document to satisfy said desired
distribution of content among said demographic groups of said
organization.
15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the program
instructions of the computer program further comprise: providing
images from said content of said multimedia document to be deleted
from said multimedia document to adjust said content of said
multimedia document to satisfy said desired distribution of content
among said demographic groups of said organization.
16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the program
instructions of the computer program further comprise: storing said
generated statistical distribution of members that form said
desired distribution of content of said multimedia document among
said demographic groups of said organization.
17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the program
instructions of the computer program further comprise: receiving
information pertaining to said content of said multimedia document;
and adjusting said stored statistical distribution of members that
form said desired distribution of content of said multimedia
document among said demographic groups of said organization based
on said received content information.
18. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said analysis of
said content of said multimedia document based on said demographic
criteria utilizes a facial recognition algorithm.
19. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said demographic
criteria comprises one or more of the following: age, race, gender,
department, interest, religion and family classification.
20. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said multimedia
document comprises one of the following: a yearbook, a slideshow, a
video and a website.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates generally to creating
multimedia documents, and more particularly to ensuring a desired
distribution of content (e.g., images) in a multimedia document
(e.g., yearbook, slideshow, video, website) for different
demographic groups (e.g., a group of individuals in their 20s)
utilizing demographic information (e.g., age, gender).
BACKGROUND
[0002] Generating a multimedia document, such as a yearbook or
slideshow, that includes a set of images that is representative of
different demographic groups (e.g., a group of individuals in their
20s, a group of individuals in their 30s, etc.) within a large
group of members (e.g., employees at a company) can be a difficult
task. For example, it takes a lot of effort and time in creating an
end of the year slideshow for an organization (e.g., company,
non-profit organization) that includes pictures of members of the
organization (e.g., employees of company). The creator(s) of the
slideshow may want to ensure that each demographic group (e.g.,
groups based on age, race, gender) is not overly or inadequately
represented in comparison to the other demographic groups in order
to provide fairness and increase member enjoyment. For example, the
creator(s) of the yearbook may want to ensure that the slideshow
does not include many images of a particular demographic group
(e.g., twenty pictures of males) while only including a single
image of another class demographic group (e.g., a single picture of
a female). However, the creator(s) of the slideshow may have
hundreds or thousands of images of hundreds of members of the
organization to choose to include in the slideshow. As a result, it
may be overwhelming for the creator(s) of the slideshow to ensure
that each member of the organization is adequately represented in
the slideshow and that there are not some members that are overly
represented in the yearbook.
[0003] Currently, a multimedia document, such as a slideshow, may
be generated by selecting an image for inclusion in the slideshow,
where the image has associated facial detection information. A face
location is determined in the selected image based on the facial
detection information and the selected image is cropped based on
the determined face location to generate a cropped image depicting
the included face. The cropped image is inserted into a slide
associated with the slideshow. However, there is not currently an
approach in ensuring a specific distribution of images in the
slideshow for various demographic groups, such as ensuring a
particular demographic group is not overly or insufficiently
represented in the slideshow.
[0004] Furthermore, a multimedia document, such as a yearbook, may
be designed and created utilizing a facial recognition module for
identifying a subject in a photo and tagging the photo with an
identity of the subject. Identifying the subject may include
comparing the photo to a plurality of previously tagged photos to
identify the subject. However, there is not currently an approach
in ensuring a specific distribution of images for demographic
groups in the yearbook. For example, there is not currently an
approach in ensuring that each demographic group has a minimum
number of images in the yearbook. Neither is there currently an
approach in ensuring that there is a certain percentage of images
out of the total number of images in the yearbook for a particular
demographic group.
[0005] Therefore, there is a need in the art for ensuring a desired
distribution of images for various demographic groups in a
multimedia document (e.g., yearbook, slideshow, video, web
site).
SUMMARY
[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for
ensuring a desired distribution of images in a multimedia document
among different demographic groups comprises receiving demographic
criteria to form demographic groups of members of an organization.
The method further comprises retrieving demographic information of
the members of the organization. The method additionally comprises
retrieving interests of the members of the organization.
Furthermore, the method comprises analyzing the demographic
information and the interests of the members of the organization
within constraints of the demographic criteria to generate a
statistical distribution of members to form a desired distribution
of content of the multimedia document among the demographic groups
of the organization. Additionally, the method comprises receiving
content of the multimedia document for analysis. In addition, the
method comprises analyzing the content of the multimedia document
based on the demographic criteria. The method further comprises
determining a current distribution of the content of the multimedia
document among the demographic groups of the organization based on
the analysis. The method additionally comprises adjusting the
content of the multimedia document by adding or deleting images to
satisfy the desired distribution of content among the demographic
groups of the organization in response to the current distribution
of the content of the multimedia document among the demographic
groups of the organization not satisfying the desired distribution
of content among the demographic groups of the organization.
[0007] Other forms of the embodiment of the method described above
are in a system and in a computer program product.
[0008] The foregoing has outlined rather generally the features and
technical advantages of one or more embodiments of the present
invention in order that the detailed description of the present
invention that follows may be better understood. Additional
features and advantages of the present invention will be described
hereinafter which may form the subject of the claims of the present
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] A better understanding of the present invention can be
obtained when the following detailed description is considered in
conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a network system configured in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a hardware configuration of a computing
device for practicing the principles of the present invention in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a diagram of the software components used in
connection with ensuring a desired distribution of images in a
multimedia document among different demographic groups in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for generating a desired
statistical distribution of images in the multimedia document among
demographic groups of the organization in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for ensuring a desired
distribution of images in the multimedia document among different
demographic groups of the organization in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The present invention comprises a method, system and
computer program product for ensuring a desired distribution of
images in a multimedia document among different demographic groups.
In one embodiment of the present invention, demographic criteria
(e.g., age, race, gender) is received from a user to form
demographic groups of members of an organization (e.g., demographic
group of females aged 11-20 years old). Demographic information
(e.g., age, gender, race) of members of the organization along with
interests of members of the organization are retrieved. Such member
data is analyzed within the constraints of the received demographic
criteria to generate a statistical distribution of members of the
organization that initially forms a desired distribution of content
(e.g., images, video, text, voice) of the multimedia document among
the demographic groups of the organization. For example, if the
demographic criteria received was to form demographic groups based
on age, then a statistical distribution of members of the
organization based on age may appear as follows: aged 11-20 (5%);
aged 21-30 (20%); aged 31-40 (40%); aged 41-50 (20%); aged 51-60
(10%); aged 61 and older (5%), where the percentage indicates a
percentage of the members of the organization with an age in that
corresponding demographic group. The content of the multimedia
document (e.g., yearbook, slideshow, video, website) created by the
user is then received for analysis. The content of the multimedia
document is analyzed based on the demographic criteria. For
example, if the demographic criteria received were to form
demographic groups based on gender, then the content (e.g.,
pictures) of the multimedia document is analyzed for images of
individuals based on gender. The current distribution of the
content of the multimedia document among the demographic groups of
the organization is determined based on this analysis. For example,
it may be determined that out of the 1,000 images analyzed, 700 of
them were pictures of males and 300 of them were pictures of
females. A determination is then made as to whether the current
distribution of content among the demographic groups of the
organization satisfies the desired distribution of content among
the demographic groups. For example, it may be determined that out
of the 100 slides of the slideshow, 70 slides depict men and 30
slides depict women. Such a content distribution (70 slides of men
and 30 slides) may be compared to the desired distribution of
content among the demographic groups of the organization, such as a
statistical distribution of members of the organization based on
gender: male (65%) and female (35%). In such an example, the
current distribution of content among the demographic groups of the
organization does not satisfy the desired distribution of content
among the demographic groups since 70% of the slides depict men as
opposed to 65% and only 30% of the slides depict females as opposed
to 35%. An indication may then be provided to the user regarding
whether the current distribution of the content of the multimedia
document among the demographic groups of the organization satisfies
or does not satisfy the desired distribution of content among the
demographic groups of the organization. In this manner, the user
can ensure a desired distribution of content in the multimedia
document (e.g., yearbook, slideshow, video, website) among
different demographic groups.
[0016] In the following description, numerous specific details are
set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present
invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art
that the present invention may be practiced without such specific
details. In other instances, well-known circuits have been shown in
block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in
unnecessary detail. For the most part, details considering timing
considerations and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such
details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the
present invention and are within the skills of persons of ordinary
skill in the relevant art.
[0017] Referring now to the Figures in detail, FIG. 1 illustrates a
network system 100 configured in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention. Network system 100 includes a computing
device 101 connected to a database 102 via a network 103. Computing
device 101 may be any type of computing device (e.g., portable
computing unit, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), smartphone,
laptop computer, mobile phone, navigation device, game console,
desktop computer system, workstation, Internet appliance and the
like) configured with the capability of connecting to database 102
via network 103. A hardware configuration of a computing device 101
is discussed below in connection with FIG. 2.
[0018] Network 103 may be, for example, a local area network, a
wide area network, a wireless wide area network, a circuit-switched
telephone network, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
network, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) network, a WiFi
network, an IEEE 802.11 standards network, various combinations
thereof, etc. Other networks, whose descriptions are omitted here
for brevity, may also be used in conjunction with system 100 of
FIG. 1 without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
[0019] Database 102 is configured to store demographic information
(e.g., age, gender) for members (e.g., employees) of an
organization (e.g., non-profit organization, corporation). In one
embodiment, database 102 may further be configured to store
profiles of the members containing information, such as the
employee's interest, skills, roles and family members. In one
embodiment, database 102 is configured to store the statistical
distribution of members of the organization that corresponds to the
desired distribution of content of a multimedia document (e.g.,
yearbook, slideshow, video, website) among the different
demographic groups (e.g., males aged 21-30, males aged 31-40) of
the organization as discussed further below in connection with
FIGS. 3-4. While FIG. 1 illustrates a single database 102, network
system 100 may include any number of databases 102 that may store
in combination or separately one or more of the different types of
information discussed above.
[0020] Referring now to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 illustrates a hardware
configuration of a computing device 101 (FIG. 1) for practicing the
principles of the present invention in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] As illustrated in FIG. 2, computing device 101 has a
processor 201 coupled to various other components by system bus
202. An operating system 203 runs on processor 201 and provides
control and coordinates the functions of the various components of
FIG. 2. An application 204 in accordance with the principles of the
present invention runs in conjunction with operating system 203 and
provides calls to operating system 203 where the calls implement
the various functions or services to be performed by application
204. Application 204 may include, for example, an application for
ensuring a desired distribution of images in a multimedia document
among different demographic groups (e.g., males aged 21-30, males
aged 31-40) as discussed below in association with FIGS. 3-5.
[0022] Referring again to FIG. 2, read-only memory ("ROM") 205 is
coupled to system bus 202 and includes a basic input/output system
("BIOS") that controls certain basic functions of computing device
101. Random access memory ("RAM") 206 and disk adapter 207 are also
coupled to system bus 202. It should be noted that software
components including operating system 203 and application 204 may
be loaded into RAM 206, which may be computing device's 101 main
memory for execution. Disk adapter 207 may be an integrated drive
electronics ("IDE") adapter that communicates with a disk unit 208,
e.g., disk drive. It is noted that the program for ensuring a
desired distribution of images in a multimedia document among
different demographic groups (e.g., males aged 21-30, males aged
31-40), as discussed below in association with FIGS. 3-5, may
reside in disk unit 208 or in application 204.
[0023] Computing device 101 may further include a communications
adapter 209 coupled to bus 202. Communications adapter 209
interconnects bus 202 with an outside network (e.g., network 103 of
FIG. 1) thereby enabling computing device 101 to communicate with
other devices, such as database 102 (FIG. 1).
[0024] I/O devices may also be connected to computing device 101
via a user interface adapter 210 and a display adapter 211.
Keyboard 212, mouse 213 and speaker 214 may all be interconnected
to bus 202 through user interface adapter 210. A display monitor
215 may be connected to system bus 202 by display adapter 211. In
this manner, a user is capable of inputting to computing device 101
through keyboard 212 or mouse 213 and receiving output from
computing device 101 via display 215 or speaker 214.
[0025] The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a
computer program product. The computer program product may include
a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer
readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to
carry out aspects of the present invention.
[0026] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible
device that can retain and store instructions for use by an
instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium
may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage
device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an
electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or
any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of
more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium
includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk,
a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static
random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a
floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or
raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon,
and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable
storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being
transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely
propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves
propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g.,
light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical
signals transmitted through a wire.
[0027] Computer readable program instructions described herein can
be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a
computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or
external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a
local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network.
The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical
transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,
switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter
card or network interface in each computing/processing device
receives computer readable program instructions from the network
and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage
in a computer readable storage medium within the respective
computing/processing device.
[0028] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out
operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions,
instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine
instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware
instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object
code written in any combination of one or more programming
languages, including an object oriented programming language such
as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural
programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or
similar programming languages. The computer readable program
instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on
the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on
the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on
the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote
computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type
of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area
network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external
computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet
Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry
including, for example, programmable logic circuitry,
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays
(PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by
utilizing state information of the computer readable program
instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to
perform aspects of the present invention.
[0029] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with
reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of
methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products
according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood
that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block
diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations
and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable
program instructions.
[0030] These computer readable program instructions may be provided
to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose
computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to
produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via
the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts
specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in
a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a
programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable
storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an
article of manufacture including instructions which implement
aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.
[0031] The computer readable program instructions may also be
loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing
apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps
to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or
other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that
the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable
apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified
in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0032] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate
the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this
regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent
a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one
or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the
functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in
the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in
fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may
sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of
the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations
of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can
be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that
perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations
of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0033] As stated in the Background section, generating a multimedia
document, such as a yearbook or slideshow, that includes a set of
images that is representative of different demographic groups
(e.g., a group of individuals in their 20s, a group of individuals
in their 30s, etc.) within a large group of members (e.g.,
employees at a company) can be a difficult task. For example, it
takes a lot of effort and time in creating an end of the year
slideshow for an organization (e.g., company, non-profit
organization) that includes pictures of members of the organization
(e.g., employees of company). The creator(s) of the slideshow may
want to ensure that each demographic group (e.g., groups based on
age, race, gender) is not overly or inadequately represented in
comparison to the other demographic groups in order to provide
fairness and increase member enjoyment. For example, the creator(s)
of the yearbook may want to ensure that the slideshow does not
include many images of a particular demographic group (e.g., twenty
pictures of males) while only including a single image of another
class demographic group (e.g., a single picture of a female).
However, the creator(s) of the slideshow may have hundreds or
thousands of images of hundreds of members of the organization to
choose to include in the slideshow. As a result, it may be
overwhelming for the creator(s) of the slideshow to ensure that
each member of the organization is adequately represented in the
slideshow and that there are not some members that are overly
represented in the yearbook. Therefore, there is a need in the art
for ensuring a desired distribution of images for various
demographic groups in a multimedia document (e.g., yearbook,
slideshow, video, website).
[0034] The principles of the present invention provide a means for
ensuring a desired distribution of images in a multimedia document
among different demographic groups as discussed below in connection
with FIGS. 3-5. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the software components used
in connection with ensuring a desired distribution of images in a
multimedia document among different demographic groups. FIG. 4 is a
flowchart of a method for generating a desired statistical
distribution of images in the multimedia document among demographic
groups of the organization. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for
ensuring a desired distribution of images in the multimedia
document among different demographic groups of the
organization.
[0035] As stated above, FIG. 3 is a diagram of the software
components used in connection with ensuring a desired distribution
of images in a multimedia document among different demographic
groups in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
In one embodiment, these software components may reside in
application 204 (FIG. 2).
[0036] The following provides a brief description of these software
components. A more detailed description of these software
components is provided below in conjunction with FIGS. 4-5, where
their functionalities are discussed below in connection with the
methods of FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 3, the software components include a
configuration module 301 configured to form the demographic groups
(e.g., members aged between 21-30 years old) of the organization
using demographic criteria (e.g., age) provided by the user of
computing device 101.
[0038] The software components further include an analysis module
302 configured to analyze demographic information and the interests
of the members (e.g., employees) of an organization (e.g.,
non-profit organization, company) to generate a statistical
distribution of members of the organization that forms the desired
distribution of content among the demographic groups of the
organization. For example, if the demographic criteria was to form
demographic groups based on age, then a statistical distribution of
members of the organization based on age may appear as follows:
aged 11-20 (5%); aged 21-30 (20%); aged 31-40 (40%); aged 41-50
(20%); aged 51-60 (10%); aged 61 and older (5%), where the
percentage indicates a percentage of the members of the
organization with an age in that corresponding demographic
group.
[0039] Furthermore, the software components include a summary
module 303 configured to record and store the generated statistical
distribution of members of the organization for future use.
[0040] Additionally, the software components include a content
input module 304 configured to receive content of a multimedia
document (e.g., yearbook, slideshow, video, website) for analysis.
The software component of content mining module 305 analyzes the
contents of the multimedia document based on the demographic
criteria provided by the user to determine the current distribution
of content of the multimedia document among the demographic groups
of the organization.
[0041] Furthermore, the software components include an alert module
306 configured to provide an indication to the user of computing
device 101 regarding whether the current distribution of content
among the demographic groups of the organization satisfies the
desired distribution of content among the demographic groups.
[0042] A more detailed description of the functionalities of these
software components is provided below in connection with FIGS.
4-5.
[0043] As stated above, FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method 400 for
generating a desired statistical distribution of images in the
multimedia document among demographic groups of the organization in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 4, in conjunction with FIGS. 1-3, in step
401, configuration module 301 receives demographic criteria (e.g.,
age, race, gender, department, interest, religion, family
classification (e.g., brother, son, parent, child, adult), etc.) to
form groups (referred to herein as "demographic groups") of
individuals or members within an organization (e.g., non-profit
organization, company). For example, a user may input to computing
device 101 one or more demographic criteria to be used to form
demographic groups of members of an organization. For instance, the
user may input the demographic criteria of age to be used to form
demographic groups of members of an organization. As discussed
further below, configuration module 301 may form demographic groups
of members of the organization based on age, such as based on
members being in their 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. Furthermore, the user
may input multiple demographic criteria that may be used in
combination to form demographic groups of members of the
organization. For example, the user may input the demographic
criteria of age and gender to be used to form demographic groups of
members of an organization. As a result, a demographic group of
females aged 11-20, a demographic group of males aged 11-20, a
demographic group of females aged 21-30, a demographic group of
males aged 21-30, etc. of those members of the organization that
satisfy such criteria may be formed.
[0045] In step 402, configuration module 301 retrieves the
demographic information (e.g., age, gender, race) of members of the
organization. Such information may be retrieved from profiles of
the members stored at the organization's data center, such as in a
database (e.g., database 102)
[0046] In step 403, configuration module 301 retrieves the
interests of members of the organization. In one embodiment, the
interests of members of the organization may be stored in profiles,
such as at the organization's data center, such as in a database
(e.g., database 102). In another embodiment, configuration module
301 retrieves the interests of members of the organization via
social networking sites, such as Facebook.RTM. and
LinkedIn.RTM..
[0047] In step 404, analysis module 302 analyzes the member data,
such as the demographic information and interests retrieved in
steps 402, 403), within the constraints of the demographic criteria
received in step 401 to generate a statistical distribution of
members of the organization to form an initially desired
distribution of content (e.g., images, video, text, voice) of the
multimedia document among the demographic groups of the
organization. The initial desired distribution of content of the
multimedia document may be adjusted as discussed further below in
connection with step 504. For example, if the demographic criteria
received in step 401 was to form demographic groups based on age,
then a statistical distribution of members of the organization
based on age may appear as follows: aged 11-20 (5%); aged 21-30
(20%); aged 31-40 (40%); aged 41-50 (20%); aged 51-60 (10%); aged
61 and older (5%), where the percentage indicates a percentage of
the members of the organization with an age in that corresponding
demographic group.
[0048] In another example, if the demographic criteria received in
step 401 was to form demographic groups based on gender, then a
statistical distribution of members of the organization based on
age may appear as follows: male (65%) and female (35%), where the
percentage indicates a percentage of the members of the
organization with a gender in that corresponding demographic
group.
[0049] In a further example, the user may provide multiple
demographic criteria in step 401 to form demographic groups of
members within the organization. For example, the user may indicate
to use both age and gender as criteria for forming demographic
groups of members within the organization. As a result, a
statistical distribution of members of the organization based on
age and gender may appear as follows: female aged 11-20 (5%); male
aged 11-20 (10%); female aged 21-30 (10%); male aged 21-30 (15%);
female aged 31-40 (10%); male aged 31-40 (20%); female aged 41-50
(5%); male aged 41-50 (10%); female aged 51-60 (3%); male aged
51-60 (6%), female aged 61 and older (2%); male aged 61 and older
(4%), where the percentage indicates a percentage of the members of
the organization with an age and gender in that corresponding
demographic group.
[0050] In step 405, summary module 303 stores the statistical
distribution of members of the organization generated in step 404,
such as in database 101, for future use.
[0051] As discussed above, the statistical distribution of members
of the organization generated in step 404 forms the desired
distribution of content (e.g., images, video, text, voice) of the
multimedia document among the demographic groups of the
organization as discussed below in connection with FIG. 5.
[0052] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method 500 for ensuring a desired
distribution of images in the multimedia document among different
demographic groups of the organization in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 5, in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4, in step
501, content input module 304 receives the source images of the
content of the multimedia document. These source images may provide
the source of the content (e.g., pictures, weekly newspapers for
the past six months) that was used by the user to create the
multimedia document (e.g., yearbook, slideshow, video, website)
that will be analyzed in step 505 as discussed below. Furthermore,
these source images may include additional images that were not
utilized by the user to create the multimedia document.
[0054] In step 502, content input module 304 receives the content
of the multimedia document (e.g., yearbook, slideshow, video,
website) created by the user for analysis.
[0055] In step 503, content input module 304 receives information
pertaining to the content of the multimedia document from the user.
For example, the user may indicate that the content (slides of a
slideshow) pertains to football since the slideshow is a
presentation of pictures taken at the Super Bowl party. Such
information may be used by content input module 304 to adjust the
stored statistical distribution of members of the organization
generated in step 404 that formed the desired distribution of
content (e.g., images, video, text, voice) of the multimedia
document among the demographic groups of the organization.
[0056] In step 504, content input module 304 optionally adjusts the
stored statistical distribution of members (generated in step 404)
that form the desired distribution of content of the multimedia
document among the demographic groups of the organization based on
the received content information. For example, suppose that the
demographic criteria received in step 401 was to form demographic
groups based on gender and a statistical distribution of members of
the organization based on age was generated as follows: male (65%)
and female (35%), where the percentage indicates a percentage of
the members of the organization with a gender in that corresponding
demographic group. Based on the analysis of the member's interest
in step 404, content input module 304 may determine that out of the
1,000 employees, 700 of them are interested in football. Out of
these 700 employees, computing device 101 determines that 80% of
them are male and 20% of them are female based on gender
information that may be obtained from their profile. As a result,
the desired distribution of content of the multimedia document
among the demographic groups of the organization may be modified to
be male (80%) and female (20%). That is, the stored statistical
distribution of members (generated in step 404) that form the
desired distribution of content of the multimedia document among
the demographic groups of the organization is modified based on the
received content information. The modified statistical distribution
of members may be stored in database 102.
[0057] In step 505, content mining module 305 analyzes the content
of the multimedia document based on the demographic criteria
received in step 401. For example, if the demographic criteria
received in step 401 was to form demographic groups based on
gender, then computing device 101 analyzes the content (e.g.,
pictures) for images of individual based on gender. In one
embodiment, computing device 101 utilizes a face recognition
algorithm that can determine a gender with a certain probability
based on features of the shape of the face (males tend to have
square-shaped faces with more intricate hairlines and slightly
square jawlines as well as have longer faces at the bottom to
accommodate a longer upper lip and lengthy chin), facial features
(e.g., females' eyebrows are more arched and sit higher above the
rims of the eyes, while males' eyebrows sit slightly above the brow
bone) and bone structure (e.g., brow bossing is more pronounced in
men, women tend to have foreheads that are more rounded and
vertical, women tend to have higher cheekbones than men do, men
tend to have hollower cheeks).
[0058] In another example, if the demographic criteria received in
step 401 was to form demographic groups based on age, then
computing device 101 analyzes the content (e.g., pictures) for
images of individual based on age. For example, an age may be
estimated using a face recognition algorithm by analyzing each
section of the person's cheek, eye, brow, mouth and jowl looking
for shading variations that signal lines, dark spots, drooping and
other age-related changes in comparison with a known sample of
images of individuals with a known age. In one embodiment, dot
"landmarks" may be placed on the image to determine a target area.
The dots are connected to make triangles where computing device 101
looks for variations in color and texture within each triangle.
More variation than average within an area often indicates an older
face. Major regions are considered and assigned ages. The
combination results in a "perceived age." Such major regions may
include the forehead where horizontal creases and lines around the
brow ridge may indicate age (more horizontal creases and lines the
older the individual may be). Another major region is the brow
region where vertical lines appear between the eyebrows in people
who tend to furrow them (vertical lines may be used to indicate
age). Another major region is the area around the eyes where crow's
feet and bags below the eye can begin to appear in the mid-20s.
Furthermore, a major region may be the nose area where the tip of
the nose becomes more bulbous with age. The cheek/jowl area may be
another major region where cheeks may start to sag with age and the
wrinkles develop in the cheeks with age. The mouth may also be
another major region where collagen declines making the lips
thinner with age and the mouth begins to drop at the corners with
age.
[0059] Other examples include estimating a person's ethnicity using
facial recognition software that utilizes ethnicity-sensitive image
features and probabilistic graphical models to represent ethnic
classes. The ethnicity sensitive image features are derived from
groups of image features so that each grouping of the image
features contributes to more accurate recognition of the ethnic
class. The ethnicity-sensitive image features can be derived from
image filters that are matched to different colors, sizes, and
shapes of facial features, such as eyes, mouth, or complexion. The
ethnicity-sensitive image features serve as observable quantities
in the ethnic class-dependent probabilistic graphical models, where
each probabilistic graphical model represents one ethnic class. A
given input facial image is corrected for pose and lighting, and
ethnicity-sensitive image features are extracted. The extracted
image features are fed to the ethnicity-dependent probabilistic
graphical models to determine the ethnic class of the input facial
image.
[0060] In step 506, content mining module 305 determines the
current distribution of the content of the multimedia document
among the demographic groups (demographic groups formed in light of
the demographic criteria received in step 401) of the organization
based on the analysis of step 505. For example, content mining
module 305 may determine that out of the 1,000 images analyzed, 700
of them were pictures of males and 300 of them were pictures of
females.
[0061] In step 507, a determination is made by content mining
module 305 as to whether the current distribution of content among
the demographic groups (demographic groups formed in light of the
demographic criteria received in step 401) of the organization
satisfies the desired distribution of content among the demographic
groups. For example, content mining module 305 may determine that
out of the 100 slides of the slideshow, 70 slides depicted men and
30 slides depicted women. Such a content distribution (70 slides of
men and 30 slides) may be compared to the desired distribution of
content among the demographics groups of the organization, such as
a statistical distribution of members of the organization based on
age: male (65%) and female (35%). In such an example, the current
distribution of content among the demographic groups of the
organization does not satisfy the desired distribution of content
among the demographic groups since 70% of the slides depict men as
opposed to 65% and only 30% of the slides depict females as opposed
to 35%. If, however, the content distribution of the slides of the
slideshow were 65 slides depicting men and 35 slides depicting
women, then the current distribution of content among the
demographic groups of the organization may be said to satisfy the
desired distribution of content among the demographic groups.
[0062] If the current distribution of content among the demographic
groups (demographic groups formed in light of the demographic
criteria received in step 401) of the organization satisfy the
desired distribution of content among the demographic groups, then,
in step 508, alert module 306 provides an indication (e.g., textual
notification) that the current distribution of content satisfies
the desired distribution of content among the demographic groups of
the organization.
[0063] If, however, the current distribution of content among the
demographic groups (demographic groups formed in light of the
demographic criteria received in step 401) of the organization does
not satisfy the desired distribution of content among the
demographic groups, then, in step 509, alert module 306 provides an
indication (e.g., textual notification) that the current
distribution of content does not satisfy the desired distribution
of content among the demographic groups of the organization.
[0064] In step 510, content mining module 305 adjusts the content
of the multimedia document to satisfy the desired distribution of
content among the demographic groups of the organization. For
example, content mining module 305 may provide images to the user
from the source images of the content of the multimedia document
(received in step 501) to be added to the multimedia document to
adjust the content of the multimedia document for a particular
demographic group to satisfy the desired distribution of content
for that demographic group of the organization when the current
distribution of content for that demographic group does not satisfy
the desired distribution of content for that demographic group. For
instance, if the current distribution of slides in the slideshow
includes 30 slides of women out of a total of 100 slides and the
desired distribution of slides that include females is 35%, then
content mining module 305 may provide additional images of females
(e.g., five images) from the source images that have not been
included in the multimedia document to the user to be added to the
multimedia document to increase the number of slides depicting
females. In one embodiment, content mining module 305 may utilize a
facial recognition algorithm to identify appropriate images (e.g.,
images of females) from the source images to be added to the
multimedia document.
[0065] In conjunction with providing images to be added to the
multimedia document, content mining module 305 may provide images
from the multimedia document to be deleted from the multimedia
document to adjust the content of the multimedia document for a
particular demographic group to satisfy the desired distribution of
content for that demographic group of the organization when the
current distribution of content for that demographic group does not
satisfy the desired distribution of content for that demographic
group. For instance, if the current distribution of slides in the
slideshow include 70 slides of men out of a total of 100 slides and
the desired distribution of slides that include males is 65%, then
computing device 101 may provide images of males (e.g., five
images) from the multimedia document to be deleted from the
multimedia document to reduce the number of slides depicting males.
In one embodiment, content mining module 305 may utilize a facial
recognition algorithm to identify appropriate images (e.g., images
of males) from the multimedia document to be deleted from the
multimedia document.
[0066] In this manner, the user can ensure a desired distribution
of content in the multimedia document (e.g., yearbook, slideshow,
video, website) among different demographic groups.
[0067] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present
invention have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are
not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used
herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the
embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement
over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed
herein.
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