Method and apparatus for identifying speakers and emphasizing selected objects in picture and video messages

US8884982B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG · DE

Inventors

• Fred Runge · Bitburg, DE
• Thomas Scheerbarth · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 2010
• Grant date: Nov 11, 2014
• Expiry date: Oct 22, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G10L17/10
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method for emphasizing selected objects in digital data of at least one of pictures and video that is stored in digital messages, the messages including sender addresses and being stored in a memory system of a digital messaging system for a plurality of users, includes the step of identifying picture regions including at least one of faces and persons in the digital data of the messages on the digital messaging system having the same sender address. Sender-relevant picture regions in the identified picture regions that represent a sender of the message are determined based on at least one of: a) a comparison with a reference picture of the sender stored on the memory system; b) a comparison of speech data in the digital data with reference speech data using at least one of speaker recognition methods, speaker verification methods and speaker identification methods, taking into account picture data and speech data in the message; and c) a frequency of occurrence of the identified picture regions in the messages that have the same sender address. The digital data of the messages is then modified so as to emphasize the sender-relevant picture region.