Image classifying systems and methods

1. An image classification device, comprising:

a classifying circuit;

a retrieving circuit;

an interface generating circuit; and

a user interface event interpreting circuit,

wherein the interface generating circuit displays a first image and a plurality of symbols at a user interface, each of the symbols providing a visual indication of the image classification,

wherein the retrieving circuit automatically determines from computed similarities whether images similar to the first image are found among images being classified, the images similar to the first image being displayed concurrently with the first image,

wherein the user interface event interpreting circuit receives a one-key action from a user, the one-key action being pre-programmed to perform a pre-programmed classification,

wherein the interface generating circuit displays a second image to be classified following the first image at the user interface upon receipt of the one-key action, and

wherein the classifying circuit classifies the first image corresponding to the selected symbol.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the second image is adjacent to the first image in a sequence of images.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the sequence of images is arranged in an original sequence in which the images were generated.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the sequence of images is a series of digital photographs.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the interface generating circuit displays a sequence of images at a user interface;

the user interface event interpreting circuit, identifies a first image in the sequence of images; and

the interface generating circuit displays an enlarged image of the first image in the sequence of images at the user interface concurrently with the displaying of the sequence of images.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a classifying circuit, wherein:

the interface generating circuit identifies a second image in the sequence of images upon receipt of the one-key action.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the image sequence is arranged in an original sequence in which the images were generated.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the image sequence is a series of digital photographs.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the retrieving circuit retrieves at least one related image that is related to the first image in the sequence of images; and

the interface generating circuit displays the at least one related image.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the at least one related image is an alternative version of the first image.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least one alternative version is a touched-up version of the first image.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one touched-up version is created manually by a user.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one touched-up version is created by automatically applying at least one image enhancement to the first image.

14. The device of claim 5, wherein the interface generating circuit further displays a classification of at least one image in the image sequence.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein different classifications are associated with different visual indications.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the different visual indications include different colors.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the classification indicates at least one of an accepted image and a reject image, wherein an accepted image is displayed with original quality, and a reject image is displayed with reduced quality.

18. The device of claim 5, wherein the user interface event interpreting circuit identifies a second image in the sequence of images, and the interface generating circuit displays a second enlarged image concurrently with displaying the enlarged image, the second enlarged image corresponding to the second image in the sequence of images.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the interface generating circuit displays a sequence of images on a user interface, each image in the sequence of images associated with a classification;

the user interface event interpreting circuit identifies a first image in the sequence of images;

the interface generating circuit identifies a second image in the sequence of images upon receipt of the one-key action; and

the classifying circuit re-classifies the first image in the sequence of images based on the one-key action.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the image sequence is arranged in an original sequence in which the image sequence is generated.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the image sequence is a series of digital photographs.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein different classifications are associated with different visual indications.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the different visual indications include different colors.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the classification indicates at least one of an accepted image and a reject image, wherein an accepted image is displayed with original quality, and a reject image is displayed with reduced quality.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the retrieving circuit retrieves at least one related image that is related to the first image in the sequence of images, and the interface generating circuit displays the at least one related image.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein at least one of the at least one related image is an alternative version of the first image in the sequence of images.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein at least one of the at least one alternative version is a touched-up version of the first image in the sequence of images.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein at least one of the at least one touched-up version is created manually by a user.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein at least one of the at least one touched-up version is created by automatically applying at least one image enhancement to the first image.

30. The device of claim 25, wherein at least one of the at least one related image is an image that is similar to the first image in the sequence of images.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein at least one of the at least one similar image is automatically determined.

32. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the interface generating circuit concurrently displays a selected image and at least one related image, the at least one related image related to the selected image; and

the user interface event interpreting circuit receives the one-key action regarding the selected image.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein:

the interface generating circuit displays a next image upon receipt of the one-key action; and

the classifying circuit classifies the selected image according to the one-key action.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein the at least one related image is an alternative version of the selected image.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the alternative version is a touched-up version of the selected image.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the touched-up version is created manually by a user.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein the touched-up version is created by automatically applying at least one of image enhancement to the selected image.

38. The device of claim 32, wherein the at least one related image is an image that is similar to the selected image.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the similar image is automatically determined.

40. A method for classifying images, comprising:

displaying a first image and a plurality of symbols, each of the symbols providing a visual indication of image classification;

automatically determining from computed similarities whether a similar image to the first image is found among the images:

displaying the similar image concurrently with the first image if the similar image is found;

receiving a one-key action from a user including selection from one of the symbols to obtain a selected symbol; and

performing a plurality of processes upon the receiving of the one-key action, the plurality of processes including:

classifying the first image corresponding to the selected symbol, and

displaying a second image to be classified following the first image.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the second image is adjacent to the first image in a sequence of images.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the sequence of images is arranged in an original sequence in which the images were generated.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the sequence of images is a series of digital photographs.

44. A method of claim 40, further comprising:

concurrently displaying an image sequence and an enlarged image, the enlarged image corresponding to a selected image in the image sequence; and

classifying the selected image.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein classifying the selected image comprises:

receiving the one-key action from the user;

displaying a next image in the image sequence upon receipt of the one-key action; and

classifying the selected image according to the one-key action.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising selecting the selected image of the image sequence.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the image sequence is arranged in an original sequence in which the images were generated.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the image sequence is a series of digital photographs.

49. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

retrieving a related image that is related to the selected image; and

displaying the related image concurrently with displaying the selected image.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the related image is an alternative version of the selected image.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the alternative version is a touched-up version of the selected image.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the touched-up version is created manually by the user.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the touched-up version is created by automatically applying at least one image enhancement to the selected image.

54. The method of claim 44, further comprising displaying a classification of at least one image in the image sequence.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein different classifications are associated with different visual indications.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the different visual indications include different colors.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein the classification indicates at least one of an accepted image and a reject image, wherein an accepted image is displayed with original quality, and a reject image is displayed with reduced quality.

58. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

displaying a second enlarged image concurrently with displaying the enlarged image, the second enlarged image corresponding to a second selected image.

59. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

displaying an image sequence, at least one image in the image sequence associated with a classification; and

changing a classification of a first selected image of the image sequence.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein:

the at least one image comprises two or more images; and

the changing a classification of a first selected image comprises:

receiving the one-key action from the user;

selecting a second selected image in the image sequence in response to receiving the one-key action; and

re-classifying the first selected image according to the one-key action.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the image sequence is arranged in an original sequence in which the image sequence is generated.

62. The method of claim 59, wherein the image sequence is a series of digital photographs.

63. The method of claim 59, wherein different classifications are associated with different visual indications.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the different visual indications include different colors.

65. The method of claim 59, wherein the classification indicates at least one of an accepted image and a reject image, wherein an accepted image is displayed with original quality, and a reject image is displayed with reduced quality.

66. The method of claim 59, further comprising:

retrieving at least one related image that is related to the first selected image; and

displaying the at least one related image.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein at least one of the at least one related image is an alternative version of the first selected image.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein at least one of the at least one alternative version is a touched-up version of the first selected image.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the touched-up version is created manually by a user.

70. The method of claim 68, wherein the touched-up version is created by automatically applying at least one image enhancement to the first selected image.

71. The method of claim 66, wherein at least one of the at least one related image is an image that is similar to the first selected image.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein at least one of the at least one similar image is automatically determined.

73. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

concurrently displaying a selected image and at least one related image, the at least one related image related to the selected image; and

classifying the selected image.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein classifying the selected image comprises:

receiving the one-key action from the user;

displaying a next image upon receipt of the one-key action; and

classifying the selected image according to the one-key action.

75. The method of claim 73, wherein the at least one related image is an alternative version of the selected image.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein the alternative version is a touched-up version of the selected image.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein the touched-up version is created manually by a user.

78. The method of claim 76, wherein the touched-up version is created by automatically applying at least one image enhancement to the selected image.

79. The method of claim 73, wherein the at least one related image is an image that is similar to the selected image.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein the similar image is automatically determined.

81. A method for classifying images of an image sequence, the method comprising:

displaying a film strip including the images of the image sequence;

displaying an enlarged view of a selected image from the images of the image sequence for classification, concurrently with the displaying a film strip;

computing similarities with the selected image to obtain zero or more similar images to the selected image;

displaying the zero or more similar images concurrently with the displaying an enlarged view of a selected image;

receiving a classification instruction; and

classifying the selected image responsive to the classification instruction and automatically displaying an enlarged view of a next selected image for classification, the next selected image being contiguous to the selected image on the film strip.

82. The method of claim 81, further comprising displaying zero or more alternative versions of the selected image, concurrently with the displaying an enlarged view of a selected image.

83. The method of claim 82,

wherein the alternative versions include cropped versions, touched up versions and enhanced versions, and

wherein the classification instructions include an accept instruction, a neutral instruction and a reject instruction.

84. The method of claim 81 further comprising:

classifying a plurality of the images of the image sequence to obtain classified images;

displaying the classified images in a light table format to obtain displayed classified images; and

displaying an indication of the classification instruction corresponding to each of the displayed classified images together with each of the displayed classified images.