Methods and apparatuses for broadcasting information

• US 20050168588A1
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Eric, Sato, Robert, Fisher, Clay, Manowitz, Neal
• Application Number:
  US10/771,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20050168588A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3243 of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a device within a predetermined area; detect an image captured by the device; determine a subject of the image based on the predetermined area; and broadcast a signal to the device wherein the signal describes the subject of the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a device within a predetermined area;

detecting an image captured by the device;

determining a subject of the image based on the predetermined area; and

broadcasting a signal to the device wherein the signal describes the subject of the image.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising detecting a direction of the device while capturing the image.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein signal is based on the direction of the device.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising storing the signal within a storage module.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the signal includes metadata information corresponding to the subject of the image.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the metadata information includes background information of the subject.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the metadata information includes a key word describing the subject.

8. The method according to claim 5 wherein the metadata information includes advertising related to the subject.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the device is a camera.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the device is a cellular phone with an image capture module.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the device is a video camera.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the signal includes a unique identifier.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising matching the unique identifier with metadata information describing the subject.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the unique identifier is a URL.

15. A system comprising:

means for detecting a device within a predetermined area;

means for detecting an image captured by the device;

means for determining a subject of the image based on the predetermined area; and

means for broadcasting a signal to the device wherein the signal describes the subject of the image.

16. A method comprising:

detecting a device within a predetermined area;

detecting a direction of the device while capturing an image;

determining a subject of the image based on the predetermined area and the direction of the device while capturing the image; and

broadcasting a unique identifier to the device based on the subject of the image.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the unique identifier is a URL address.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the unique identifier is a string of characters.

19. The method according to claim 16 further comprising matching the unique identifier with metadata information describing the subject matter of the image.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising broadcasting the metadata information to the device.

21. The method according to claim 19 further comprising requesting a payment from the device prior to the matching the unique identifier.

22. The method according to claim 19 further comprising integrating the metadata information with the image.

23. The method according to claim 19 wherein the metadata information includes advertising.

24. The method according to claim 19 wherein the metadata information includes a key word describing the subject of the image.

25. A method comprising:

detecting a device within a predetermined area while capturing a captured image;

searching for a reference image;

comparing the reference image with the captured image;

determining a subject of the captured image based on comparing the reference image with the captured image; and

broadcasting information to the device based on the subject of the image.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the information includes metadata corresponding to the subject.

27. The method according to claim 25 wherein the information includes a unique identifier corresponding to the subject.

28. The method according to claim 25 further comprising selecting the reference image based on the predetermined area.

29. A system, comprising:

a recognition module for detecting a device;

a location module for detecting a location of the device while capturing a captured image;

a subject module for determining a subject of the captured image based on the location of the device; and

a storage module configured for storing information related to the subject of the captured image.

30. The system according to claim 29 wherein the information is metadata information describing the subject of the captured image.

31. The system according to claim 29 wherein the information is located at a URL address.

32. The system according to claim 29 further comprising an interface module for transmitting the information to the device.

33. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

detecting a device within a predetermined area;

detecting a direction of the device while capturing an image; and

determining a subject of the image based on the predetermined area and the direction of the device while capturing the image

broadcasting a unique identifier to the device based on the subject of the image.