MOBILE PHONE IMAGE PROCESSING FOR PROMOTIONAL ENTERPRISE
First Claim
1. A method of conducting a promotion comprising steps ofreceiving an information-bearing image captured with a camera of a sender'"'"'s mobile phone,acquiring information concerning the sender of the information-bearing image,extracting information from the information-bearing image,processing information extracted from the information-bearing image, andreplying to the sender to engage the sender in a promotion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A promotional system initiated by capturing encoded images with mobile phones supports interactions between customers and vendors. A host site receives and decodes an information-bearing image captured with a customer'"'"'s mobile phone. The image preferably appears on a vendor'"'"'s product or place of business, such as a retail outlet. The host site also acquires information distinguishing the customer, such as the customer'"'"'s telephone number or location. The information extracted from the information-bearing image is processed together with the information from the customer and a reply is sent to the customer to engage the customer in a promotion.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of conducting a promotion comprising steps of
receiving an information-bearing image captured with a camera of a sender'"'"'s mobile phone, acquiring information concerning the sender of the information-bearing image, extracting information from the information-bearing image, processing information extracted from the information-bearing image, and replying to the sender to engage the sender in a promotion.
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16. A host for a promotional enterprise comprising
a central website for receiving information-bearing images from a participant through a mobile phone network, a network interface for acquiring information about participants through the mobile phone network, a processor with protocols for generating a replies to the participants based on both information extracted from the information-bearing images and the information acquired about the participants.
- 24. A mobile-phone based promotional enterprise involving capturing information-bearing images by a mobile phone camera as electronic images and transmitting the image information to a host computer for processing and response in which the information-bearing images are graphic codes having both a visually apparent meaning and a hidden meaning decodable from the electronic images of the graphic codes.
Specification