PHOTO GENERATED 3-D NAVIGABLE STOREFRONT

• US 20080278481A1
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Aguera y Arcas, Blaise, Dughi, Jonathan R., Shively, Jamen, Granovetter, Randy Friedman
• Application Number:
  US11/949,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278481A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Presented are techniques for creating a photo-generated navigable storefront. Such techniques include receiving a images and processing the images through an image matching algorithm. Such images may include, for example, photos taken with a camera. Additionally, the images are tagged with identifier tags in order to associate related or nearby images together. Furthermore, product/service information may be associated with an image such that a selection of a particular image causes the product/service information to be displayed.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of managing a photo-generated navigable storefront, the method comprising:

receiving a first image, the first image being incorporated into a photo-generated navigable image environment;

identifying one or more keypoints within the first image;

assigning a tag identifier to the first image based on at least one of the one or more keypoints;

associating the tag identifier with description information related to at least one item within the first image; and

storing the association of the tag identifier and the description information in a database.

2. The media according to claim 1, the method further comprising providing the description information when the image is selected in the photo-generated navigable image environment.

3. The media according to claim 2, wherein the description information is provided in a separate user interface section than the photo-generated navigable image environment.

4. The media according to claim 3, wherein the description information includes a link to a second image.

5. The media according to claim 4, the method further comprising providing the second image in the photo-generated navigable image environment when the link is selected.

6. The media according to claim 1, the method further comprising assigning the tag identifier to one or more images other than the first image if the one or more other images have a predetermined number of keypoints in common with the first image, and providing the description information when at least one of the one or more other images is selected in the photo-generated navigable image environment.

7. The media according to claim 1, the method further comprising associating the description information with the first image, and providing the description information when one or more images having a predetermined number of keypoints in common with the first image is selected in the photo-generated navigable image environment.

8. The media according to claim 1, the method further comprising associating the tag id with at least one region of a third image.

9. The media according to claim 8, the method further comprising providing the description information when the region of the third image is selected within the photo-generated navigable image environment.

10. The media according to claim 9, the method further comprising providing the first image in the photo-generated navigable image environment when the region of the third image is selected.

11. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of managing a photo-generated navigable storefront, the method comprising:

receiving a request to access an image within a photo-generated navigable image environment;

identifying one or more tag identifiers associated with the image;

locating description information associated with the one or more tag identifiers; and

providing the description information in a graphical user interface.

12. The media according to claim 11, the method further comprising:

identifying one or more other images with a predetermined number of keypoints in common with the image; and

providing the one or more other images in the graphical user interface with the image.

13. The media according to claim 11, wherein the photo-generated navigable image environment is provided in a first section of the graphical user interface and the description information is provided in a second section of the graphical user interface.

14. The media according to claim 11, wherein the description information includes a link to a second image.

15. The media according to claim 14, the method further comprising providing the second image in the photo-generated navigable image environment when the link is selected.

16. A graphical user interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media and executable on a computer for presenting on a display screen a photo-generated navigable storefront, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first screen area configured to display a photo-generated navigable image environment including at least one image; and

a second screen area configured to display description information related to at least one item within the at least one image when the at least one image is selected.

17. The graphical user interface according to claim 16, wherein the first screen area displays one or more other images that have a predetermined number of keypoints in common with the at least one image.

18. The graphical user interface according to claim 16, wherein the at least one image is displayed in the photo-generated navigable image environment when a region of a second image is selected, wherein the region of the second image is associated with a tag identifier of the at least one image.

19. The graphical user interface according to claim 16, wherein the description information includes a link to a third image.

20. The graphical user interface according to claim 19, wherein the third image is displayed in the first screen area when the link is selected.