APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR TYING INFORMATION TO FEATURES ASSOCIATED WITH CAPTURED MEDIA OBJECTS

• US 20090049004A1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Karonen, Olli, Nurminen, Jukka K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/687 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for tying items of information to features in an area associated with a captured media object. An information provider may associate physical coordinates and temporal information with an item of information. When a media object is captured, metadata indicating the location and direction from which, and the time at which, the media object was captured, and/or, in the instance where the media object is an image, a focal and zoom setting of the device that captured the image, may be generated and stored with the media object. When the media object is viewed, this information, as well as other metadata associated with the capturing and/or reproducing of the media object, as well as the media object itself, may be used to estimate the area corresponding to the media object and to determine item(s) of information corresponding with features in the estimated area.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

cause a reproduction of a media object having metadata associated therewith; and

provide one or more items of information associated with one or more features in an estimated area corresponding to the media object, wherein the estimated area is determined based at least in part on the metadata associated with the media object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media object comprises an audio file and the metadata comprises a location and direction from which the audio file was captured and a time at which the audio file was captured.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media object comprises an image, the metadata comprises a location from which the image was captured, a direction of view at the time the image was captured, and a time at which the image was captured, and the estimated area corresponding to the image comprises an estimate of an area visible in the image.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the metadata further comprises a focal and a zoom setting of a camera module at the time the image was captured by the camera module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

estimate the area corresponding to the media object, wherein estimating the area comprises determining a range of physical coordinates associated with the media object based at least in part on the metadata associated with the media object.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit the range of physical coordinates; and

receive, in response, the one or more items of information associated with one or more features in the estimated area, wherein the items of information are selected by comparing the physical coordinates associated with the media object to one or more physical coordinates associated with a respective one or more items of information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit a location associated with an electronic device responsible for reproducing the media object, wherein at least one item of information is selected based at least in part on the location associated with the electronic device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit a time associated with the reproduction of the media object, wherein at least one item of information is selected based at least in part on the time associated with the reproduction of the media object.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more items of information comprise at least one of a website, a link to a website, an audio file, a video file, or a combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one item of information comprises an advertisement associated with a feature in the estimated area.

11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause the capture of an image;

determine a location from which the image was captured and a direction of view at the time the image was captured; and

associate the determined location and direction with the image as metadata.

12. A method comprising:

providing a media object for reproduction, said media object having metadata associated therewith; and

providing one or more items of information associated with one or more features in an estimated area corresponding to the media object, wherein the estimated area is determined based at least in part on the metadata associated with the media object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the media object comprises an audio file and the metadata comprises a location and direction from which the audio file was captured and a time at which the audio file was captured.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the media object comprises an image, the metadata comprises a location from which the image was captured, a direction of view at the time the image was captured, and a time at which the image was captured, and the estimated area corresponding to the image comprises an estimate of an area visible in the image.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

estimating the area corresponding to the media object, wherein estimating the area comprises determining a range of physical coordinates associated with the media object based at least in part on the metadata associated with the media object.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

transmitting the range of physical coordinates; and

receiving, in response, the one or more items of information associated with one or more features in the estimated area, wherein the items of information are selected by comparing the physical coordinates associated with the media object to one or more physical coordinates associated with a respective one or more items of information.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting a location associated with an electronic device responsible for reproducing the media object, wherein at least one item of information is selected based at least in part on the location associated with the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting a time associated with the reproduction of the media object, wherein at least one item of information is selected based at least in part on the time associated with the reproduction of the media object.

19. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, said computer-readable program code portions configured to perform the method of claim 12.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

select one or more items of information associated with one or more features in an estimated area corresponding to a media object, wherein the estimated area is determined based at least in part on metadata associated with the media object; and

provide access to the one or more items of information selected.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the media object comprises an audio file and the metadata comprises a location and direction from which the audio file was captured and a time at which the audio file was captured.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the media object comprises an image, the metadata comprises a location from which the image was captured, a direction of view at the time the image was captured, and a time at which the image was captured, and the estimated area corresponding to the image comprises an estimate of an area visible in the image.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the metadata further comprises a focal and a zoom setting of a camera module at the time the image was captured by the camera module.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the metadata associated with the media object; and

estimate the area corresponding to the media object, wherein in order to estimate the area, the processor is further configured to determine a range of physical coordinates associated with the media object based at least in part on the metadata associated with the media object.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive one or more links to a corresponding one or more items of information;

receive physical coordinates associated with respective items of information; and

store the link and physical coordinates associated with respective items of information, such that the link is mapped to the corresponding physical coordinates, wherein in order to select one or more items of information associated with one or more features in the estimated area corresponding to the media object, the processor is further configured to compare the physical coordinates associated with the media object to the stored physical coordinates associated with one or more items of information.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein in order to provide access to the one or more items of information, the processor is further configured to transmit the link associated with respective items of information selected.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein in order to provide access to the one or more items of information, the processor is further configured to download the items of information from respective links corresponding with the items of information selected and to transmit the items of information.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a location associated with a party reproducing the media object, wherein in order to select one or more items of information associated with one or more features in the estimated area corresponding to the media object, the processor is further configured to select at least one item of information based at least in part on the location of the party reproducting the media object.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a time associated with a party reproducing the media object, wherein in order to select one or more items of information associated with one or more features in the estimated area corresponding to the media object, the processor is further configured to select at least one item of information based at least in part on the time of the party reproducing the media object.

30. A method comprising:

selecting one or more items of information associated with one or more features in an estimated area corresponding to a media object, wherein the estimated area is determined based at least in part on metadata associated with the media object; and

providing access to the one or more items of information selected.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the media object comprises an audio file and the metadata comprises a location and direction from which the audio file was captured and a time at which the audio file was captured.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the media object comprises an image, the metadata comprises a location from which the image was captured, a direction of view at the time the image was captured, and a time at which the image was captured, and the estimated area corresponding to the image comprises an estimate of an area visible in the image.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

receiving the metadata associated with the media object; and

estimating the area corresponding to the media object, wherein estimating the area further comprises determining a range of physical coordinates associated with the media object based at least in part on the metadata associated with the media object.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising:

receiving one or more links to a corresponding one or more items of information;

receiving physical coordinates associated with respective items of information; and

storing the link and physical coordinates associated with respective items of information, such that the link is mapped to the corresponding physical coordinates, wherein selecting one or more items of information associated with one or more features in the estimated area corresponding to the media object comprises comparing the physical coordinates associated with the media object to the stored physical coordinates associated with one or more items of information.

35. A computer-program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, said computer-readable program code portions configured to perform the method of claim 30.

36. An apparatus comprising:

means for selecting one or more items of information associated with one or more features in an estimated area corresponding to a media object, wherein the estimated area is determined based at least in part on metadata associated with the media object; and

means for providing access to the one or more items of information selected.