Systems and methods for identifying objects and providing information related to identified objects

• US 20090175499A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rosenblatt, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/462 Salient features, e.g. scale invariant feature transforms [SIFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying an object and presenting additional information about the identified object are provided. The techniques of the present invention can allow the user to specify modes to help with identifying objects. Furthermore, the additional information can be provided with different levels of detail depending on user selection. Apparatus for presenting a user with a log of the identified objects is also provided. The user can customize the log by, for example, creating a multi-media album.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user with information related to an object in real time comprising:

identifying the object with a portable electronic device;

establishing a communications channel with an external source;

searching for information related to the identified object on the external source,

acquiring the information via the communications channel; and

enabling the user to access at least a portion of the information on the portable electronics device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises:

determining if the portable electronics device is used in a particular environment;

selecting to use a detection technology in response to determining the portable electronic device is used in the particular environment; and

detecting the object using the selected detection technology.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the selected detection technology comprises at least one of:

an RFID reader;

a camera; and

an IR image capture device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises:

enabling the user to select a mode, wherein the selecting the mode comprises adjusting at least one parameter for searching an identification database;

accessing the identification database; and

searching the identification database in order to identify the object.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the mode comprises one of:

a metadata tag associated with an image of the object; and

an RFID tag of the object.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the identification database comprises at least one of:

an image database;

an IR image database;

a photo library; and

a RFID identification database.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining location of the user using at least one of a GPS receiver, a RF triangulation detector, and a RF triangulation sensor; and

adjusting the at least one parameter for searching the identification database based on the determined location.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein searching comprises:

enabling the user to select a correct identity in the multiple candidate identifications or enabling the user to identify the object if the search results in multiple candidate identifications; and

storing the identified object in the identification database.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

enabling the user to change association of the identified object to at least one other mode.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein searching comprises:

selecting an identification in the multiple candidate identifications based on certain criteria if the search results in multiple candidate identifications;

enabling the user to correct the selected identification, wherein the user correction modifies the criteria; and

storing the identified object in the identification database.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the criteria modification is made directly by the user.

12. Apparatus for providing a history of identified objects, the apparatus comprising:

memory for storing the identified objects;

an output for providing a log of the identified objects to a user;

an input for accepting user selections; and

a processor for;

accepting an input user selection of an identified object in the log;

determining information related to the selected object for display to the user; and

sending the information to the display.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor provides the user with capability to archive the identified objects in the log.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor automatically deletes identified objects in the log that have not been accessed for a period of time.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the log includes dates that the objects were identified.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor provides the user with capability to sort the identified objects in the log based on previously-defined modes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the processor provides the user with capability to create a multi-media album that includes identified objects in at least one mode of the previously-defined modes.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor provides the user with the capability to request a display of the information with incrementally increasing levels of detail regarding the identified objects.

19. An identification and information system comprising:

a portable electronic device having;

an identification module for identifying an object, wherein the object is identified based on a previously-defined mode; and

a processor for providing at least a portion of information related to the identified object.

20. The identification and information system of claim 19 further comprising an external source having an information database of multi-media data from which the processor can search for the information related to the identified object based on the previously-defined mode.

21. The identification and information system of claim 20 wherein the information database comprises a search engine.

22. The identification and information system of claim 20 wherein the portable electronic device and the external source are the same device.

23. The identification and information system of claim 20 wherein the processor searches for information with incrementally increasing levels of detail from the information database.

24. The identification and information system of claim 23 wherein the information with the incrementally increasing levels of detail comprises basic, detailed, and extended information.

25. The identification and information system of claim 24 wherein the basic information comprises contact information and location information.