Interactive Systems and Methods Employing Wireless Mobile Devices

• US 20090286572A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Rodriguez, Tony F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A user gestures with a wireless mobile phone device to control some aspect of its operation, or the operation of a remote system with which the device communicates. (The gestures may be sensed by tracking movement of a feature across a field of view of a mobile phone device camera.) The resultant operation may additionally depend on other data obtained by the wireless device, e.g., obtained from an electronic or physical object, or sensed from the environment. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless mobile phone device comprising the acts:

a user moving the wireless mobile phone device to make a gesture;

obtaining data either from an environment of said device, or relating to an object; and

at a computer device, performing an action in accordance with said gesture and said obtained data.

2. The method of claim 1 that includes obtaining data from an electronic object, by processing object data to yield an identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 in which said processing object data comprises applying a watermark decoding operation to said object data.

4. The method of claim 1 that includes obtaining data by using a sensor.

5. The method of claim 4 that includes sensing machine readable data using said sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 that includes obtaining data by using an optical sensor.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said computer device comprises the wireless mobile phone device.

8. The method of claim 1 in which said computer device comprises a device distinct from the wireless mobile phone device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the gesture comprises moving the wireless mobile phone device in a sideways motion—

translating its position within a plane;

10. The method of claim 1 in which said action relates to sending a message from said wireless mobile phone device.

11. The method of claim 1 in which said action relates to invoking a teleconference.

12. The method of claim 1 in which said action relates to calendaring an appointment.

13. The method of claim 1 in which said action relates to viewing a video.

14. The method of claim 1 that further includes sending information related to said gesture and said obtained data from the wireless mobile phone device to a remote system.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said remote system comprises said computer device.

16. The method of claim 14 that further includes receiving data at the wireless mobile phone device, said data being sent to the device as a consequence of the action taken by the remote system.

17. The method of claim 1 that further includes generating data relating to said gesture.

18. The method of claim 17 in which the wireless mobile phone device includes a 2D optical sensor, and said generating includes tracking movement of a feature across a field of view of said sensor, and inferring movement therefrom.

19. A method comprising the acts:

capturing plural frames of image information using a wireless mobile phone device;

transmitting image data related to said captured frames from the wireless mobile phone device to a remote computer device; and

at the remote computer device, taking an action, wherein the taken action depends on movement of a feature in said captured image frames.

20. A wireless mobile phone device including a module for deriving identification information from audio or visual content, operable to transmit a packet of data to a remote system, said packet of data comprising (a) an identifier of said module, and (b) at least a portion of said identification information.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said packet of data also includes address information identifying the device.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said module comprises software, and the packet of data comprises an identifier of said software.

23. A system comprising the device of claim 20 together with said remote system, the remote system including a router and plural handlers, the router directing data from said packet to one of said handlers depending on data within said packet.