EMBEDDED MEDIA MARKERS AND SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING AND USING THEM

• US 20110154174A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Dunnigan, Anthony, Liu, Qiong, Liew, Bee, Wilcox, Lynn, Liao, Chunyuan
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06103 the marking being embedded in a human recognizable image, e.g. a company logo with an embedded two-dimensional code

Abstract

Embedded Media Markers (EMM) are optical-filter-like overlaid marks that can be printed on a part of a paper document that signify the existence of media associated with that part of the document. Users take a picture of an EMM-signified document patch using a cell phone camera, and the media associated with the EMM-signified document location is retrieved and displayed on the phone. Unlike bar codes, EMMs are nearly transparent and thus do not interfere with the document contents. Retrieval of media associated with an EMM is based on image local features of the captured EMM-signified document patch. A semi-automatically technique places an EMM at a location in a document, in such a way that the EMM encompasses sufficient identification features with minimal disturbance to the original document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a digital medium by making use of a database and an article, the database storing a set of information, corresponding to a portion of content visualized in a predetermined space, the set of information including a plurality of features within the portion and an embedded digital media corresponding to the portion, wherein the portion of content has an area which includes the plurality of features sufficient to identify the portion of content, the article holding the portion of content and at least one embedded media marker on said portion of content, the embedded media marker including a visible feature boundary located according to the portion of the content, the method comprising:

a. receiving, from a requestor, an image of a patch including an image of the embedded media marker on the article;

b. extracting a plurality of features within the image of the patch;

c. identifying the embedded digital media corresponding to the embedded media marker by comparing the extracted plurality of features to the plurality of features of the set of information;

d. retrieving the identified embedded digital media; and

e. providing the retrieved digital media to the requestor.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the embedded media marker further comprises a media-type indicator which comprises a media-type icon disposed within a media-type boundary, the media-type icon representing the type of media of the embedded digital media.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises identifying the embedded media marker from the image of the patch, wherein the plurality of features is extracted from within the feature boundary.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of features includes image features.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the embedded media marker is alpha-blended with the visualized content of the article.

6. An article comprising:

a. content visualized on a surface of the article; and

b. an embedded media marker overlaying the visualized content, the embedded media marker comprising a visible feature boundary enclosing a plurality of features of the visualized content, wherein a set of information including the plurality of features within the feature boundary, and an embedded digital media object corresponding to the embedded media marker are stored in a database.

7. The article of claim 6, wherein the article is a two dimensional surface medium.

8. The article of claim 6, wherein the embedded media marker is alpha-blended with the visualized content of the article.

9. The article of claim 6, wherein the embedded media marker further comprises a media-type indicator comprising a media-type boundary, wherein the media-type indicator is disposed within the feature boundary.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the media-type indicator of the embedded media marker further comprises a media-type icon disposed within the media-type boundary, wherein the media-type indicator is a graphical indication of the type of media of the embedded media object.

11. The article of claim 9, wherein the media-type indicator further comprises an arrow pointing to a location within the visualized content and wherein the embedded media marker indicates availability of the digital media object associated with the location within the visualized content.

12. The article of claim 6, wherein the feature, wherein the media-type indicator is disposed within the feature boundary.

13. The article of claim 6, wherein one or more edges of the embedded media marker are defined by a drop shadow graphical effect.

14. The article of claim 6, wherein the plurality of features includes image features.

15. The article of claim 6, wherein the embedded media marker comprises graphical effects that appear three-dimensional.

16. A computer-implemented method for producing an article including visualized content and an embedded media marker on the content, the method comprising:

a. receiving a selection of a location on the visualized content of the article;

b. determining a position and a size of the embedded media marker based on a quantity of a plurality of features of the visualized content near the selected location within the embedded media marker; and

c. positioning the embedded media marker on the article based on the determined position and size, wherein the embedded media marker indicates availability of a digital media object associated with the location within the visualized content.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the embedded media marker comprises a feature boundary which is visible and indicates an area containing the plurality of features sufficient to identify the selected portion of the content.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising alpha-blending of the embedded media marker with the visualized content of the article.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the embedded media marker further comprises a media-type indicator comprising a media-type boundary, wherein the media-type indicator is disposed within the feature boundary.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the media-type indicator of the embedded media marker further comprises a media-type icon disposed within the media-type boundary, wherein the media-type icon is a graphical representation of a type of media of the digital media object.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the media-type indicator further comprises an arrow pointing to the location within the visualized content to which the digital medium object relates.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein one or more edges of the embedded media marker are defined by a drop shadow effect.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the positioning of the embedded media marker on the article comprises:

a. projecting a shape of the embedded media marker in two perpendicular directions to obtain a first projection and a second projection;

b. for each of the first projection and the second projection, generating a fixed-aspect-ratio bounding rectangle of the shape of the embedded media marker to form a plurality of bounding rectangles;

c. determining a reference circle that can be covered by each of the plurality of bounding rectangles;

d. generating a two-dimensional vector between a center of the reference circle and the location.

e. determining a radius of the reference circle;

f. using a ratio of a radius of the embedded media marker to the radius of the reference circle to scale the two dimensional vector and the embedded media marker for positioning the embedded media marker.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the determining the position and size of the embedded media marker comprises determining at least one of a feature boundary circle center, a feature boundary circle radius, and media type circle center.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of features includes image features.

26. The computer implemented system of claim 24, wherein the determining a position and a size of the embedded media marker further comprises determining if sufficient features exist within the embedded media marker by estimating the number of features within the determined position and size of the embedded media marker.

27. The computer implemented system of claim 26, wherein the estimating the number of features comprises deriving a square approximating the feature boundary circle;

and determining the number of features within the derived square based on a cumulative keypoint distribution map of the content.

28. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions for providing a digital medium by making use of a database and an article, the database storing a set of information corresponding to a portion of content visualized in a predetermined space, the set of information including a plurality of features within the portion of content and an embedded digital media corresponding to the portion, the portion of content has an area which includes the plurality of features sufficient to identify the portion of content, the article holding the portion of content and at least one embedded media marker on said portion of content, the embedded media marker including a visible feature boundary located according to the portion of the content, the instructions when executed by a processor performing a method comprising:

a. receiving, from a requestor, an image of a patch including an image of the embedded media marker on the article;

b. extracting a plurality of features within the image of the patch;

c. identifying the embedded digital media corresponding to the embedded media marker by comparing the extracted plurality of feature to the plurality of the feature of the set of information;

d. retrieving the embedded digital media; and

providing the retrieved digital media to the requestor.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the embedded media marker further comprises a media-type indicator which comprises a media-type icon disposed within a media-type boundary, the media-type icon representing the type of media of the embedded digital media.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions further comprises identifying the embedded media marker from the image of the patch, wherein the plurality of feature is extracted from within the feature boundary.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the plurality of features includes image features.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the embedded media marker is alpha-blended with the visualized content of the article.

33. A computer-implemented method for providing a digital medium, the digital medium including a document having content and an embedded media maker signifying a digital media object in association with index information based on a plurality of features within a patch of the document;

a. receiving an image, from a requestor, of at least a portion of the document including an image of the embedded media marker, the embedded media marker having a feature boundary enclosing a portion of the document and defining the patch of the document, and a media type boundary within the feature boundary, enclosing a media icon;

b. identifying the feature boundary of the embedded media marker within the received image;

c. extracting a plurality of features within the image of the patch based on the identified feature boundary, wherein the plurality of features are features of the document;

d. identifying the digital media object corresponding to the embedded media marker by comparing the extracted plurality of features to the index information stored in association with the digital media object;

e. retrieving the identified digital media object; and

f. providing the retrieved digital media object to the requestor.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 33, further comprising identifying the media icon within the embedded media marker and identifying the digital media object using the identified media icon.