System, Method, and Devices for Searching for a Digital Image over a Communication Network

• US 20120219239A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ariel Inventions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ariel Inventions, LLC
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Application Number:
  US13/470,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20120219239A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• 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: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for searching using at least one digital image over a communication network are disclosed. Embodiments include a remote computer server receiving a digital image from a digital capturing device and the remote computer server processing the digital image to provide digital image processing information. Further, the remote computer server determines a list of search results based on the digital image and the digital image processing information and transmits the list of search results to the digital capture device. The list of search results includes links to websites, one or more search result images, and image identification information. In addition, a search engine software application implemented by the remote computer server receives the digital image and determines the list of search results. An image processing device and/or computer program identifies one or more objects within the digital image that may be used in a search.

Claims

1. A method for searching using at least one digital image over a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving at least one digital image from a digital capturing device at a remote computer server;

processing the at least one digital image using the remote computer server to provide digital image processing information;

determining a list of search results based on the at least one digital image and the digital image processing information using the remote computer server;

transmitting the list of search results to the digital capture device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of search results includes links to websites, one or more search result images, and image identification information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a search engine software application residing on, and implemented by, the remote computer server receives the at least one digital image and determines the list of search results.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more objects within the image.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising presenting an image of each of the one or more objects to a user interface of the digital capture device and a query on the user interface to select one or more objects.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the identification of one or more selected objects from the user interface of the digital capture device;

providing an image for each of the one or more selected objects to the remote computer server.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an image for each of the one or more selected objects to the remote computer server.

processing the image for each of the one or more selected objects using the remote is computer server to provide object digital image processing information;

determining a list of object search results based on the image for each of the one or more selected objects and the object digital image processing information using the remote computer server;

transmitting the list of object search results to the digital capture device.

8. A system for searching using at least one digital image over a communication network, the system comprising:

a communication network;

a remote computer server coupled to the communication network;

a digital capture device coupled to the remote computer server over the communication network, the digital capture device captures at least one digital image;

wherein the remote computer server;

(i) receives at least one digital image from a digital capturing device at a remote computer server;

(ii) processes the at least one digital image using the remote computer server to provide digital image processing information;

(iii) determines a list of search results based on the at least one digital image and the digital image processing information using the remote computer server; and

(iv) transmits the list of search results to the digital capture device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the list of search results includes links to websites, one or more search result images, and image identification information.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a search engine software application residing on, and implemented by, the remote computer server, wherein the search engine software application receives the at least one digital image and determines the list of search results.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising an image processor as part of the digital capture device and image processing software application implemented by the digital capture device that identifies one or more objects within the image.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a user interface as part of the digital capture device that presents an image for each of the one or more objects to a user and a query to select one or more objects.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the image processor:

(i) receives the identification of one or more selected objects from the user interface of the digital capture device; and

(ii) provides an image for each of the one or more selected objects to the remote computer server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote computer server:

(i) receives an image for each of the one or more selected objects to the remote computer server. (ii) processes image for each of the one or more selected objects using the remote computer server to provide object digital image processing information;

(iii) determines a list of object search results based on the image for each of the one or more selected objects and the object digital image processing information using the remote computer server; and

(iv) transmits the list of object search results to the digital capture device.

15. A device for searching using for at least one digital image over a communication network, the system comprising:

a digital capturing device that captures at least one digital image;

a user interface;

one or more processors including an image processor, the one or more processors;

(i) receive at least one digital image from a digital capturing device at a remote computer server;

(ii) process the at least one digital image using the remote computer server to provide digital image processing information;

(iii) determine a list of search results based on the at least one digital image and the digital image processing information using the remote computer server; and

(iv) transmit the list of search results to the user interface.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the list of search results includes links to websites, one or more search result images, and image identification information.

17. The device of claim 15, further comprising a search engine software application residing on, and implemented by, the one or more processors wherein the search engine software application receives the at least one digital image and determines the list of search results.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the image processor identifies one or more objects within the image using the image processor and an image software application.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the user interface that presents and an image of each of the one or more objects to a user and a query to select one or more objects within the image.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the image processor and the image processing software application:

(i) receives the identification of one or more selected objects from the user interface of the digital capture device; and

(ii) provides the image for each of the one or more selected objects to the search engine software application;

wherein the search engine software application;

(i) processes the image for each of the one or more selected objects to provide object digital image processing information;

(ii) determines a list of object search results based on the image for each of the one or more selected objects and the object digital image processing information using the remote computer server; and

(iii) transmits the list of object search results to the user interface.

21. A method of generating and decoding a symbol on a printed image, the method comprising:

is storing a digital image file in a remote database wherein the storing of the digital image file is associated with an address;

generating a symbol associated with the address of the digital image using a computing device;

printing the symbol on printed media using a printing device;

wherein the address is capable of referring to a website associated with the remote database.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

scanning the symbol on the printed media using a scanning module of a mobile computing device;

decoding the symbol using a computer processor of the mobile computing device to determine the address of the digital image.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

retrieving the digital image file using a transmission module of the mobile computing device from the remote database over a communication network based on the address;

presenting the digital image file on a display module of the mobile computing device.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving at least one digital image from a digital capturing device at a is remote computer server;

processing the at least one digital image using the remote computer server to determine whether the at least one digital image is associated with one or more symbologies;

transmitting the one or more symbologies to the digital capture device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving instructions from a digital capture device to associate a first symbology with the at least one digital image;

storing the at least one digital image and the associated first symbology in a database.