SMARTPHONE-BASED METHODS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20120224743A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Tony F., Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Brandis, Robert Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Methods and arrangements involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. Exemplary arrangements utilize the camera portions of such devices to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some of the detailed technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A method involving frames of imagery depicting a first subject, captured using a camera portion of a mobile phone device, and displayed on a screen of said device, the method comprising:

producing an identifier related to said first subject, by analyzing captured image data;

displaying a first tag on the screen with a first frame of imagery, the first tag being located at a first position on the screen, the first tag being user-selectable to initiate an action associated with the first subject;

presenting a visual indicia on the screen that associates the first subject as depicted in the first frame, with the displayed first tag;

displaying said first tag on the screen with a second frame of imagery that depicts the first subject;

wherein the first subject is depicted at different locations within the first and second frames of imagery, yet the first tag is displayed at said first position on said screen with both the first and second frames of imagery.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the visual indicia comprises a visual tether having a first end proximate to the first subject as displayed on the screen, and having a second end proximate to the displayed first tag, wherein the first end moves with the different locations of the first subject in the first and second frames of imagery.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first end of the visual tether is proximate to a first handle location of the first subject in the first frame, and is proximate to a second, different, handle location of the first subject in the second frame.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the visual indicia comprises a common color that associates the first tag with a graphical effect rendered with the first subject.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the visual indicia comprises a graphical appearance of the first tag that visually associates the first tag with the first subject.

6. The method of claim 1 that includes displaying the first tag along an edge of the screen.

7. The method of claim 1 that includes transmitting the identifier to a remote system, and receiving information in response, the received information including reference image data relating to the first subject.

8. The method of claim 7 that further includes tracking movement of the first subject, between the first and second image frames, through use of the received information.

9. The method of claim 7 that further includes defining an ending point of a tether extending between the first subject and the displayed first tag through use of the received information.

10. The method of claim 1 that includes adding a second displayed tag on the screen with the second frame of imagery, the second tag being located at a second position on the screen, the second tag being user-selectable to initiate an action associated with a second subject depicted in the second frame, the second position being chosen to permit its display on the screen without changing the first position of the first tag;

the first and second positions being located along an edge of the screen.

11. A method comprising:

identifying physical objects depicted in imagery captured by a camera portion of a user'"'"'s mobile phone, to thereby discern physical object preference information relating to the user, and storing physical object preference profile data based thereon in a memory; and

processing electronic media, based at least in part on said stored physical object preference profile data.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the processing comprises screening email directed to an email account associated with said user, based at least in part on said stored physical object preference profile data.

13. The method of claim 11 in which the processing comprises adding a particular web page as a suggested favorite to a web browser associated with the user, wherein said particular web page is determined based at least in part on said stored physical object preference profile data.

14. The method of claim 11 in which the processing comprises monitoring published electronic media, and providing selected excerpts thereof to the user, wherein said selection is based at least in part on said stored physical object preference profile data.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the published electronic media comprises posts to an online social networking service.

16. A method comprising:

with a camera portion of a portable device, capturing a sequence of imagery;

analyzing an initial excerpt of said sequence to discern calibration information, the calibration information including fleshtone data characterizing color of a person'"'"'s hand depicted in said initial excerpt;

analyzing other excerpts of said sequence to identify American Sign Language handforms depicted in the imagery, by matching captured imagery with stored reference handform data; and

outputting words, phonemes or letters to an output device, based on said analysis.

17. The method of claim 16 that includes analyzing the initial excerpt of the sequence, at least in part, based on a signal output from a proximity sensor with which the portable device is equipped, which sensor produces said output signal when a human body part is detected in proximity to the device.