Smartphone-Based Methods and Systems
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Arrangements involving portable devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers) are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that creator'"'"'s content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another utilizes a device camera 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 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.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
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17. A method comprising:
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in a retail store, receiving a signal indicating a product interest by a shopper in the store; and taking an action based on said received signal, the action including at least one of;
entering the shopper in a queue for service, providing information to the shopper about a wait time for service, providing the shopper information about a retail store staffer who will provide service, and providing the shopper an enticement for waiting for service, wherein said action is performed by a computer that is configured to perform such act. - View Dependent Claims (18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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19-21. -21. (canceled)
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28. A method comprising:
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in a store of a retailer, receiving a signal sent by a person'"'"'s portable device, indicating the presence of the person; by reference to the received signal, obtaining information about the person; and as a consequence of the foregoing, providing to the person free access to media content for which a charge would otherwise be assessed, using a computer that is configured to perform such act. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method comprising:
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receiving a signal sent by a person'"'"'s portable device, the signal serving to identify the person; by reference to the received signal, obtaining information about the person; and determining the person'"'"'s place in a queue based, at least in part, on the obtained information, the determining being performed by a computer that is configured to perform such act. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method comprising:
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in a retail store, receiving a signal concerning a shopper in the store, the signal comprising information about a product in which the shopper has indicated curiosity; and as a consequence of the received signal, sending a signal to a portable device carried by a store staffer, to prompt the staffer to offer service to the shopper, the sending being under the control of a computer that is configured to perform such act. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification