Systems and Methods for Location Based Image Telegraphy

• US 20130286252A1
• Filed: 04/02/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven M., Phillips, Bruce A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,951,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Systems and methods for associating images with location and/or other information. In some cases, the systems include an image sensor, a location sensor, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is communicably coupled to a computer readable medium that includes instructions executable by the microprocessor to: receive a location from the location sensor; receive an image from the image sensor; and associate the location with the image. Some of the methods provide for capturing an object image of an object using an image sensor; capturing a location of the image sensor; and associating the location with the object image. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a wireless radio;

a location sensor;

a direction sensor;

an image sensor;

a distance sensor;

a display device;

a microprocessor communicably coupled with the wireless radio, the location sensor, the direction sensor, the image sensor, the distance sensor, and the display device; and

a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the microprocessor to;

receive a first location from the location sensor, the first location being a location of the location sensor;

receive video from the image sensor, the video comprising a plurality of captured images; and

receive a direction from the direction sensor;

receive a distance from the distance sensor;

calculate a second location based at least in part on the first location, the direction, and the distance, the second location being a location of an object in the captured images;

transmit, with the wireless radio, the location of the object to a query database;

receive, with the wireless radio, descriptive information about the object from the query database; and

cause the display device to display at least some of the descriptive information along with a live display of the video; and

update the descriptive information in real time when the image sensor captures images of different objects.

2. A system for providing descriptive information about an objects, the system comprising:

a location sensor;

a direction sensor;

an image sensor;

a display device;

a microprocessor; and

a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the microprocessor to;

receive a first location from the location sensor, the first location being a location of the location sensor;

receive video from the image sensor, the video comprising a plurality of images;

receive a direction from the direction sensor;

calculate a second location based at least in part on the first location and the direction, the second location being a location of an object in the captured images;

provide the location of the object to a query database;

receive, from the query database, descriptive information about the object; and

cause the display device to display at least some of the descriptive information along with a live display of the video.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to store one of the captured images along with the descriptive information about the object.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a distance sensor, and wherein calculating a second location comprises calculating a second location based at least in part on the first location, the direction, and a distance received from the distance sensor.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the system is incorporated within a wireless phone.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the object is a landmark, and wherein the descriptive information about the object is selected from a group consisting of:

historic information, access rates, driving directions, parking information, and walking directions.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the object is a restaurant, and wherein the descriptive information about the object includes a menu for the restaurant.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the display is operable to display further information selected from the following:

the location of the image sensor, the direction of the image sensor, the distance, and the location of the object.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the microprocessor to update the descriptive information in real time when the image sensor captures images of different objects.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the microprocessor to associate the location from the location sensor with successive frames of the image from the image sensor.

11. A method for obtaining location information in relation to an object 2 image, the method comprising:

capturing video with an imaging device, the imaging device comprising an image sensor, a direction sensor, a location sensor, a display device, and a microprocessor;

detecting, with the location sensor, a first location, the first location being a location of the location sensor;

capturing video with the image sensor, the video comprising a plurality of images;

determining, with the direction sensor, a direction of the image sensor;

calculating, with the microprocessor, a second location based at least in part on the first location and the direction, the second location being a location of an object in the captured images;

providing, with the imaging device, the location of the object to a query database;

receiving, from the query database, descriptive information about the object; and

displaying, with display device, at least some of the descriptive information along with a live display of the video.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing one of the captured images along with the descriptive information about the object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the imaging device further comprises a distance sensor, and wherein calculating a second location comprises calculating a second location based at least in part on the first location, the direction, and a distance captured by the distance sensor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the imaging device is incorporated within a wireless phone.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the object is a landmark, and wherein the descriptive information about the object is selected from a group consisting of:

historic information, access rates, driving directions, parking information, and walking directions.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the object is a restaurant, and wherein the descriptive information about the object includes a menu for the restaurant.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, with the display device, further information selected from the following;

the location of the image sensor, the direction of the image sensor, the distance, and the location of the object.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

updating the descriptive information in real time when the image sensor captures images of different objects.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating the location from the location sensor with successive frames of the image from the image sensor.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the imaging device further comprises a wireless radio, and wherein providing the location of the object to a query database comprises transmitting the location of the object with the wireless radio.