Analyzing images to determine third party product materials corresponding to the analyzed images

• US 6,958,821 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2000
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: McIntyre, Dale F.
• Primary Examiner(s): HASKINS, TWYLER LAMB
• Application Number:
  US09/718,884
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.12, 358/1.15, 358/296, 358/450, 358/518, 358/1.18, 707/2, 707/5, 707/6, 707/7, 382/293, 382/295, 382/100
• US Class Current: 358/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10008 from scanner, fax or copier
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour

Abstract

A method of analyzing an image provided by a user to determine the likelihood of user interest in materials related to products of third parties and sending such materials for display or printing for the user including scanning a hard copy of an image provided by a user to provide a digital image and sending such image to a memory location, automatically analyzing the scanned digital image to determine the likelihood that materials related to products will be of interest to the user by recognizing features which relate to the product of users, such features being selected from the group consisting of product trademarks, product trade dress, and other products which are related to the third party products, and selecting one or more items of product materials based on their likelihood of interest to the user and sending them to the user for display or printing.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing an image provided by a user for image processing to determine the likelihood of user interest without the user'"'"'s intent in materials related to products of third parties and sending such materials for display or printing to the user, comprising:

a) scanning a hard copy of an image provided by a user to provide a digital image and sending such image to a memory location;

b) automatically analyzing the scanned digital image to determine the likelihood that materials related to third party products will be of interest to the user by recognizing features which relate to such third party products, such features being selected from the group consisting of product trademarks, product trade dress, and other products which are related to the third party products; and

c) selecting one or more third party items of product materials based on their likelihood of interest to the user and sending them to the user for display or printing.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of printing the received user image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the scanning is provided by a film scanner or a hard copy printer scanner.

4. The method of claim 1 further including collecting information about the user and storing such information in a database where it can subsequently be sent to third parties.

5. A method of printing an image and analyzing such image to determine the likelihood of user interest without the user'"'"'s intent in materials that can be sent for display or printing to the user, comprising:

a) scanning a hard copy of an image provided by a user to provide a digital image and sending such image to a memory location;

b) receiving the digital image from the memory location and printing such digital image;

c) automatically analyzing the image to determine the likelihood that third party materials in a set will be of interest to the user; and

d) automatically selecting one or more items of third party materials based on their likelihood of interest to the user and sending them to the user for display or printing.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the scanning is provided by a film scanner or a hard copy printer scanner.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein steps a), b), and c) are provided in a kiosk.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the method is practiced in a kiosk.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more items of materials are printed by the kiosk.