Image recognition facilitation using remotely sourced content

• US 7,660,431 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crenshaw, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strege; John B
• Application Number:
  US11/013,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20060133642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/118, 382/181
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/96 Management of image or video recognition tasks

Abstract

Upon determining (201) a need for image recognition facilitation content, a corresponding process (200) first determines (202 and 203) whether adequate local resources are available. When true, those local resources are used (204) to facilitate the desired image recognition. When false, however, one or more remote resources are accessed (205) and supplemental image recognition facilitation content is received (206) and locally used (207) to effect the desired image recognition process. Local memory management can optionally comprise, if desired, deletion (208) of some (or all) locally stored image recognition facilitation content and/or storage (209) of the remotely sourced image recognition facilitation content.

Claims

1. A method used in a processor based image capture apparatus, comprising:

accessing local resources to determine whether image recognition facilitation content is locally available to process an image containing an object;

when the image recognition facilitation content is locally available, using the image recognition facilitation content to process the image and recognize the object;

when the image recognition facilitation content is not locally available;

accessing a first remote resource;

receiving from the first remote resource additional image recognition facilitation content that corresponds to other objects that one might ordinarily encounter when encountering the object that is recognized in the Image;

using the additional image recognition facilitation content from the remote resource to process a subsequently received image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image comprises a captured image.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising capturing the image.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein capturing the image further comprises capturing the image local to the local resources.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein capturing the image further comprises capturing the image remote to the local resources.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing a first remote resource further comprises accessing a first remote resource using a wireless communication path.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the image recognition facilitation content further comprises at least one object model.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the image recognition facilitation content comprises at least one of:

comparative image data;

image recognition processing instructions;

characterizing information regarding at least one corresponding image.

9. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

locally storing the additional image recognition facilitation content from the remote resource.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving from a first remote resource the additional image recognition facilitation content further comprises receiving additional image recognition facilitation content as corresponds to a plurality of different objects.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing as a local resource at least some of the additional image recognition facilitation content as received from the first remote resource.

12. An image capture apparatus, comprising:

a memory having first image recognition facilitation content stored therein and having available capacity to store additional image recognition facilitation content;

an image information input;

a processor operably coupled to the image information input and to the memory and responsive to a set of programmed instructions stored in the image capture apparatus to;

access the memory to determine whether the first image recognition facilitation content is suitable to process an image received by the image information input that comprises an object;

when the first image recognition facilitation content is suitable, use the first image recognition facilitation content to process the image and recognize the object;

when the firsts image recognition facilitation content is not suitable;

access a first remote resource that is external to the image capture apparatus;

receive from the first remote resource additional image recognition facilitation content that corresponds to other objects that one might ordinarily encounter when encountering the object that is recognized in the Image;

store the additional image recognition facilitation content in the memory; and

use the additional image recognition facilitation content from the remote resource to process a subsequently received image.