System and method for accessing electronic data via an image search engine

• US 7,765,231 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hydra Group Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Hanna Bondarik, Spencer A. Rathus
• Inventors: Rathus, Spencer A., Bondarik, Hanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Jieying
• Application Number:
  US11/101,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20060227992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 707/6, 707/9, 707/104.1, 709/206, 726/2, 382/100, 382/115
• US Class Current: 707/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image

Abstract

An apparatus, including a receiver for receiving information regarding an image of a person of interest obtained with an image capture device. The apparatus includes a database to store information regarding a plurality of images and persons; a processor for processing the image and comparing it to a plurality of images to determine whether the image matches an image of a person. If there is a match, then the processor generates a message. The apparatus also includes a transmitter for transmitting the message to the person of interest, where the message contains a request for permission to provide access to information regarding the person of interest to the requesting user. The apparatus receives a response to the request and determines whether the response indicates that permission has been granted and, if permission is granted, then the apparatus transmits information regarding the person of interest to the image capture device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver for receiving information regarding an image of a person of interest, wherein the image is obtained with an image capture device of or associated with a requesting user, and further wherein the image capture device transmits the information regarding the image to the receiver;

a database, wherein the database stores information regarding a plurality of images and information regarding a plurality of persons, and further wherein at least one image is associated with each person of the plurality of persons;

a processor, wherein the processor processes information regarding the image and compares the information regarding the image to the information regarding a plurality of images, and further wherein the processor determines whether the image matches an image of a person of the plurality of persons and, if the image matches an image of a person of the plurality of persons, then the processor generates a message; and

a transmitter, wherein the transmitter transmits the message to a communication device of or associated with the person of interest, wherein the message contains a first request for permission to provide access to information regarding the person of interest to the requesting user, and

wherein the receiver receives a second request from the communication device of or associated with the person of interest for permission to provide access to information regarding the requesting user in response to receiving the first request, and

further wherein the apparatus receives a response to the message transmitted from the communication device and determines whether the response contains information indicating that permission to allow the requesting user to access the information regarding the person of interest has been granted, wherein permission to allow the requesting user to access the information regarding the person of interest is granted if the person of interest receives access to the information regarding the requesting user, and, if permission to allow the requesting user to access the information regarding the person of interest is granted, then the apparatus transmits information regarding the person of interest to the image capture device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image is obtained from a visual entity, a printed material, an electronic display unit, or a projected visual information.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image capture device is a camera or contains a camera.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image capture device is a scanner or contains a scanner.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image capture device is a Communicable-Imaging device or contains a Communicable-Imaging device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the image capture device further comprises a display unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the image capture device processes information for performing image recognition pertaining to the information regarding the image.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, the processor processes information for performing image recognition pertaining to the information regarding the person of interest.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is accessed through a network.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus provides information regarding each of the plurality of images via an internet web page.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein information regarding each image of the plurality of images is linked with information regarding a person of the plurality of persons.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein information regarding each image regarding the plurality of images contains information regarding an alphanumeric identifier, a description, a name, or a title.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

storing information regarding a plurality of images and information regarding a plurality of persons in a database, wherein at least one image is associated with each person of the plurality of persons;

receiving, with a receiver, information regarding an image of a person of interest, wherein the image is obtained with an image capture device of or associated with a requesting user and further wherein the image capture device transmits the information regarding the image to the receiver;

processing, with a processor, information regarding the image;

comparing the information regarding the image to the information regarding a plurality of images;

determining whether the image matches an image of a person of the plurality of persons and, if the image matches an image of a person of the plurality of persons, generating a message;

transmitting the message to a communication device of or associated with the person of interest, wherein the message contains a first request for permission to provide access to information regarding the person of interest to the requesting user;

receiving, with the receiver, a second request from the communication device of or associated with the person of interest for permission to provide access to information regarding the requesting user in response to receiving the first request;

receiving a response to the message transmitted from the communication device;

determining whether the response contains information indicating that permission to allow the requesting user to access the information regarding the person of interest has been granted, wherein permission to allow the requesting user to access the information regarding the person of interest is granted if the person of interest receives access to the information regarding the requesting user, and, if permission to allow the requesting user to access the information regarding the person of interest is granted, then transmitting information regarding the person of interest to the image capture device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

obtaining the image from a visual entity, a printed material, an electronic display unit, or a projected visual information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the image capture device is a camera or contains a camera.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the image capture device is a scanner or contains a scanner.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the image capture device is a Communicable-Imaging device or contains a Communicable-Imaging device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the image capture device further comprises a display unit.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

processing information, via the image capture device, for performing image recognition pertaining to the information regarding the image.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

processing information, via the processor, for performing image recognition pertaining to the information regarding the person of interest.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing the apparatus through a network.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing information regarding each of the plurality of images via an internet web page.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

linking information regarding each image of the plurality of images with information regarding a person of the plurality of persons.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein information regarding each image regarding the plurality of images contains information regarding an alphanumeric identifier, a description, a name, or a title.