System and methods for creation and use of a mixed media environment with geographic location information

• US 8,005,831 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Graham, Jamey, Piersol, Kurt, Van Olst, Daniel G., Hull, Jonathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hocker; John P
• Application Number:
  US11/461,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20070047782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1 - 10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/919, 707/920, 707999001 -99901, 707/723, 707/731
• US Class Current: 707/731
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition

Abstract

A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and/or web link as a second medium). In one particular embodiment, the MMR system provides a user with information related to the location of the user. The system acquires a document, extracts location related information from the document, identifies the location of the users, and provides information to the user based on the identified location and the extracted information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a mixed media environment for interacting with documents of a first media type and a second media type, the method comprising:

acquiring a representation of a portion of a printed document comprising geographical location information by receiving a captured image of the portion of the printed document via a capture device;

indexing the acquired representation of the portion of the printed document for identification of a corresponding mixed media reality document,

wherein the corresponding mixed media reality document comprising a matching electronic representation of the printed document,

wherein indexing the acquired representation includes specifying an x-y location of at least one of a character, a word and an image from the acquired representation within the printed document;

parsing the representation of the portion of the printed document to identify a first geographic location from the geographical location information;

identifying a second geographic location of the capture device; and

performing an action specified by the mixed media reality document based on the first and second geographic locations,

wherein specifying the x-y location of the acquired representation includes one selected from the group of;

specifying x-y locations of characters of a printed document, specifying x-y locations of words of the printed document, specifying x-y locations of an image or a portion of an image in a printed document, performing an OCR operation and specifying x-y locations of characters or words, and performing feature extraction and specifying x-y locations of characters or words.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired representation of the portion of the printed document is one selected from the group of a representation of the printed document, a representation of patch of text, a representation of single word, a representation of a section of an image, and another representation of a matchable portion of the printed document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing comprises parsing for addresses and entity names representing locations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing comprises parsing HTML tags for the first geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second geographic location comprises determining a geographic location of the capture device using a Global Positioning System.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action specified by the mixed media reality document comprises providing directional information from the second geographic location to the first geographic location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is one selected from the group of retrieving information, writing information to a location, performing a search for information, displaying information on a client device, conducting an interactive dialog, deferring the action for later execution, modifying a document, purchase of a product, and input of a command to another system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action specified by the mixed media reality document comprises providing advertisements related to the first and second geographic locations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the advertisements are selected based on content of documents previously printed.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the acquired representation and results of the indexing with the mixed media reality document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical information is in a location selected from the content of the portion of the printed document, second media associated with the portion of the printed document via the mixed media reality document, and metadata associated with the portion of the printed document.

12. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable code stored on the medium for causing a processor to perform the following steps:

acquiring a representation of a portion of a printed document comprising geographical location information by receiving a captured image of the portion of the printed document via a capture device;

indexing the acquired representation of the portion of the printed document for identification of a corresponding mixed media reality document,

wherein the corresponding mixed media reality document comprising a matching electronic representation of the printed document,

wherein indexing the acquired representation includes specifying an x-y location of at least one of a character, a word and an image from the acquired representation within the printed document;

parsing the representation of the portion of the printed document to identify a first geographic location from the geographical location information;

identifying a second geographic location of the capture device; and

performing an action specified by the mixed media reality document based on the first and second geographic locations,

wherein specifying the x-y location of the acquired representation includes one selected from the group of;

specifying x-y locations of characters of a printed document, specifying x-y locations of words of the printed document, specifying x-y locations of an image or a portion of an image in a printed document, performing an OCR operation and specifying x-y locations of characters or words, and performing feature extraction and specifying x-y locations of characters or words.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the acquired representation of the portion of the printed document is one selected from the group of a representation of the printed document, a representation of patch of text, a representation of single word, a representation of a section of an image, and another representation of a matchable portion of the printed document.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the action is one selected from the group of retrieving information, writing information to a location, performing a search for information, displaying information on a client device, conducting an interactive dialog, deferring the action for later execution, modifying a document, purchase of a product, and input of a command to another system.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein performing the action specified by the mixed media reality document comprises providing advertisements related to the first and second geographic locations.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the geographical information is in a location selected from the content of the portion of the printed document, second media associated with the portion of the printed document via the mixed media reality document, and metadata associated with the portion of the printed document.

17. A method for providing a mixed media environment for interacting with documents of a first media type and a second media type, the method comprising:

acquiring a representation of a portion of a pending printed document comprising geographical location information,

wherein acquiring the representation comprises either automatically capturing a text layout of the pending printed document at the time of printing or receiving a file comprising the representation of the portion of the pending printed document;

indexing the acquired representation of the portion of the pending printed document for identification of a corresponding mixed media reality document, the corresponding mixed media reality document comprising a matching electronic representation of the pending printed document, wherein indexing the acquired representation includes specifying an x-y location of at least one of a character, a word and an image from the acquired representation within the pending printed document;

parsing the representation of the portion of the pending printed document to identify a first geographic location from the geographical location information;

identifying a second geographic location of a capture device; and

performing an action specified by the mixed media reality document based on the first and second geographic locations, wherein specifying the x-y location of the acquired representation includes one selected from the group of;

specifying x-y locations of characters of a printed document, specifying x-y locations of words of the printed document, specifying x-y locations of an image or a portion of an image in a printed document, performing an OCR operation and specifying x-y locations of characters or words, and performing feature extraction and specifying x-y locations of characters or words.