Image sense tags for digital images

• US 8,072,432 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Agevik, Markus, Hansson, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US12/014,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-162, 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A method and apparatus for presenting the sense of an image is disclosed. First, a digital image is acquired and then various sensing tags are assigned to various sections of the digital image. The digital image is displayed on a screen. It is determined when and where a user touches the screen which corresponds to a section of the digital image. If a sensing tag has been assigned to the touched section of the digital image, the tagged sense is provided to the user.

Claims

1. A method for presenting the sense of an image, comprising the steps of:

acquiring a digital image;

assigning various sensing tags to various sections of the digital image, wherein the sensing tags relate to sight, touch, sound, taste and smell;

displaying the digital image on a screen;

detecting when and where a user touches a cover over the screen which corresponds to a section of the digital image;

determining if a sensing tag has been assigned to the touched section of the digital image;

providing the tagged sense to the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user assigns the various sensing tags to the digital image.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein an image recognition algorithm assigns the various sensing tags to the digital image.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said screen is a touch screen.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a cover is provided over the screen.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein touch sensing tags indicate whether the cover on the touch screen should be hard or soft, hot or cold and/or smooth or rough.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the tagged sense is provided to the user where the user is touching the cover.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sound sensing tags correspond to recorded sounds which can be played for the user.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the smell sensing tags correspond to stored aromas which can be released from the apparatus.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein different electrical impulses are applied to a section of the cover on the touch screen to make the cover hard or soft, and/or smooth or rough according to the touch sensing tags.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein cooling means generate cold sections on the cover according to the touch sensing tags.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein heating means generate heated sections on the cover according to the touch sensing tags.

13. An apparatus for presenting the sense of an image, comprising:

means for acquiring a digital image;

a processor for assigning various sensing tags to various sections of the digital image;

the screen for displaying the tagged digital image, wherein the screen detects when and where a user touches the screen which corresponds to a section of the digital image;

the processor for determining if a sensing tag has been assigned to the touched section of the digital image;

means for providing the tagged sense to the user.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the user assigns the various sensing tags to the digital image.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein an image recognition algorithm assigns the various sensing tags to the digital image.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the sensing tags relate to sight, touch, sound, taste and smell.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the screen is a touch screen.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a cover which is provided over the screen.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein touch sensing tags indicate whether the cover on the screen should be hard or soft, hot or cold and/or smooth or rough.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the tagged sense is provided to the user where the user is touching the cover.

21. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the sound sensing tags correspond to recorded sounds which can be played for the user.

22. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the smell sensing tags correspond to stored aromas which can be released from the apparatus.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein different electrical impulses are applied to a section of the cover on the touch screen to make the cover hard or soft, and/or smooth or rough according to the touch sensing tags.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein cooling means generate cold sections on the cover according to the touch sensing tags.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein heating means generate heated sections on the cover according to the touch sensing tags.