Advertisement insertion systems and methods for digital cameras based on object recognition

• US 8,098,881 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Camp, William O. Jr., Vasa, Yojak Harshad
• Primary Examiner(s): Cunningham, Gregory F
• Application Number:
  US12/045,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20090232354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 348/586, 348/589, 348/E5.069, 382/100, 705/14.36, 705/14.49
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2723 Insertion of virtual advertisement; Replacing advertisements physical present in the scene by virtual advertisement data processing systems or methods specially adapted for marketing G06Q30/02

Abstract

Digital cameras include an image capture system, an object recognition system and an advertisement insertion system. The image capture system captures a visible image as a digital image. The object recognition system recognizes visible objects in the digital image. The advertisement insertion system inserts an advertising-related image into the digital image in response to a visible object in the digital image that was recognized. The user of the digital camera may be compensated for exposure to the advertising-related image.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

an image capture system in the digital camera that is configured to capture a visible image as a digital image;

an object recognition system in the digital camera that is configured to recognize visible objects in the digital image;

an advertisement insertion system in the digital camera that is configured to insert an advertising-related image into the digital image in response to a visible object in the digital image that was recognized; and

a financial credit system that is configured to provide a user of the digital camera financial remuneration in response to the advertisement insertion system inserting the advertising-related image into the digital image.

2. A digital camera according to claim 1 further comprising a digital image display,

wherein the image capture system is configured to capture a visible image as a digital image and to display the digital image on the digital image display;

and

wherein the advertisement insertion system is configured to insert an advertising-related image into the digital image that is displayed on the digital image display in response to the visible object in the digital image that was recognized.

3. A digital camera according to claim 1 further comprising a digital image storage medium,

wherein the image capture system is configured to store a visible image as a digital image in the digital image storage medium;

and

wherein the advertisement insertion system is configured to insert an advertising-related image into the digital image that is that is stored in the digital image storage medium in response to the visible object in the digital image that was recognized.

4. A digital camera according to claim 1 further comprising a digital image upload system that is configured to upload the digital image from the image capture system to external of the digital camera,

wherein the advertisement insertion system is configured to insert an advertising-related image into the digital image that is uploaded from the image capture system to external of the digital camera in response to the visible object in the digital image that was recognized.

5. A digital camera according to claim 1 further comprising a position system that is configured to obtain a geographic position and/or direction of the digital camera,

wherein the advertisement insertion system is configured to insert an advertising-related image into the digital image in response to the visible object in the digital image that was recognized and in further response to the geographic position/direction of the digital camera that was obtained.

6. A digital camera according to claim 1 further comprising a subscriber identification module that identifies a language of a user of the digital camera,

wherein the advertising-related image includes text therein;

and

wherein the advertisement insertion system is configured to insert into the digital image the advertising-related image including the text therein in the language that is identified by the subscriber identification module in response to the visible object in the digital image that was recognized.

7. A digital camera according to claim 1 further comprising a download system that is configured to download into the digital camera from external of the digital camera, indicators of visible objects to be recognized and advertising-related images corresponding to the visible objects to be recognized,

wherein the object recognition system is responsive to the indicators of the visible objects to be recognized;

and

wherein the advertisement insertion system is responsive to the advertising-related images corresponding to the visible objects to be recognized.

8. A digital camera according to claim 1 wherein the advertisement insertion system is configured to insert the advertising-related image into the digital image as an overlay image, an additional image and/or a replacement image, in response to the visible object in the digital image that was recognized.

9. A digital camera according to Claim 1 in further combination with an online digital image processing system that is configured to store and/or print the digital image external of the digital camera, and wherein the financial credit system is configured to provide the user of the digital camera financial remuneration from the online digital image processing system.

10. A digital camera according to claim 1 wherein the advertisement insertion system is configured to insert a transitory and/or permanent advertising-related image into the digital image in response to the visible object in the digital image that was recognized.

11. A digital camera according to claim 4 further comprising a wireless communications system,

wherein the digital image upload system is configured to upload the digital image from the image capture system via the wireless communications system.

12. A digital camera according to claim 7 further comprising a wireless communications system,

wherein the download system is configured to download into the digital camera via the wireless communications system, the indicators of visible objects to be recognized and the advertising-related images corresponding to the visible objects to be recognized.

13. A digital camera according to claim 11 wherein the wireless communications system comprises a cellular communications system and/or an ad hoc short-range wireless communications system.

14. A digital camera according to claim 12 wherein the wireless communications system comprises a cellular communications system and/or an ad hoc short-range wireless communications system.

15. A digital photography method comprising:

compensating a user of a digital camera in exchange for the digital camera inserting an advertising-related image into a digital image that is captured by the digital camera from a visible image in response to a visible object in the digital image that was recognized by the digital camera.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein compensating comprises compensating a user of a digital camera in exchange for the digital camera inserting, during a displaying operation of the digital camera, an advertising-related image into a digital image that is captured by the digital camera from a visible image.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein compensating comprises compensating a user of a digital camera in exchange for the digital camera inserting, during a digital image storing operation of the digital camera, an advertising-related image into a digital image that is captured by the digital camera from a visible image.

18. A method according to claim 15 wherein compensating comprises compensating a user of a digital camera in exchange for the digital camera inserting, during a digital image uploading operation of the digital camera, an advertising-related image into a digital image that is captured by the digital camera from a visible image.

19. A method according to claim 15 wherein compensating comprises compensating a user of a digital camera in exchange for the digital camera inserting, during a digital image printing operation of the digital camera, an advertising-related image into a digital image that is captured by the digital camera from a visible image.