Automated annotation of a view

• US 8,432,414 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Inventors: Vetterli, Martin, Ayer, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US09/817,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20020075282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,418 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629, 345/630, 345/632, 700/28, 707/200, 710/8
• US Class Current: 345/632
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/008 Touring maps or guides to public transport networks
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display

Abstract

In a view, e.g. of scenery, of a shopping or museum display, or of a meeting or conference, automated processing can be used to annotate objects which are visible from a viewer position. Annotation can be of objects selected by the viewer, and can be displayed visually, for example, with or without an image of the view.

Claims

1. A computerized method for annotating, comprising the steps of:

capturing a digital image of a view having an element with a mobile phone including a camera;

selecting an element from the captured image;

obtaining an identification of the selected element from the captured image on the basis of the location of the mobile phone and visual cues which can be identified in the captured image;

relating the identification to annotating data associated with the element;

superimposing said annotating data on said view; and

causing the data to be displayed on a display.

2. A system for annotating, comprising:

a mobile phone including a camera for capturing a digital image of a view having an element;

means for obtaining an identification of the element on the basis of the location of the mobile phone and visual cues which can be identified in the captured image;

means for relating the identification to annotating data associated with the element;

means for superimposing said annotating data on said view; and

a display for displaying the data.

3. A computerized method for annotating, comprising the steps of:

capturing a digital image of a view having an element with a camera;

displaying said digital image on a display;

receiving a radio signal sent by a radio sender of said element, wherein the radio signal comprises location data and meta-information associated with said element;

determining the location and shooting orientation of the camera;

using the location data provided in the radio signal, the position of the camera and the shooting orientation of the camera, to determine the position of said element in the digital image;

retrieving meta-information associated with the element from the radio signal; and

superimposing annotating data corresponding to said meta-information on said view.

4. A computerized method for annotating, comprising the steps of:

capturing a digital image of a view having an element with a camera in a mobile phone;

determining the position and shooting direction of said camera;

displaying said view on a display of said mobile phone;

using said position, said shooting direction and visual cues for relating a selected element to annotating data associated with the element; and

superimposing said annotating data on said display.