Performing actions based on capturing information from rendered documents, such as documents under copyright

• US 8,447,066 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: King, Martin T., Stephens, Redwood, Mannby, Claes-Fredrik, Peterson, Jesse, Sanvitale, Mark, Smith, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARIAM, DANIEL G
• Application Number:
  US12/723,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/181, 382/305, 382/306
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/34 for coin-freed systems ; Pay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3246 of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail

Abstract

A hardware, firmware, and/or software facility (“facility”) for providing information relevant to rendered documents is described. In some embodiments, the facility identifies multiple versions of an electronic document corresponding to a rendered document captured by a capture device. The facility may then provide a person utilizing the capture device with various ways to interact with one or more versions of the electronic document. In some embodiments, the facility determines that use of a rendered document is restricted, such as by copyright, to some degree. The facility may then offer the person the option to obtain unrestricted use of the rendered document. If the person accepts, the person obtains the right to store captures of the rendered document. If the person declines, the facility automatically discards captures of the rendered document. In some embodiments, the facility may automatically purchase rights to restricted-use rendered documents based upon the person'"'"'s pre-defined criteria.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a capture of a portion of a rendered document;

based on the capture,

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright and

determining an electronic counterpart to the rendered document;

identifying a plurality of actions not prohibited by the copyright, wherein the plurality of actions include an action for obtaining a license to the rendered document and an action to provide electronic access to the electronic counterpart; and

providing instructions for a plurality of display elements, wherein each display element is associated with at least one action of the plurality of actions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

identifying a watermark included in the capture of the portion of the rendered document; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by the copyright based on the identified watermark.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

identifying text included in the capture of the portion of the rendered document; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified text.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the electronic counterpart.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the electronic counterpart comprises:

identifying copyright metadata associated with the electronic counterpart; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified copyright metadata.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that a display element associated with the action for obtaining the license to the rendered document is selected; and

in response to the indication, obtaining the license to the rendered document.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

after obtaining the license for the rendered document, storing at least the portion of the rendered document.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an offer to acquire the license to the rendered document;

determining that the offer to acquire the license is not accepted; and

deleting the capture based on the determination that the offer to acquire the license is not accepted.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a capture of a portion of a rendered document;

based on the capture,

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright and

determining an electronic counterpart to the rendered document;

identifying a plurality of actions not prohibited by the copyright, wherein the plurality of actions include an action for obtaining a license to the rendered document and an action to provide electronic access to the electronic counterpart; and

providing instructions for a plurality of display elements, wherein each display element is associated with at least one action of the plurality of actions.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

identifying a watermark included in the capture of the portion of the rendered document; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified watermark.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

identifying text included in the capture of the portion of the rendered document; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified text.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the electronic counterpart.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the electronic counterpart comprises:

identifying copyright metadata associated with the electronic counterpart; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified copyright metadata.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an indication that a display element associated with the action for obtaining the license to the rendered document is selected; and

in response to the indication, obtaining the license to the rendered document.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

after obtaining the license to the rendered document, storing at least a portion of the rendered document.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing an offer to acquire the license to the rendered document;

determining that the offer to acquire the license is not accepted; and

deleting the capture based on the determination that the offer to acquire the license is not accepted.

17. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if the instructions are executed by the processor, cause the device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a capture of a portion of a rendered document,

based on the capture,

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright and

determining an electronic counterpart to the rendered document,

identifying a plurality of actions not prohibited by the copyright, wherein the plurality of actions include an action for obtaining a license to the rendered document and an action to provide electronic access to the electronic counterpart, and

providing instructions for a plurality of display elements, wherein each display element is associated with at least one action of the plurality of actions.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

identifying a watermark included in the capture of the portion of the rendered document; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright base on the identified watermark.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

identifying text included in the capture of the portion of the rendered document; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified text.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright comprises:

identifying an electronic document corresponding to the rendered document; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified electronic document.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified electronic document comprises:

identifying copyright metadata associated with the electronic document; and

determining that the rendered document is protected by copyright based on the identified copyright metadata.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an indication that a display element associated with the action for obtaining a license to the rendered document is not selected; and

in response to the indication that the action for obtaining the license is not selected, deleting the capture.