Object information derived from object images

• US 8,494,271 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2012
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC (NantWorks, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC (NantWorks, LLC)
• Inventors: Boncyk, Wayne C., Cohen, Ronald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherali, Ishrat I
• Application Number:
  US13/477,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20120230543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382162-165, 382/108, 382/100, 382/224, 382/305, 382/103, 382115-118, 705/23, 705 261- 272, 713/186, 713/168, 348/239, 3482112-2116, 348/207.1, 348/460, 348/552, 709201-203, 709217-219, 709/250, 715/751, 4554141-4142, 455/412.1, 455/411, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Search terms are derived automatically from images captured by a camera equipped cell phone, PDA, or other image capturing device, submitted to a search engine to obtain information of interest, and at least a portion of the resulting information is transmitted back locally to, or nearby, the device that captured the image.

Claims

1. A content provider system comprising:

an identification server configured to;

obtain a digital representation of an object,

recognize the object as a target object according to at least one dimension of relevance of the object derived from the digital representation, and

identify target object information associated with the target object; and

a hardware-based content server communicatively coupled with the identification server and configured to;

identify content pertinent to the target object based on the target object information, and

cause a terminal device to have an interaction with the content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one dimension of relevance includes at least two dimensions of relevance.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one dimension of relevance includes at least three dimensions of relevance.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one dimension of relevance includes at least four dimensions of relevance.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one dimension of relevance includes at least one of the following:

a shape, a surface appearance, a physical dimension, a visible marking, a change in time, a gesture, a movement pattern, a handling feature, and an acceleration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the target object represents a two dimensional target object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the two dimensional target object represents printed media.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the printed media includes at least one of the following:

an advertisement, a magazine, a photograph, a poster, a passport, a driver'"'"'s license, and a newspaper.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the two dimensional target object represents a sign.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sign includes at least one of the following:

a street sign, a billboard, a restaurant sign, and a business sign.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the two dimensional target object represents a displayed image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the displayed image comprises an image displayable on a screen.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the displayed image comprises an image displayable on a television screen.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the target object represents a three dimensional target object.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the three dimensional target object comprises at least one of the following:

a screen, a vehicle, a spacecraft, a building, a vending machine, a machine part, a music box, a video box, and a beverage container.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises a symbol.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the target object comprises at least one of the following:

a logo, text, a bar code, a 2D bar code, a 3D bar code, a matrix code, and a tag.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification server further comprises a model database storing a model of the target object, where the identifier server is further configured to recognize the object as the target object based on the model.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the model comprises a 3D model of the target object.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the content includes at least one of the following types of data:

audio data, image data, video data, transaction data, streamed data, graphic data, a phone number, a uniform resource locator, a network address, a frequency, promotional data, and a channel.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the interaction comprises a transaction with an account.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the account includes at least one of the following:

an account linked to the terminal device, an account linked to a user, an account linked to a bank, and an account linked to a credit card.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the transaction relates to at least one of the following:

a reduced price, a promotional price, a limited time purchase, a product promotion, and a web site.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the interaction comprises at least one of the following:

presentation of the content, communication with another device according to the content, control of another device, conducting a search on a search engine, and control of a machine.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the interaction comprises vote registration.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the vote registration relates to televised content.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminal device comprises the identification server.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminal device comprises the content server.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification server comprises the content server.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital representation comprises imagery data related to the object.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital representation comprises non-visual data related to the object.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the non-visual data comprises audio data.