Automated annotation of a view

• US 8,675,016 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US13/432,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629, 345/630, 345/632, 700/28, 707/200, 710/8, 382/305
• 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 camera;

displaying said digital image on a display, wherein the display comprises a touch screen;

selecting an element from the digital image to be annotated by touching said element on said display;

identifying annotating data associated with the selected element, based on the location of the camera; and

superimposing said annotating data on said digital image.

2. A computerized method according to claim 1 wherein the display is a display on a mobile phone.

3. A computerized method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of obtaining an identification of the selected element on the basis of the location of the mobile phone and visual cues which can be indentified in the digital image.

4. A computerized method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of relating the identification to annotating data associated with the selected element.

5. A computerized method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of obtaining an identification of the selected element on the basis of the location and shooting orientation of the camera.

6. A computerized method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

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

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 the selected element in the digital image.

7. A computerized method according to claim 6 further comprising the step of receiving meta-information associated with the element from the radio signal.

8. A computerized method according to claim 1 wherein the camera is a camera on a mobile phone.

9. A computerized method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of causing the annotating data to be displayed on the display.