Methods and systems for content processing

• US 8,929,877 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Rhoads, Nicole
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US14/078,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20140080428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5862 using texture
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/40 Software arrangements specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. user interfaces or toolboxes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/945 User interactive design; Environments; Toolboxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 : where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Mobile phones and other portable devices are equipped with a variety of technologies by which existing functionality can be improved, and new functionality can be provided. Some aspects relate to visual search capabilities, and determining appropriate actions responsive to different image inputs. Others relate to processing of image data. Still others concern metadata generation, processing, and representation. Yet others concern user interface improvements. Other aspects relate to imaging architectures, in which a mobile phone'"'"'s image sensor is one in a chain of stages that successively act on packetized instructions/data, to capture and later process imagery. Still other aspects relate to distribution of processing tasks between the mobile device and remote resources (“the cloud”). Elemental image processing (e.g., simple filtering and edge detection) can be performed on the mobile phone, while other operations can be referred out to remote service providers. The remote service providers can be selected using techniques such as reverse auctions, through which they compete for processing tasks. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

with a portable, camera-equipped, system, capturing imagery depicting one instance of a device;

using information derived from the captured imagery, determining address information for use in communicating with said one instance of the device;

using information derived from the captured imagery, authorizing control of said one instance of the device by the camera-equipped system;

controlling said one instance of the device using the camera-equipped system, by two-way communication relayed between said system and said device through a remote server, employing said determined address information;

wherein other instances of said device also exist, but the camera-equipped system is authorized to control only the one instance of the device from which the imagery was captured; and

wherein said capturing act comprises capturing imagery that depicts a feature of the device whose appearance varies over time, wherein said authorizing is based on an appearance of said time-varying feature.

2. The method of claim 1 that includes controlling said one instance of the device using the camera-equipped system, when said one instance of the device is no longer within view of said camera-equipped system.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said device comprises a parking meter.

4. The method of claim 1 that includes determining a cryptographic key based on the captured imagery, and using said determined key in communicating with said one instance of the device.

5. The method of claim 1 that includes presenting, on a display of the camera-equipped portable system, information sent by said instance of the device.

6. The method of claim 1 in which said authorized control expires after passage of a predetermined interval of time.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said authorized control lapses when a different portable, camera-equipped, system becomes authorized to control said instance of the device.

8. The method of claim 1 that further includes using information derived from the captured imagery in identifying said remote server.

9. The method of claim 1 that includes receiving user interface software sent by the remote server, which enables the camera-equipped system to establish two-way communication with said one instance of the device.

10. The method of claim 1 in which said portable, camera-equipped, system comprises a smartphone.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said remote server also relays two-way communications between other portable, camera-equipped, systems, and other devices.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing software instructions operable to configure a portable, camera-equipped, system to perform acts including:

capturing imagery depicting one instance of a device;

using information derived from the captured imagery, determining address information for use in communicating with said one instance of the device;

using information derived from the captured imagery, authorizing control of said one instance of the device by the camera-equipped system;

controlling said one instance of the device using the camera-equipped system, by two-way communication relayed between said system and said device through a remote server, employing said determined address information;

wherein other instances of said device also exist, but the camera-equipped system is authorized to control only the one instance of the device from which the imagery was captured; and

wherein said capturing act comprises capturing imagery that depicts a feature of the device whose appearance varies over time, wherein said authorizing is based on an appearance of said time-varying feature.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said acts include controlling said one instance of the device using the camera-equipped system, when said one instance of the device is no longer within view of said camera-equipped system.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which the device comprises a parking meter.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said acts include determining a cryptographic key based on the captured imagery, and using said determined key in communicating with said one instance of the device.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said acts include presenting, on a display of the camera-equipped portable system, information sent by said instance of the device.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said authorized control expires after passage of a predetermined interval of time.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said authorized control lapses when a different portable, camera-equipped, system becomes authorized to control said instance of the device.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said acts include receiving user interface software sent by the remote server, which enables the camera-equipped system to establish two-way communication with said one instance of the device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said portable, camera-equipped, system comprises a smartphone.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said acts further include using information derived from the captured imagery in identifying said remote server.

22. A portable system comprising a camera, a processor, and a memory, the memory including the computer readable medium of claim 12.

23. A smartphone comprising a camera, a processor, and a memory, the memory including the computer readable medium of claim 12.