Image capture and identification system and process

• US 9,110,925 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US14/464,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/70 Game security or game management aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• 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 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 : Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 : by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 : Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/217 : Validation; Performance evaluation; Active pattern learning techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 : Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/23 : Clustering techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 : Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 : Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 : Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 : specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 : Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 : Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 : Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 : Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3567 : Software being in the reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 : Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 : involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 : Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 : During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 : User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 : Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 : Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 : Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 : Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 : Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/10 : Segmentation; Edge detection motion-based segmentation G06T7/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 : Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 : Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/136 : involving thresholding
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/194 : involving foreground-background segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 : using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/337 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/462 : Salient features, e.g. scale invariant feature transforms [SIFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 : relating to colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/7515 : Shifting the patterns to accommodate for positional errors
• 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: G06V 20/20 : in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 : using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 : of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 : Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 : Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 : Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 : using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 : by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 : involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 : Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 : Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 : Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 : Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 : Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 : Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a reference database storing reference object data corresponding to a plurality of real-world objects including a first real-world object;

a recognition engine communicatively coupled to the reference database, the recognition engine configured to;

receive a digital image representation of an environment related to a mobile device, the digital image representation including a digital image representation of at least a part of the first real-world object;

derive at least one first input descriptor from the digital image representation;

obtain a first plurality of reference descriptors from the reference object data in the reference database;

compute at least one first confidence score of the at least one first input descriptor relative to at least one of the first plurality of reference descriptors;

derive at least one second input descriptor from the digital image representation;

obtain a second plurality of reference descriptors from the reference object data in the reference database;

compute at least one second confidence score of the at least one second input descriptor relative to at least one of the second plurality of reference descriptors;

enable a best match determination based on the at least one first confidence score and the at least one second confidence score;

recognize the first real-world object as a target object based at least in part on the at least one first confidence score; and

obtain, via an address, target information associated with the target object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the recognition engine is configured to:

derive the at least one first input descriptor by applying an image analysis algorithm using at least one first algorithm variable value to the digital image representation;

obtain the first plurality of reference descriptors by applying the image analysis algorithm using the at least one first algorithm variable value to the reference object data;

derive the at least one second input descriptor by applying the image analysis algorithm using at least one second algorithm variable value to the digital image representation; and

obtain the second plurality of reference descriptors by applying the image analysis algorithm using the at least one second algorithm variable value to the reference object data.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising wherein the at least one second algorithm variable value is derived from the at least one first algorithm variable value.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the recognition engine is configured to:

derive the at least one first input descriptor by applying at least one first image analysis algorithm to the digital image representation;

obtain the first plurality of reference descriptors by applying the at least one first image analysis algorithm to the reference object data;

derive the at least one second input descriptor by applying at least one second image analysis algorithm to the digital image representation; and

obtain the second plurality of reference descriptors by applying the at least one second image analysis algorithm to the reference object data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each of the at least one first image analysis algorithm and the at least one second image analysis algorithm is an algorithm for at least one of a bounding box generation, a geometric normalization, a wavelet decomposition, a color cube decomposition, a shape decomposition and a low-resolution grayscale image generation, and wherein the at least one first image analysis algorithm is different from the at least one second image analysis algorithm.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first input descriptor comprises at least one first input local image descriptor, the first plurality of reference descriptors comprises a first plurality of reference local image descriptors, the at least one second input descriptor comprises at least one second input local image descriptor, and the second plurality of reference descriptors comprises a second plurality of reference local image descriptors.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the recognition engine is configured to enable a best match determination based on the at least one first confidence score and the at least one second confidence score by determining one of the at least one first confidence score and the at least one second confidence score as a best match score.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the determining comprises a statistical decision.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the target information associated with the target object includes at least one of an information address, an identity, a position, an orientation, a size, a color, a status, decoded information, a location, a maintenance instruction, a maintenance history, and alphanumeric text.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises at least one of a consumer product, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a print media item, a magazine advertisement, a newspaper article, a poster, a sign, a theater, a store, an item in a store, a car, a person, a passport, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, an aircraft part, a part on an assembly line, a box in a warehouse, a spacecraft, an information kiosk, and a vending machine.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference object data comprises a reference digital image representation of the first real-world object.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital image representation comprises at least one of a single image, a series of images and a continuous video stream.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital image representation comprises at least one of the following data formats:

raw image data, compressed image data, JPEG2000, key image information, and an MPEG video stream.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital image representation further includes location information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the location information comprises at least one of global position system information and cellular network radio location information.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a terminal communicatively coupled to the reference database and the recognition engine, configured to;

capture the digital image representation of the environment; and

transmit the digital image representation of the environment to the recognition engine; and

wherein the recognition engine is further configured to receive the digital image representation of the environment from the terminal.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the terminal comprises at least one of a robot, a cellular phone, PDA, a mobile computing device;

a digital camera, and a video camera.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the first real-world object comprises a tag.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the first real-world object lacks a tag.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the recognition engine is further configured to recognize the first real-world object as the target object based on a recognition of a symbol associated with the first real-world object.

23. The system of claim 22, where the symbol relates to at least one of the following:

a barcode, matrix code, and alphanumeric characters.

24. The system of claim 22, where the symbol relates to at least one of the following:

a sign, a consumer product, a product advertisement, a product promotion, and a product company.

9. The system of wherein the recognition engine is further configured to:

enable a terminal to perform an action based on the target information.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the action includes at least one of accessing a website, accessing a software process, initializing a software process, accessing a web service, initiating a telephone call, initiating a radio communication, sending at least some of the target information to a website, sending at least some of the target information to a software process, sending at least some of the target information to a hardware component, displaying information, displaying text, displaying graphics, displaying video, displaying animations, producing an audio signal, producing a sound, playing music, registering a vote, obtaining show times, sending at least some of the target information to web browser, performing a transaction, navigating a spacecraft, guiding a spacecraft, maneuvering a spacecraft, docking a spacecraft, interacting with a computer-system based game, and purchasing a product.