Methods and systems for determining image processing operations relevant to particular imagery
First Claim
1. A method of improving the functioning of a cell phone, the cell phone including a battery, a camera, and a processing system, the cell phone further being equipped to perform plural different types of image recognition operations including at least barcode recognition and digital watermark decoding on frames of imagery captured by the camera, the method comprising the acts:
- performing a plurality of preliminary image processing operations on each of 15 or more frames of imagery captured per second, said performing requiring application of less than 10% of computational capabilities of the cell phone processing system, said preliminary image processing operations including analyzing each of said frames of imagery to determine at least one of;
a colorfulness metric, a color saturation metric, or a contrast metric, said preliminary image processing operations yielding intermediate data, including said determined metric, for each of said frames;
(a) based at least in part on said determined metric, performing a barcode recognition operation and not a digital watermark decoding operation on a first of said frames of imagery captured by the camera;
(b) based at least in part on said determined metric, performing a digital watermark decoding operation and not a barcode recognition operation on a second of said frames of imagery captured by the camera;
wherein said barcode recognition and watermark decoding operations are performed using said cell phone processing system, without off-loading to a processor remote from the cell phone; and
wherein a type of image recognition process performed on a frame of captured imagery, as well as a type of image recognition process not-performed, are based on said determined metric;
wherein the cell phone does not perform all of said plural types of image recognition operations on said first or second frames of captured imagery, but rather selects among said plural types of image recognition operations based on imagery characteristics, thereby conserving battery power and processing resources, despite performing said barcode recognition and watermark decoding operations using said cell phone processing system without reliance on a processor remote from the cell phone.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Image data, such as from a mobile phone camera, is analyzed to determine a colorfulness metric (e.g., saturation) or a contrast metric (e.g., Weber contrast). This metric is then used in deciding which of, or in which order, plural different image recognition processes should be invoked in order to present responsive information to a user. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A method of improving the functioning of a cell phone, the cell phone including a battery, a camera, and a processing system, the cell phone further being equipped to perform plural different types of image recognition operations including at least barcode recognition and digital watermark decoding on frames of imagery captured by the camera, the method comprising the acts:
-
performing a plurality of preliminary image processing operations on each of 15 or more frames of imagery captured per second, said performing requiring application of less than 10% of computational capabilities of the cell phone processing system, said preliminary image processing operations including analyzing each of said frames of imagery to determine at least one of;
a colorfulness metric, a color saturation metric, or a contrast metric, said preliminary image processing operations yielding intermediate data, including said determined metric, for each of said frames;(a) based at least in part on said determined metric, performing a barcode recognition operation and not a digital watermark decoding operation on a first of said frames of imagery captured by the camera; (b) based at least in part on said determined metric, performing a digital watermark decoding operation and not a barcode recognition operation on a second of said frames of imagery captured by the camera; wherein said barcode recognition and watermark decoding operations are performed using said cell phone processing system, without off-loading to a processor remote from the cell phone; and wherein a type of image recognition process performed on a frame of captured imagery, as well as a type of image recognition process not-performed, are based on said determined metric; wherein the cell phone does not perform all of said plural types of image recognition operations on said first or second frames of captured imagery, but rather selects among said plural types of image recognition operations based on imagery characteristics, thereby conserving battery power and processing resources, despite performing said barcode recognition and watermark decoding operations using said cell phone processing system without reliance on a processor remote from the cell phone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A cell phone including a battery, a camera, a memory containing software instructions, and a processing system, said instructions configuring the cell phone to define plural recognition agents, said agents including a barcode recognition agent that extracts barcode data from camera-captured imagery, and a watermark decoding agent that extracts watermark data from camera-captured imagery, said barcode recognition agent and watermark decoding agent not off-loading processing to a processor remote from the cell phone, said instructions in the memory further configuring the cell phone to perform acts including:
-
performing a plurality of preliminary image processing operations on each of 15 or more frames of imagery captured per second, said performing requiring application of less than 10% of computational capabilities of the cell phone processing system, said preliminary image processing operations including analyzing each of said frames of imagery to determine at least one of;
a colorfulness metric, a color saturation metric, or a contrast metric, said preliminary image processing operations yielding intermediate data, including said determined metric, for each of said frames;based at least in part on said determined metric, selecting less than all of said plural recognition agents to invoke on one of said frames of imagery; and invoking the selected recognition agent(s) to operate on said frame of imagery, and not invoking an unselected recognition agent to operate on said frame of imagery; wherein the recognition agent(s) invoked to operate on said frame of imagery, as well as the recognition agent not invoked to operate on said frame of imagery, are identified based on said determined metric, wherein the cell phone does not invoke all of said plural recognition agents to operate on said frame of imagery, but rather selects among said plural recognition agents based on image characteristics, thereby conserving battery power and processing resources, despite performing said barcode recognition and watermark decoding operations using said cell phone processing system without reliance on a processor remote from the cell phone. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22)
-
-
21. A cell phone including:
-
a battery; a camera; a memory containing software instructions; a processing system; means defining plural recognition agents, including a barcode recognition agent that extracts barcode data from camera-captured imagery, and a watermark decoding agent that extracts watermark data from camera-captured imagery, said barcode recognition agent and watermark decoding agent not off-loading processing to a processor remote from the cell phone; and means for determining an image metric for each of at least 15 frames of imagery captured per second, said means requiring application of less than 10% of computational capabilities of the cell phone processing system; wherein said software instructions configure the cell phone to perform acts including; based on said image metric determined from a particular frame of imagery, selecting less than all of said plural recognition agents; and invoking the selected recognition agent(s) to operate on said particular frame of imagery, and not invoking an unselected recognition agent to operate on said particular frame of imagery; wherein the recognition agent(s) invoked to operate on said particular frame of imagery, as well as the recognition agent not invoked to operate on the particular frame of imagery, are identified based on said determined metric, wherein the cell phone does not invoke all of said plural recognition agents to operate on said particular frame of imagery, but rather selects among said plural recognition agents based on image characteristics, thereby conserving battery power and processing resources.
-
Specification