Electronic device and object recognition method in electronic device

• US 9,367,761 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Ik-Hwan, Kis, Gennadiy Yaroslavovich, Cho, Kyu-Sung, Panfilov, Oleksiy Seriovych
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US14/177,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/107, 382/236, 348/169, 348/170, 348/171, 348/172, 348/352
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/39 Urban scenes

Abstract

An electronic device for fast object recognition is provided. The electronic device includes a first storage unit configured to store digital image data, and a processor configured to recognize an object in first image data, to receive a second object related to the first object in the first image data from a second storage unit, to store the first and second objects in the first storage unit, and to use one or more of the first and second objects stored in the first storage unit to recognize an object in second image data.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first storage unit configured to store digital image data; and

a processor configured to;

recognize an object in first image data using reference image data,

receive a second object related to the first object in the first image data from a second storage unit and store the first and second objects in the first storage unit, and

use one or more of the first and second objects stored in the first storage unit to recognize an object in second image data,

wherein the first storage unit is loaded with the reference image data based on a load condition of the first storage unit, and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine whether the load condition of the first storage unit is based on at least one of a current location and a current time, and

load the first storage unit with the reference image data according to the determination.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first storage unit is configured to store the first and second objects by associating them.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first object includes a first identifier and the first storage unit includes a second identifier that is the same as or related to the first identifier.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first storage unit comprises a non-volatile memory.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second storage unit is located external to the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second storage unit is located inside the electronic device.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a processor configured to;

process first image data,

send the first image data to an external electronic device configured to have a first database,

recognize a first object in the first image data, using reference image data, and

send information indicating a second database smaller than the first database to the external electronic device,

wherein the second database is loaded with the reference image data according to a load condition of the second database, and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine whether the load condition of the second database is based on at least one of a current location and a current time, and

load the second database with the reference image data according to the determination.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a processor configured to;

process image data,

receive first image data and information indicating a first database from an external electronic device,

search a second database greater than the first database for a second object related to a first object in the first image data and store the second object in the first database,

store the first object in the first database, and

use one or more of the first and second objects stored in the first database to recognize an object in second image data using reference image data,

wherein the first database is loaded with the reference image data according to a load condition of the first database, and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine whether the load condition of the first database is based on at least one of a current location and a current time, and

load the first database with the reference image data according to the determination.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the information indicating the first database includes a user identification.

10. An object recognition method in an electronic device including a processor, the object recognition method comprising:

recognizing, by the processor, a first object in first image data using reference image data;

receiving a second object related to the first object from a second storage unit;

storing the first object and the second object in a first storage unit; and

using, by the processor, one or more of the first and second objects stored in the first storage unit to recognize an object in second image data,

wherein the first storage unit is loaded with the reference image data based on a load condition of the first storage unit, and

wherein the processor determines whether the load condition of the first storage unit is based on at least one of a current location and a current time, and loads the first storage unit with the reference image data according to the determination.

11. The object recognition method of claim 10, wherein the first and second objects are associated and stored in the first storage unit.

12. The object recognition method of claim 11, wherein the first object includes a first identifier, and

wherein the second object stored in the first storage unit includes a second identifier that is the same as or related to the first identifier.

13. The object recognition method of claim 10, wherein the first storage unit comprises a non-volatile memory.

14. The object recognition method of claim 10, wherein the second storage unit is located external to the electronic device.

15. The object recognition method of claim 10, wherein the second storage unit is located inside the electronic device.

16. The object recognition method of claim 10, wherein the first image data is generated by an image generating unit of the electronic device.

17. An object recognition method in an electronic device including a processor, the object recognition method comprising:

sending, by the processor, first image data to an external electronic device configured to have a first database to recognize a first object in the first image data using reference image data,

wherein information indicating a second database smaller than the first database is also sent to the external electronic device while the first image data is sent to the external electronic device,

wherein the second database is loaded with the reference image data according to a load condition of the second database, and

wherein the processor determines whether the load condition of the second database is based on at least one of a current location and a current time, and loads the second database with the reference image data according to the determination.

18. An object recognition method in an electronic device including a processor, the object recognition method comprising:

receiving first image data and information indicating a first database from an external electronic device;

searching a second database larger than the first database for a second object related to a first object in the first image data and storing the first and second objects in the first database; and

using, by the processor, one or more of the first and second objects stored in the first database to recognize an object in second image data using reference image data,

wherein the first database is loaded with the reference image data based on a load condition of the first database, and

wherein the processor determines whether the load condition of the first database is based on at least one of a current location and a current time, and loads the first database with the reference image data according to the determination.

19. The object recognition method of claim 18, wherein the information indicating the first database includes a user identification.