System and method for identifying an object with captured images

• US 20030189646A1
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bean, Heather Noel, Robins, Mark Nelson
• Granted Patent: US 7,023,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/22 by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2116 Picture signal recording combined with imagewise recording, e.g. photographic recording photographic cameras G03B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2125 Display of information relating to the still picture recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for identifying objects with captured images. One embodiment of the present invention is a method comprising the steps of actuating a controller configured to cause an image capture device to operate in a property identification (ID) mode; capturing an image of an object, thereby generating an object image when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode; and capturing at least one high-resolution image of a unique feature of the object, thereby generating at least one identification (ID) image when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode.

Claims

1. A method for identifying objects with captured images, the method comprising the steps of:

actuating a controller configured to cause an image capture device to operate in a property identification (ID) mode;

capturing an image of an object, thereby generating an object image when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode; and

capturing at least one high-resolution image of a unique feature of the object, thereby generating at least one identification (ID) image when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of associating the object image and the at least one ID image, thereby generating an object group such that the object group has a plurality of associated images that identify the object when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing the object image in a memory;

storing the at least one ID image in the memory; and

storing the object group in the memory.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of communicating the object image and the at least one ID image to a processing device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of communicating the object group to a processing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a digital camera, a facsimile (FAX) machine and a copy machine.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of formatting a plurality of selected images from the object group into a single image, wherein at least one of the selected images from the object group is the object image and wherein another one of the selected images from the object group is the ID image, such that a composite image is generated.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

positioning a target icon over a selected location on the object image; and

defining a location of a selected ID image by associating the position of the target icon with the selected ID image.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

generating a composite image having at least the object image and at least the selected ID image; and

generating a location pointer, the location pointer indicating the location of the selected ID image on the object image based upon the position of the target icon.

10. A method for identifying objects with captured images processed by a processing device, the method comprising the steps of:

executing a property identification logic such that the processing device is operating in a property identification (ID) mode;

receiving an image of an object from a memory;

generating an object image from the received image of the object when the processing device is operating in a property ID mode;

receiving at least one high-resolution image of a unique feature of the object from the memory;

generating an ID image from the received at least one high-resolution image of the unique feature of the object when the processing device is operating in the property ID mode; and

generating an object group by associating the object image and at least one selected ID image when the processing device is operating in the property ID mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the received image of the object and the received at least one high-resolution image of the unique feature of the object are received from a remote memory residing external to the processing device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the received image of the object and the received at least one high-resolution image of the unique feature of the object are received from an internal memory residing within the processing device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of generating a composite image by formatting a plurality of selected images from the object group into a single image, and wherein at least one of the selected images from the object group is the object image.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of displaying the composite image on a display.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of printing the composite image on a printing device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of communicating the composite image to an external device.

13. The method of 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the image of the object and the at least one high-resolution image of the unique feature from an image capture device; and

storing the image of the object and the at least one high-resolution image of the unique feature in the internal memory.

18. A system which identifies objects with captured images, comprising:

a controller configured to cause an image capture device to operate in a property identification (ID) mode when the controller is actuated;

a photosensor residing in the image capture device and configured to capture an image of an object and at least one high-resolution image of a unique feature of the object; and

a memory configured to receive the captured image of the object, thereby generating an object image, and further configured to receive the at least one high-resolution image of a unique feature of the object, thereby generating at least one ID image, when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a processor residing in the image capture device and configured to associate the object image and the at least one ID image when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode, thereby generating an object group such that the object group has a plurality of associated images that identify the object.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a composite image having at least the object image and at least a selected ID image.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising an interface configured to communicatively couple with a remote processing device such that the object image and the at least one ID image is communicated from the image capture device to the remote processing device.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising a target icon displayed on the object image, the target icon configured to indicate the relative location of the ID image on the object.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a composite image having at least the object image and at least a selected ID image, and further comprising a location pointer, the location pointer indicating the relative location of the selected ID image on the object image based upon the position of the target icon.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a second controller configured to position the target icon over a selected portion of the object image such that the relative location of the ID image on the object is defined.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the controller and the second controller are implemented in a single interface control device.

26. The system of claim 18, further comprising a display and wherein the controller is implemented on a menu displayed on the display.

27. A processing system which identifies objects with captured images, comprising:

an interface configured to interface with an image capture device memory such that an image of an object and at least one high-resolution image of a unique feature of the object is received from the image capture device;

a processor configured to generate an object image from the received object image, configured to generate an ID image from the received at least one high-resolution image, and further configured to associate the object image and the at least one ID image, thereby generating an object group such that the object group has a plurality of associated images that identify the object; and

a memory configured to store at least the object group.

28. The processing system of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a composite image having at least the object image and at least a selected ID image.

29. The processing system of claim 27, further comprising:

a display configured to display the object image; and

a target icon displayed on the object image, the target icon configured to indicate a relative location of the ID image on the object.

30. The processing system of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a composite image having at least the object image and at least a selected ID image, and further comprising a location pointer, the location pointer indicating the relative location of the selected ID image on the object image based upon the position of the target icon.

31. The processing system of claim 29, further comprising a controller configured to position the target icon over a selected portion of the object image such that the relative location of the ID image on the object is defined.

32. The processing system of claim 31, wherein the controller comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a mouse, a track ball, a thumb ball, a palm ball and pointer stick.