METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTENT PROCESSING

• US 20170236407A1
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Rhoads, Nicole, MacIntosh, Brian T., Conwell, William Y.
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• 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 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• 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: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• 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: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• 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 2013/0074 : Stereoscopic image analysis
• 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: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

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. (canceled)

2. A mobile phone including a processor, a wireless interface, a memory, a sensor, and a display, instructions in the memory configuring the processor to enable the following acts:

sense information from a proximate first device;

download, through the wireless interface, first user interface software corresponding to the first device, by reference to the sensed information;

interact with the first device by user interaction with the downloaded first user interface software;

recall from the memory second user interface software corresponding to a second device, said second user interface software having been earlier downloaded to the mobile phone; and

interact with the second device by user interaction with the recalled second user interface software, regardless of whether the user is proximate to said second device.

3. The mobile phone of claim 2 wherein one of said first or second devices comprises a parking meter.

4-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A method comprising:

from a first user'"'"'s mobile phone, identifying a remote camera device; and

analyzing imagery captured by the remote camera device to seek to locate an item associated with the first user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the item comprises a car.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the remote camera device comprises a second user'"'"'s mobile phone.

9. A method comprising the acts:

establishing authorization for a first smartphone to control a wireless-equipped device, said device comprising a parking meter, a thermostat, or an alarm clock, said act of establishing authorization including receiving—

from near the device—

information via a radio signal transmitted from the device, where near means less than 10 feet;

presenting, on the first smartphone, a user interface for controlling the device, said user interface corresponding to said information received via the radio signal;

receiving instructions from a user, through the user interface presented on the first smartphone, to control said device;

based on said received instructions, transmitting a command from the first smartphone, to which command the device responds—

even if the first smartphone is positioned at a location where the first smartphone is remote from the device, where remote means not near;

wherein the first smartphone has an ability to control the device that initially requires the first smartphone be near the device, but such ability persists even when the first smartphone is moved to a location remote from the device; and

wherein said persistent ability to control the device, from a location remote from the device, terminates when a second smartphone near the device performs said act of establishing authorization to control said device.

10. The method of claim 9 that further includes receiving computer instructions for producing said user interface from a server distinct from said device.

11. The method of claim 9 that further includes:

presenting a first graphical feature on the user interface when a command has been transmitted from the first smartphone, to signal to the user that a command has been issued;

receiving confirmation that the device has acted on said command; and

changing said presented first graphical feature on the user interface to a second graphical feature, to signal to the user that the device has acted on said command.

12. The method of claim 9 in which said act of establishing authorization authorizes the first smartphone to control only the one device from which said radio signal was received, rather than to control other instances of devices of a same model.

13. The method of claim 9 that includes presenting, on a screen of the first smartphone, a listing of plural wireless-equipped apparatuses that are near said smartphone, enabling the user to select said device for control.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said persistent ability to control the device terminates upon the earlier of (a) when a second smartphone near the device performs said act of establishing authorization to control said device;

or (b) when a predetermined period of time has passed since authorization was established for the first smartphone.

15. The method of claim 9 in which said user interface enables the first user to control a particular function of the device, and said particular function cannot be so-controlled using physical controls on an exterior of the device.

16. The method of claim 9 that further includes setting a timer in the smartphone to inform the user of an interval of time that has elapsed following transmission of said command from the first smartphone.

17. The method of claim 16 that further includes issuing an alert to the user when said timer reaches a predetermined time.

18. The method of claim 9 in which the first smartphone and the device communicate directly, rather than through an intermediary computer.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein said user interface is customizable in accordance with preferences of the user.

20. The method of claim 9 that further includes encrypting a communication between the first smartphone and the device.

21. The method of claim 9 wherein said user interface presents information specifying a distance between the first smartphone and said device.