Content access with handheld document data capture devices

• US 7,599,844 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Exbiblio BV
• Inventors: Stafford-Fraser, James Q., Kushler, Clifford A., Grover, Dale L., King, Martin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/098,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/316 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• 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 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0016 : Selecting or retrieving of images by means of their associated code-marks, e.g. coded microfilm or microfiche microfilm reading G03B21/11; computers therefor G06F16/00; teaching devices G09B5/02; accessing record carriers G11B27/002; static digital stores using optical elements G11C13/04; intermediate storage of facsimile picture signals H04N1/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 : Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 : Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 : specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 : Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 : Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 : Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 : Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 : Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 : Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 : Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 : Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 : Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 : Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 : using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1444 : Selective acquisition, locating or processing of specific regions, e.g. highlighted text, fiducial marks or predetermined fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1448 : based on markings or identifiers characterising the document or the area
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/248 : involving plural approaches, e.g. verification by template match; Resolving confusion among similar patterns, e.g. "O" versus "Q" G06V30/242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/262 : using context analysis, e.g. lexical, syntactic or semantic context
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 : Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/40 : for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 : Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• 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 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 : with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0036 : Alphanumeric symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00363 : Bar codes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00374 : on the same page as at least a part of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00381 : Input by recognition or interpretation of visible user gestures manual input means, e.g. digitisers, writing tablets H04N1/00392; gesture input to computers G06F3/017; recognition algorithms G06V40/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 : with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 : for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2187 : with image input from a plurality of different locations or from a non-central location, e.g. from one or more users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/34 : for coin-freed systems ; Pay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 : Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 : of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 : Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3263 : of a graphical motif or symbol, e.g. Christmas symbol, logo H04N2201/3211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3266 : of text or character information, e.g. text accompanying an image H04N2201/3226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 : The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 : Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 : Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 : Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed innovations provide systems and methods for automatically locating and retrieving digital supplemental materials and counterparts of rendered documents. These systems and methods are especially useful when the provider or copyright holder of the digital document charges a fee for access to the digital materials. Some embodiments solve the technical problem of allowing a user to access restricted digital content associated with a rendered document via a search string captured from the rendered document. Some embodiments further provide automatic intermediation to gain access to protected digital materials.

Claims

1. A method in a computing system, comprising:

receiving scan information of textual portions of a rendered document as generated by a scanner operated by a user;

receiving identification information associated with the user from the scanner operated by the user;

when the received identification information is associated with billing information;

searching for digital content based on the received scan information;

sending results of the search to the user; and

billing the user based on the billing information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is billed in response to sending the results of the search to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving payment from the user in response to the billing, and, in response to receiving the payment, sending the results of the search to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein billing the user further comprises billing a content provider that subsidizes some or all of a cost of searching for digital content or sending the results of the search.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein billing the content provider further comprises billing the content provider when pre-determined words or phrases associated with the content provider are searched or are within the search results.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

modifying the search results based on the pre-determined words or phrases associated with the content provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the received billing information comprises billing information received from the scanner operated by the user.

8. A method in a computing system, comprising:

receiving scan information related to scanned portions of a rendered document, wherein the scanned portions are portions of the rendered document that contain text that are captured by a scanner operated by a user;

receiving billing information associated with the use from the scanner operated by the user;

searching for digital content related to the received scan information;

sending results of the search to the user; and

using the billing information to bill the user for the search.

9. A method in a computing system, comprising:

receiving scan information of textual portions of a rendered document generated by a scanner operated by a user;

searching for digital content related to the received scan information;

sending results of the search to the user; and

billing a content provider based on billing information received from the scanner and based on pre-determined words or phrases associated with the content provider that are contained in the search or the search results.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sending the results comprises:

modifying the results of the search to prioritize digital content associated with the content provider; and

sending the modified results to the user.

11. A system comprising:

a scan component that receives scan information representing textual portions of a rendered document generated by a scanner operated by a user, the scan component being in data communication with at least one of a public or private data network;

an identification component that receives from the scanner identification information associated with the user;

a search component that searches digital content using the received scan information, if the received identification information is associated with billing information;

a search result component that sends results of the search to the user; and

a billing component that bills the user based on the billing information.

12. A method in a computing system of initiating payment for a transaction made with a handheld data capture device, comprising:

receiving a subscriber identifier stored in the handheld data capture device, wherein the handheld data capture device is configured to capture text-based portions of rendered documents;

identifying a relationship between a subscriber and the handheld data capture device using the subscriber identifier; and

billing the subscriber having the identified relationship.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the subscriber identifier is an identifier associated with the handheld data capture device, and the subscriber is identified based on the identifier associated with the handheld data capture device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a text capture operation performed on a rendered document by the subscriber; and

identifying the relationship in response to the received indication.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting digital content associated with the text capture operation to the subscriber in response to the identified relationship.

16. A system for accessing electronic content stored on a restricted access network, comprising:

a scan component that receives scan information, the scan information representing a textual portion of a rendered document captured via a handheld scanner;

an identification component that uses the received scan information to identify an electronic version of the rendered document and to identify a source of the rendered document; and

a purchase component that purchases the identified electronic version of the rendered document from the identified source when the identified source is associated with the restricted access network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the handheld scanner is part of a cell phone.