Method of and system for fact checking with a camera device

• US 8,583,509 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2013
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Myslinski, Lucas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US13/946,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 116 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7837 using objects detected or recognised in the video content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30

Abstract

A fact checking system verifies the correctness of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with one or more sources. The fact checking system automatically monitors, processes, fact checks information and indicates a status of the information.

Claims

1. A method programmed in a non-transitory memory of a mobile phone device comprising:

a. acquiring information, wherein the information comprises a print newspaper, while pointing a camera device at the information;

b. automatically processing the information into searchable information;

c. automatically fact checking the searchable information to determine a factual accuracy of the information by comparing the searchable information with source information; and

d. automatically indicating a status of the information based on a result of the comparison of the searchable information with the source information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the information comprises taking a picture of the information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the information comprises taking a video of the information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the information comprises scanning the information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises an item, wherein fact checking includes determining a brand of the item.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the brand of the item comprises comparing the information with database information.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the brand of the item comprises an image comparison.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises printed material.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein writers of the information are provided a validity rating, wherein the validity rating provides an indication of validity of content by the writers.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is provided a reliability rating.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises multiple sets of information, and a first set of information is given a higher reliability rating than a second set of information.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises an advertisement.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking utilizes a plurality of sources, and each source of the plurality of sources has a reliability rating based on the accuracy of the information within each source of the plurality of sources, wherein the accuracy is determined based on previous fact checking results, wherein a first source with a first reliability rating is given more weight during fact checking than a second source with a second reliability rating lower than the first reliability rating, wherein each source of the plurality of sources with the reliability rating below a threshold is not used in fact checking.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the reliability rating is determined by an impartial organization.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein sources of the source information are clustered to enable selecting of a cluster of sources to be used for fact checking.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing supplemental information related to the information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the supplemental information indicates where to purchase an item within the information.

18. A method programmed in a non-transitory memory of a device comprising:

a. acquiring information by taking a picture of a printed material;

b. automatically processing the information into searchable information;

c. automatically fact checking the searchable information to determine a factual accuracy of the information by comparing the searchable information with source information; and

d. automatically indicating a status of the information based on a result of the comparison of the searchable information with the source information, wherein fact checking utilizes a plurality of sources, and each source of the plurality of sources has a reliability rating based on the accuracy of the information within each source of the plurality of sources, wherein the accuracy is determined based on previous fact checking results, wherein a first source with a first reliability rating is given more weight during fact checking than a second source with a second reliability rating lower than the first reliability rating, wherein each source of the plurality of sources with the reliability rating below a threshold is not used in fact checking.

19. A device comprising:

a. a memory for storing an application for automatically performing the following steps;

i. processing acquired information into searchable information, wherein the acquired information is acquired by taking a picture of the information;

ii. fact checking the searchable information to determine a factual accuracy of the acquired information by comparing the searchable information with source information;

iii. providing supplemental information related to the information; and

iv. indicating a status of the acquired information in real-time based on a result of the comparison of the searchable information with the source information; and

b. a processor for processing the application.