Image capture and identification system and process

• US 8,842,941 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC (NantWorks, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC (NantWorks, LLC)
• Inventors: Boncyk, Wayne C., Cohen, Ronald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherali, Ishrat I
• Application Number:
  US13/952,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/181, 382/305, 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/70 Game security or game management aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 : Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 : by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 : Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/217 : Validation; Performance evaluation; Active pattern learning techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 : Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/23 : Clustering techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 : Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 : Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 : Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 : specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 : Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 : Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 : Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 : Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3567 : Software being in the reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 : Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 : involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 : Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 : During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 : User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 : Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 : Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 : Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 : Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 : Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/10 : Segmentation; Edge detection motion-based segmentation G06T7/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 : Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 : Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/136 : involving thresholding
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/194 : involving foreground-background segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 : using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/337 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/462 : Salient features, e.g. scale invariant feature transforms [SIFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 : relating to colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/7515 : Shifting the patterns to accommodate for positional errors
• 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: G06V 20/20 : in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 : using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 : of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 : Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 : Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 : Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 : using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 21/23109 : by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 : involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 : Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 : Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 : Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 : Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 : Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 : Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object.

Claims

1. A method for providing product promotions, comprising:

building a database relating to products, the database further comprising data relating to at least a first object of interest;

identifying, via a computing platform, an object in an environment of a mobile device user;

recognizing the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest via the data in the database;

locating information pertinent to the first object of interest; and

supplying, to a mobile device of the mobile device user, information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user based on the recognition of the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object in the environment features a recognizable symbol and comprises at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine, and wherein the recognizable symbol is selected from the group consisting of;

a marks, a symbol, a barcode, a character, radio transceiver, a radio transmitter, an optical transceiver, an optical transmitter, a two-dimensional matrix code, matrix codes, text, URL, a QR code, and a tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object in the environment lacks a recognizable symbol and comprises at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the object of interest relates to at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of initiating a transaction for purchase of an item related to the first object of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the object in the environment of the mobile device user further comprises capturing, via the mobile device, images of the object in the environment of the mobile device user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising implementing object recognition processing to identify an image within the images that corresponds to an image-linked object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the object in the environment further comprises capturing a continuous video stream of the object in the environment of the mobile device user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein locating information pertinent to the first object of interest further comprises retrieving at least one of an identity and a location of the mobile device user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein supplying information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises sending content information to a terminal, wherein the content information comprises at least one of:

text, audio, video, graphics, information that is usable by a browser, and information that is usable by the terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein supplying information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises displaying information or other visual indication, via a screen of the mobile device of the mobile device user, wherein the visual indication displayed comprises at least one of the following:

text, graphics, animations, video, and indicator lights.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein supplying information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises displaying a menu of options from which the user can select.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein locating information pertinent to the object of interest comprises looking up an information address in a directory, wherein the information address comprises at least one of a telephone number and an URL associated with a company that sells consumer products.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising making a telephone call to the company that sells consumer products.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein supplying information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises linking the user to a website at which the user can purchase a product at a promotional price.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the object in the environment of the mobile device user is a television screen displaying television programming, and the method further comprises enabling an interaction with said television programming in real-time.

17. A system for providing offers that are associated with products, comprising:

a computing platform having a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the processing device is configured to execute computer-readable program code to;

build a database relating to products, the database comprising data relating to at least a first object of interest;

identify, via a computing platform, an object in an environment of a mobile device user;

recognize the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest via the data in the database;

locate information pertinent to the first object of interest; and

supply, to a mobile device of the mobile device user, information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user based on the recognition of the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the object in the environment features a recognizable symbol and comprises at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the recognizable symbol is selected from the group consisting of:

a marks, a symbol, a barcode, a character, radio transceiver, a radio transmitter, an optical transceiver, an optical transmitter, a 2-dimensional matrix code, matrix codes, text, URL, a QR code, and a tag.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first object of interest relates to at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, apart in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured to initiate a transaction for purchase of an item related to the first object of interest.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured capture, via the mobile device, images of the object in the environment of the mobile device user.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the computing platform is further configured to implement object recognition processing to identify an image within the images that corresponds to an image-linked object.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured to identify the object in the environment of the mobile device user by capturing a continuous video stream of the object in the environment of the mobile device user.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured to locate information pertinent to the object in the environment of a mobile device user, wherein the information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises at least one of an identity and a location of the mobile device user.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured to send content information to a terminal, wherein the content information comprises at least one of:

text, audio, video, graphics, information that is usable by a browser, and information that is usable by the terminal.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured to display information or other visual indication, via a screen of the mobile device of the mobile device user, wherein the visual indication displayed comprises at least one of the following:

text, graphics, animations, video, and indicator lights.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured to display a menu of options from which the user can select.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured look up an information address in a directory, wherein the information address comprises at least one of a telephone number and an URL associated with a company that sells consumer products.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the computing platform is further configured to enable the mobile device to make a telephone call to the company that sells consumer products.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is further configured to link the mobile device to a website at which the user can purchase a product at a promotional price.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises on-screen content, and wherein the processing device is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to enable the mobile device user to interact with the on-screen content in real-time.

33. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software instructions that configure a processor to execute the steps of:

building a database relating to products, the database comprising data relating to at least a first object of interest;

identifying, via a computing platform, an object in an environment of a mobile device user;

recognizing the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest via the data in the database;

locating information pertinent to the first object of interest; and

supplying, to a mobile device of the mobile device user, information pertinent to the first object in the environment of the mobile device user based on the recognition of the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the object in the environment features a recognizable symbol and comprises at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the recognizable symbol is selected from the group consisting of:

a marks, a symbol, a barcode, a character, radio transceiver, a radio transmitter, an optical transceiver, an optical transmitter, a 2-dimensional matrix code, matrix codes, text, URL, a QR code, and a tag.

36. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the object of interest relates to at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

37. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the software instruction further configure the processor to execute the step of initiating a transaction for purchase of an item related to the object of interest.

38. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the step of identifying the object in the environment of the mobile device user further comprises capturing, via the mobile device, images of the object in the environment of the mobile device user.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherin the software instructions further configure the processor to execute the step of implementing object recognition processing to identify an image within the images that corresponds to an image-linked object.

40. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein identifying the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises capturing a continuous video stream of the object in the environment of the mobile device user.

41. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the step of locating information pertinent to the object in the environment of a mobile device user further comprises retrieving at least one of an identity and a location of the mobile device user.

42. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the step of supplying information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises sending content information to a terminal, wherein the content information comprises at least one of:

text, audio, video, graphics, information that is usable by a browser, and information that is usable by the terminal.

43. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the step of supplying information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises displaying information or other visual indication, via a screen of the mobile device of the user, wherein the visual indication displayed comprises at least one of the following:

text, graphics, animations, video, and indicator lights.

44. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the step of supplying information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises displaying a menu of options from which the mobile device user can select.

45. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the step of locating information pertinent to the object of interest comprises looking up an information address in a directory, wherein the information address comprises at least one of a telephone number and an URL associated with a company that sells consumer products.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the software instruction further configure the processor to execute the step of making a telephone call to the company that sells consumer products.

47. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the step of supplying information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user comprises linking the mobile device to a website at which the user can purchase a product at a promotional price.

48. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the object in the environment of the mobile device user is a television screen displaying television programming, and the software instruction further configure the processor to execute the step of enabling an interaction with said television programming in real-time.

49. A system for providing offers that are associated with products, comprising:

a computing platform having a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the processing device is configured to execute computer-readable program code to;

build a database relating to products, the database comprising data relating to at least a first object of interest;

identify, via a computing platform, an object in an environment of a mobile device user;

determine a location of the object in an environment of a mobile device user;

recognize the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest via the data in the database;

retrieve information pertinent to the first object of interest; and

supply, to a mobile device of the mobile device user, information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user based on the recognition of the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest and the location.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the object in the environment features a recognizable symbol and comprises at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the recognizable symbol is selected from the group consisting of:

a marks, a symbol, a barcode, a character, radio transceiver, a radio transmitter, an optical transceiver, an optical transmitter, a 2-dimensional matrix code, matrix codes, text, URL, a QR code, and a tag.

52. A system for providing offers that are associated with products, comprising:

a computing platform having a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the processing device is configured to execute computer-readable program code to;

build a database relating to products, the database further comprising data relating to at least a first object of interest;

identify, via a computing platform, an object in an environment of a mobile device user;

recognize the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest via the data in the database;

determine a time the mobile device user captured an image of the object in the environment of the mobile device user;

locate information pertinent to the object of interest; and

supply, to a mobile device of the mobile device user, information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user based on the recognition of the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest and the time.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the object of interest features a recognizable symbol and comprises at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the recognizable symbol is selected from the group consisting of:

a marks, a symbol, a barcode, a character, radio transceiver, a radio transmitter, an optical transceiver, an optical transmitter, a 2-dimensional matrix code, matrix codes, text, URL, a QR code, and a tag.

55. A system for providing offers that are associated with products, comprising:

a computing platform having a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the processing device is configured to execute computer-readable program code to;

build a database relating to products, the database further comprising data relating to at least a first object of interest;

identify, via a computing platform, an object in an environment of a mobile device user;

determine a location of the object in the environment of the mobile device user;

recognize the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest via the data in the database;

determine a time where the mobile device user captured an image of the object in the environment of the mobile device user;

retrieve information pertinent to the object of interest; and

supply, to a mobile device of the mobile device user, information pertinent to the object in the environment of the mobile device user based on the recognition of the object in the environment of the mobile device user as the first object of interest, the location, and the time.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the object of interest features a recognizable symbol and comprises at least one of the following:

an image, a beverage can, a music CD box, a DVD video box, a magazine advertisement, a poster, a theater, a store, a building, a car, a person, a driver'"'"'s license, a part in a machine, a box in a warehouse, a print media advertisement, a billboard advertising a movie, a music recording, a video, an entertainment, a consumer product, an advertisement for a product, and a vending machine.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the recognizable symbol is selected from the group consisting of:

a marks, a symbol, a barcode, a character, radio transceiver, a radio transmitter, an optical transceiver, an optical transmitter, a 2-dimensional matrix code, matrix codes, text, URL, a QR code, and a tag.