Image capture and identification system and process

• US 8,885,983 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• 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:
  US14/041,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305, 382/103, 382/181, 382/100, 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 target object information, the method comprising:

recognizing, via a mobile computing device processor, which objects in an image captured by a mobile device correspond to a consumer product related object;

determining, via the mobile computing device processor, which of one or more recognized objects corresponding to the consumer product related object have associated target object information available via at least one information address; and

presenting, via the mobile device, one or more target object information indicators representing the target object information available via the at least one information address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises an audio communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a display configured to present at least one of real-time provisioned content, communication information, and transaction information related to the one or more of the target object information indicators, each target object information indicator presented in relation to the one or more recognized objects determined to have associated target object information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object information comprises information related to a point of sale or completing a transaction at a point of sale.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object information comprises transaction information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

completing a transaction, using the mobile device as a transaction device with a point of sale terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining which of the one or more recognized objects has associated target object information comprises:

receiving, from a retail device via wireless communication, some or all of the target object information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the consumer product related object comprises the transaction terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer product related object comprises at least one of the following:

a product, a product sign, a product advertisement, a product poster, a product billboard, a point of sale terminal, and a transaction terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object information comprises at least one of the following:

product information, product identity, product position, product orientation, and product status.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object information comprises product information comprising at least one of the following:

product identification information, product feature information, product pricing information, product packaging information, and product manufacturer information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object information comprises at least one of the following:

product location, product position, product status, and product orientation.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object information comprises information pertinent to the consumer product related object and available to a visually impaired person.

14. An apparatus for providing target object information, the apparatus comprising:

a mobile computing platform having a processor, a memory in communication with the processor, and

an image capture algorithm stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to capture an image via a mobile device, and

a consumer product related object identification algorithm stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to recognize which objects in the image captured by the mobile device correspond to a consumer product related object, and

a target object information algorithm stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to determine which of one or more recognized objects in the image corresponding to the consumer product related object has associated target object information available via at least one information address; and

a target object information presentation algorithm stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to present, on a display of the mobile device, one or more target object information indicators representing the target object information available via the at least one information address, each target object information indicator presented in relation to at least one of the one or more recognized objects determined to have associated target object information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mobile device comprises an audio communication device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mobile device comprises a display configured to present at least one of real-time provisioned content, communication information, and transaction information related to the one or more target object information indicators.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the target object information comprises information related to a point of sale terminal or completing a transaction at a point of sale.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the target object information comprises transaction information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the mobile device is configured to complete a transaction, using the mobile device as a transaction device, with point of sale terminal.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the target object information algorithm is configured to receive, from a retail device via wireless communication, some or all of the target object information.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the consumer product related object comprises the transaction terminal.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the consumer product related object comprises at least one of the following:

a product, a product sign, a product advertisement, a product poster, a product billboard, a point of sale terminal, and a transaction terminal.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the target object information comprises at least one of the following:

product information, product identity, product position, product orientation, and product status.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the target object information comprises product information comprising at least one of the following:

product identification information, product feature information, product pricing information, product packaging information, and product manufacturer information.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the target object information comprises at least one of the following:

product location, product position, product status, and product orientation.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the target object information comprises information pertinent to the consumer product related object and available to a visually impaired person.

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

recognizing which objects in an image captured by a mobile device correspond to a consumer product related object;

determining which of one or more recognized object in the image corresponding to the consumer product related object have associated target object information available via at least one information address; and

presenting one or more target object information indicators with an image displayed on the mobile device, where the target object indicators represent the target object information available via the at least one information address, each target object information indicator presented in relation to at least one of the one or more recognized object determined to have associated target object information.

28. A method of providing target object information, the method comprising:

recognizing, via a recognition server in communication with a mobile device, which objects in an image captured on the mobile device correspond to a consumer product related object;

determining, via the recognition server, which of one or more recognized objects in the image corresponding to the consumer product related object have associated target object information available via at least one information address; and

communicating instructions to the mobile device, via the recognition server, for presenting on a display of the mobile device, one or more target object information indicators representing the target object information available via the at least one information address, each target object information indicator presented in relation to at least one of the one or more recognized objects determined to have associated target object information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the mobile device comprises an audio communication device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the mobile device comprises a display configured to present at least one of real-time provisioned content, communication information, and transaction information related to the one or more target object information indicators.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the target object information comprises information related to a point of sale terminal or completing a transaction at a point of sale.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the target object information comprises transaction information.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

completing a transaction, using the mobile device as a transaction device with a point of sale terminal.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein determining whether the consumer product related object has associated target object information comprises:

receiving, from a retail terminal via wireless communication, some or all of the target object information.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the consumer product related object comprises at least one of the following:

a product, a product sign, a product advertisement, a product poster, a product billboard, a point of sale, and a transaction terminal.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the consumer product related object comprises at least one of the following:

a product, a product sign, a product advertisement, a product poster, a product billboard, a point of sale, and a transaction terminal.

37. The method of claim 28, wherein the target object information comprises at least one of the following:

product information, product identity, product position, product orientation, and product status.

38. The method of claim 28, wherein the target object information comprises product information comprising at least one of the following:

product identification information, product feature information, product pricing information, product packaging information, and product manufacturer information.

39. The method of claim 28, wherein the target object information comprises at least one of the following:

product location, product position, product status, and product orientation.

40. The method of claim 28, wherein the target object information comprises information pertinent to the consumer product related object available to a visually impaired person.

41. An apparatus comprising:

a recognition server having a processor, a memory in communication with the processor, and

a communication algorithm stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to receive data from a mobile device, the data corresponding to one or more objects in an image captured by the mobile device;

a consumer product related object recognition algorithm stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to recognize which objects in the image captured by the mobile device correspond to a consumer product related object;

a target object information algorithm stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to determine which of one or more recognized objects in the image corresponding to the consumer product related object has associated target object information available via at least one information address; and

,

a target object information presentation algorithm stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to communicate instructions for presenting, on a display of the mobile device, one or more target object information indicators representing the target object information available via the information address, each target object information indicator presented in relation to at least one of the one or more recognized objects determined to have associated target object information.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the mobile device comprises an audio communication device.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the mobile device comprises a display configured to present at least one of real-time provisioned content, communication information, and transaction information related to the one or more target object information indicators.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the target object information comprises information related to a point of sale or completing a transaction at a point of sale.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the target object information comprises transaction information.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the mobile device is configured to complete a transaction, using the mobile device as a transaction device, with the point of sale terminal.

47. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the target object information algorithm is further configured to receive, from a retail device via wireless communication, some or all of the target object information.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the consumer product related object comprises the transaction terminal.

49. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the consumer product related object comprises at least one of the following:

a product, a product sign, a product advertisement, a product poster, a product billboard, a point of sale terminal, and a transaction terminal.

50. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the target object information comprises at least one of the following:

product information, product identity, product position, product orientation, and product status.

51. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the target object information comprises product information comprising at least one of the following:

product identification information, product feature information, product pricing information, product packaging information, and product manufacturer information.

52. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the target object information comprises at least one of the following:

product location, product position, product status, and product orientation.

53. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the target object information comprises information pertinent to the consumer product related object and available to a visually impaired person.

54. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that include the steps of:

recognizing which objects in an image captured on a mobile device correspond to a consumer product related object;

determining which of one or more recognized object in the image corresponding to the consumer product related objects have associated target object information available via at least one information address; and

communicating instructions to the mobile device for presenting one or more target object information indicators with the image on a display of the mobile device, the target object information indicators representing the target object information available via the at least one information address, each target object information indicator presented in relation to at least one of the one or more recognized objects determined to have associated target object information.