Ad hoc paper-based networking with mixed media reality

• US 8,989,431 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Erol, Berna, Hull, Jonathan J., Kishi, Hidenobu, Ke, Qifa, Moraleda, Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): Rush, Eric
• Application Number:
  US12/060,200
• Time in Patent Office: 2,549 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/112, 382/229, 382/305, 382/306
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition

Abstract

A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and/or web link as a second medium). The present invention provides a system, method, and computer program product for creating an ad hoc association between users. Captured digital images of paper documents or portions associated with a user are received. Document recognition features are extracted from the captured digital image. An ad hoc association is created between the user and another user associated with an existing document recognition feature similar to the extracted document recognition features.

Claims

1. A method of creating an ad hoc association between users, comprising:

receiving a first digital image of at least a portion of a first version of a first document, the first digital image associated with a first user and including metadata describing a first time of capture of the first digital image and a first location of the first user at the first time of capture of the first digital image;

extracting a first document recognition feature from the first digital image;

receiving a second digital image of at least a portion of a second version of the first document, the second digital image associated with a second user and including metadata describing a second time of capture of the second digital image and a second location of the second user at the second time of capture of the second digital image;

extracting a second document recognition feature from the second digital image;

creating the ad hoc association between the first user and the second user based on the first document recognition feature associated with the first version of the first document being the same as or similar to the second document recognition feature associated with the second version of the first document;

strengthening a tie between the first user and the second user resulting from the ad hoc association based at least in part on a distance score and a timing score, the distance score indicating a proximity between the first location and the second location and the timing score indicating a proximity between the first time of capture and the second time of capture; and

responsive to the tie being strengthened, authorizing the second user to access information relevant to at least the first portion of the first document that is added by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second document recognition feature is similar to the first document recognition feature and is contained within a second document associated with the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first and second digital images and the extracted document recognition features.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the ad hoc association.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the second document recognition feature with stored documents having associated document recognition features comprising the first document recognition feature.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a hamming distance for the extracted document recognition features.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted document recognition features are a format-based feature selected from the group consisting of type font, font size, and paper reflectance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user is a member of an existing network, and the ad hoc association thereby associates the second user with the existing network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user and the second user are members of an existing network and are connected by a tie, and the ad hoc association thereby strengthens the tie.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document associated with the first and second digital images is unknown.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving a first digital image of at least a portion of a first version of a first document, the first digital image associated with a first user and including metadata describing a first time of capture of the first digital image and a first location of the first user at the first time of capture of the first digital image;

extracting a first document recognition feature from the first digital image;

receiving a second digital image of at least a portion of a second version of the first document, the second digital image associated with a second user and including metadata describing a second time of capture of the second digital image and a second location of the second user at the second time of capture of the second digital image;

extracting a second document recognition feature from the second digital image;

creating the ad hoc association between the first user and the second user based on the first document recognition feature associated with the first version of the first document being the same as or similar to the second document recognition feature associated with the second version of the first document;

strengthening a tie between the first user and the second user resulting from the ad hoc association based at least in part on a distance score and a timing score, the distance score indicating a proximity between the first location and the second location and the timing score indicating a proximity between the first time of capture and the second time of capture; and

responsive to the tie being strengthened, authorizing the second user to access information relevant to at least the first portion of the first document that is added by the first user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the second document recognition feature is similar to the first document recognition feature and is contained within a second document associated with the second user.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising storing the first and second digital images and the extracted document recognition features.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising storing the ad hoc association.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising comparing the second document recognition feature with stored documents having associated document recognition features comprising the first document recognition feature.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising calculating a hamming distance for the extracted document recognition features.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the extracted document recognition features are a format-based feature selected from the group consisting of type font, font size, and paper reflectance.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first document associated with the first and second digital images is unknown.

19. A system for creating ad hoc associations between users, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a document matching module stored on a memory and executable by the one or more processors, the document matching module is configured to receive a first digital image of at least a portion of a first version of a first document, the first digital image associated with a first user and including metadata describing a first time of capture of the first digital image and a first location of the first user at the first time of capture of the first digital image, to receive a second digital image of at least a portion of a second version of the first document, the second digital image associated with a second user and including metadata describing a second time of capture of the second digital image and a second location of the second user at the second time of capture of the second digital image, and configured to extract a first document recognition feature from the first digital image and to extract a second document recognition feature from the second digital image;

a user association component stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the user association component coupled to the document matching module and configured to create the ad hoc association between the first user and the second user based on the first document recognition feature associated with the first version of the first document being the same as or similar to the second document recognition feature associated with the second version of the first document and configured to strengthen a tie between the first user and the second user resulting from the ad hoc association based at least in part on a distance score and a timing score, the distance score indicating a proximity between the first location and the second location and the timing score indicating a proximity between the first time of capture and the second time of capture; and

a document authoring component stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the document authoring component coupled to the user association component and configured to authorize the second user to access information relevant to at least the first portion of the first document that is added by the first user responsive to the tie being strengthened.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a database configured to store the first and second digital images and the extracted document recognition features.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

wherein the document matching module is further configured to compare the extracted document recognition features with stored document recognition features.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the extracted document recognition features are a format-based feature selected from the group consisting of type font, font size, and paper reflectance.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the first document associated with the first and second digital images is unknown.