Image capture and identification system and process

• US 9,330,326 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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:
  US14/474,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305, 705 261- 272, 725 60- 61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 system for providing content to a mobile device comprising:

at least one sensor configured to capture (a) digital data that includes a representation of a transmitted signal within an environment and (b) image data that includes a representation of an object in the environment; and

a recognition platform coupled with the at least one sensor and configured to;

obtain the digital data that includes the representation of the transmitted signal, and the image data that includes the representation of the object;

recognize the transmitted signal as being associated with a computing device target object based at least in part on a decoded pattern in the transmitted signal, and recognize the object represented in the image data;

identify content information associated with the computing device target object or object and available at an address; and

enable the mobile device to perform an action based on the content information available at the address.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a radio.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an optical sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal comprises a radio signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal comprises a non-visible signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the non-visible signal comprises non-visible light.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal comprises visible light.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal comprises an LED signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal comprises modulated light.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the modulated light comprises a pulse code modulation signal.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data comprises image data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is the transmitted signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the transmitted signal comprises a static image.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the transmitted signal comprises a time varying image.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is the computing device target object.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the digital data comprises a representation of at least one of the following from which the decoded pattern is recognized:

a bar code, a matrix code, a symbols, text, alphanumeric characters, and 2D codes.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the decoded pattern comprises an identifier code.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the identifier code uniquely identifies the computing device target object.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the decoded pattern comprises a computing device address of the computing device target object.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the decoded pattern comprises the address.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the decoded pattern comprises a network address.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device target object comprises a transmitting device that transmits the transmitted signal.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device target object comprises a stationary device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device target object comprises a vending machine.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device target object comprises an automated teller machine.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device target object comprises a gasoline pump.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device target object comprises another mobile device.

28. The system of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device wherein the mobile device includes the at least one sensor and the recognition platform.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a robot and a digital data assistant.

31. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one server remote from the mobile device, wherein the server includes the recognition platform.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the server is configured to provide access to a web service.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises an exchange of information between the mobile device and the computing device target object.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a verification.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises an authorization.

36. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a billing.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises tracking inventory.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a purchase.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises sending a command.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises allowing a user selection.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises presenting an interactive screen.

42. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a communication with a machine.

43. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a transaction.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the transaction is with respect to at least one of the following:

an account linked to the mobile device, a user account, a bank account, and a credit card account.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the transaction comprises an on-line transaction.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises an interaction with on-screen content.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the on-screen content comprises television content.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the on-screen content comprises a promotion.

49. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises executing a software process on the mobile device.

50. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises executing a software process on a computer.

51. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises making a phone call.

52. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises sending information to a software process.

53. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises displaying information on a display.

54. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises at least one of the following:

producing a sound, producing an audio signal, and playing music.

55. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises accessing a web service.

56. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises registering a vote.

57. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a real-time interaction.

58. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises an on-going interaction.

59. The system of claim 1, wherein the recognition platform is further configured to recognize a second object proximate to the computer device target object and within the environment based on the digital data.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the content information is associated with the second object.

61. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes at least one of the following:

a driver'"'"'s license, a passport, a machine, a part, a newspaper, a magazine, an article, a vehicle, on-screen content, a game player, a purchasable product, a building, a sign, an advertisement, a billboard, and a poster.

62. The system of claim 1, wherein the recognition platform is further configured to determine a location based on the digital data.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the recognition platform is further configured determine the location based at least in part on the transmitted signal.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein the location comprises at least one of the following:

a user location, a mobile device location, a location of the computer device, a vehicle location, a fixed location, a GPS location, a radio-based location, a radio ranging location, and a terminal location.

65. The system of claim 62, wherein the recognition platform is further configured to identify the content information at least in part based on the location.

66. The system of claim 1, wherein the recognition platform is further configured to identify the content information based on at least one of the following types of additional information:

a user selection, a time, a user identity, a position, an orientation, an identity of the computer device, and a terminal identity.

67. The system of claim 1, wherein the content information includes at least one of the following types of content:

web content, a command, music, audio, video, graphics, animation, streamed data, a promotion, text, read text, spoken information, and visual indicators.

68. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a wireless device.