System and methods for use of voice mail and email in a mixed media environment

• US 9,357,098 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Graham, Jamey, Ridout, Kevin, Weyl, Stephen A., Hull, Jonathan J., Hart, Peter E., Piersol, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Huo Long
• Application Number:
  US13/330,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20120086982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/18086 by performing operations within image blocks or by using histograms
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/274 Syntactic or semantic context, e.g. balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/34 for coin-freed systems ; Pay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A mixed media reality (MMR) system includes an MMR user, a MMR computer, a user printer that produces a printed document, a networked media server, an office portal, a service provider server, an electronic display that is electrically connected to a set-top box, a document scanner, a network, a capture device, a cellular infrastructure, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology, Bluetooth® technology, infrared (IR) technology, wired technology, and a geo location mechanism. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types, such as printed paper as a first medium and a digital photograph, digital movie, digital audio file, or web link as a second medium. Furthermore, the MMR system facilitates business methods that take advantage of the combination of a portable electronic device, voice mail or email, and a paper document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an image of at least a portion of a document from a user of a capture device;

transmitting for display on the capture device a representation of the document received as a result of a match between the received image and a stored document data structure, the stored document data structure comprising;

the representation of the document,

at least one media, and

at least one hotspot that links the at least one media to a location in the representation of the document, wherein the at least one hotspot is a selectable portion of the representation of the document, the selectable portion associated with a predetermined location in the document and visually indicated by a bounding region in the representation of the document;

receiving via the capture device a selection from the user of a hotspot displayed on the representation of the document;

receiving via the capture device a payment authorization from the user for retrieving a list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document;

responsive to receiving the payment authorization from the user, transmitting for display on the capture device the list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document;

receiving via the capture device a selection from the user of a category from the list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document;

retrieving, with one or more processors, the at least one media matching the selected category from the list of categories; and

transmitting for presentation on the capture device the at least one media matching the selected category from the list of categories.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting for presentation on the capture device comprises emailing the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot to the capture device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting for presentation on the capture device comprises emailing the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot to a destination that is separate from the capture device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising sending a confirmation email to the capture device indicating sending of the email to the destination.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising prompting the user to select the destination for emailing the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the selected hotspot in the capture device if the capture device is not in communication with an email server;

sending the selected hotspot from the capture device when the capture device is in communication with the email server;

storing a plurality of media associated with the selected hotspot; and

indexing the plurality of media.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

searching the plurality of indexed media to find media associated with the selected hotspot that is related to a query.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising playing the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot over a speaker of the capture device.

9. A system comprising:

a storage medium for storing a plurality of document data structures, each document data structure comprising;

a representation of a document,

at least one media, and

at least one hotspot that links the at least one media to a location in the representation of the document, wherein the at least one hotspot is a selectable portion of the representation of the document, the selectable portion associated with a predetermined location in the document and visually indicated by a bounding region in the representation of the document;

one or more processors coupled to the storage medium, the one or more processors configured to;

receive an image of at least a portion of the document from a user of a capture device,

transmit for display on the capture device the representation of the document, the representation of the document received as a result of a match between the received image and one of the stored document data structures,

receive via the capture device a selection from the user of a hotspot displayed on the representation of the document,

receive via the capture device a payment authorization from the user for retrieving a list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document,

responsive to the payment authorization being received from the user, transmit for display on the capture device the list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document,

receive via the capture device a selection from the user of a category from the list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document,

retrieve the at least one media matching the selected category from the list of categories, and

transmit for presentation on the capture device the at least one media matching the selected category from the list of categories.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein to transmit for presentation on the capture device, the one or more processors are configured to email the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot to the capture device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein to transmit for presentation on the capture device, the one or more processors are configured to email the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot to a user selected destination that is separate from the capture device and send a confirmation email to the capture device indicating sending of the email to the user selected destination.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising prompting the user to select the destination for emailing the hotspot information.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising a voice message server for transmitting the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot as a voice message to be played over a speaker of the capture device.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having a computer readable program for providing hotspot information, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive an image of at least a portion of a document from a user of a capture device;

transmit for display on the capture device a representation of the document, the representation of the document received as a result of a match between the received image and a stored document data structure, the stored document data structure comprising;

the representation of the document,

at least one media, and

at least one hotspot that links the at least one media to a location in the representation of the document, wherein the at least one hotspot is a selectable portion of the representation of the document, the selectable portion associated with a predetermined location in the document and visually indicated by a bounding region in the representation of the document;

receive via the capture device a selection from the user of a hotspot displayed on the representation of the document;

receive via the capture device a payment authorization from the user for retrieving a list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document;

responsive to the payment authorization being received from the user, transmit for display on the capture device the list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document;

receive via the capture device a selection from the user of a category from the list of categories for the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot displayed on the representation of the document;

retrieve the at least one media matching the selected category from the list of categories; and

transmit for presentation on the capture device the at least one media matching the selected category from the list of categories.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein to transmit for presentation on the capture device the program further causes the computer to:

email the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot to the capture device.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the program further causes the computer to email the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot to a destination that is separate from the capture device.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the program further causes the computer to transmit the at least one media associated with the selected hotspot as a voice message to be played over a speaker of the capture device.