Object Initiated Communication

1 . A method performed by a portable computing device having a processing unit, a memory, and a camera, the method comprising:

capturing an image with the camera;

detecting an object within the captured image based on a database record for the object within a database of objects;

based on the database record, retrieving an identifier for initiating a live communication with a remote party;

in response to the retrieving the identifier, presenting, in association with an indication that the object has been detected, a user option to initiate the live communication with the remote party; and

in response to receiving user input, initiating the live communication between the device and the remote party based on the identifier.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the live communication comprises one or more of:

voice, video, and text messaging.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the live communication comprises a live video stream captured by the camera of the device, the method further comprising:

transmitting first augmented reality (AR) graphics generated by the device to the remote party along with the live video stream to be displayed by a remote computer system;

receiving second AR graphics from the remote party via the remote computer system; and

displaying the second AR graphics overlaid on the live video stream captured by the camera of the device on a display of the device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the object comprises:

determining a shape of the object based on the captured image; and

matching the shape of the object to a stored shape associated with the record for the object.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the object comprises:

scanning a machine-readable code disposed on the object within the image; and

dereferencing the machine-readable code using the database.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the database record, displaying on a display of the device an expected location of a graphical marking on the object as augmented reality graphics overlaid on a live video stream captured by the camera of the device;

scanning the graphical marking with the camera, wherein the graphical marking encodes additional information about the object; and

transmitting the additional information to the remote party.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the database further comprises user instructions for interacting with the object associated with the record for the detected object, the method further comprising displaying the user instructions via the display.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the database is located on a remote server.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the database is located on the device.

10 . A method performed by a system including a first portable computing device having a processing unit, a memory, and a camera, the method comprising:

the first device capturing a first image of at least a portion of an object;

accessing a first database having a plurality of records storing characteristic data for identifying objects based on captured images;

locating a first matching record within the first database based on the first image;

accessing a second database having a plurality of records storing identifiers for initiating communication sessions;

using the first matching record within the first database to locate a second matching record in the second database;

retrieving an identifier for initiating a communication session from the second matching record; and

using the identifier for initiating a communication session to initiate a live communication session between the first device and a second device.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first matching record comprises an identifier of the object, and wherein the second matching record is located based on the identifier of the object.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the object comprises a machine-readable code captured in the first image.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the machine-readable code has a format defined in the first matching record, the method further comprising decoding the machine-readable code using the format.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the communication session comprises the first device sending a live video stream, captured by the first device, to the second device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

capturing a second image of at least a portion of the object with the first device, wherein the second image comprises a machine-readable code;

decoding the machine-readable code; and

the first device transmitting the decoded machine-readable code to the second device within the communication session.

16 . A method comprising:

initiating an augmented reality (AR) video session using a camera and a display on a first device operated by a first user;

identifying an object within a field of view of the camera;

performing motion tracking using the identified object within the field of view of the camera during the AR video session;

accessing a database having a plurality of records storing identifiers for initiating communication sessions;

using the identification of the object to locate a matching record in the database;

obtaining an identifier for initiating a communication session from the matching record;

based on the identifier for initiating a communication session, presenting to the first user, during the AR video session, an option to initiate a person-to-person communication session; and

in response to selection of the option by the user, using the identifier for initiating a communication session to initiate a person-to-person communication session between the first user operating the first device and a second user operating a second device.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the communication session comprises the first device sending to the second device a live video stream representing the AR video session.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the communication session comprises the second device sending AR graphics, specified by the second user during the communication session, to the first device, wherein the AR graphics are displayed on the first device in motion relative to the object in the field of view.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the object comprises a machine-readable code, and wherein the identifying the object is performed using the machine-readable code.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the motion tracking is performed using the machine-readable code.