Image capture and identification system and process
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.
1. A terminal device comprising:
an image sensor;
a memory;
a processor coupled with the image sensor and the memory; and
an object recognition platform configured to execute on the processor according to software instructions stored in the memory, where the software instructions configure the processor to:
capture a digital representation of a physical object proximate to a mobile device via the image sensor;
recognize the physical object represented in the digital representation as a target object based on salient features derived from the digital representation;
determine object attributes, including an information address, associated with the target object;
cause execution of an action associated with the physical object based on the object attributes, including the information address.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the digital representation comprises a digital image data captured by the image sensor.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the digital representation comprises video data captured by the image sensor.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a camera.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the camera comprises a CMOS camera or a CCD camera.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the object recognition platform is further configured to recognize the physical object as the target object via an identification server having a known objects database indexed by salient features.
7. The device of claim 6 , further comprising the identification server.
8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the identification server is remote over a network relative to the terminal device.
9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a known object database storing target object information for a plurality of known target objects indexed according to salient features.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the known object database stores at least some of the object attributes as target object information.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the software instructions configure the processor to determine the object attributes by deriving the object attributes from the digital representation.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the object attributes comprise at least one of: an identity, a name, a number, a classification, a position, an orientation, a size, a color, a status, decoded information, and text.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the terminal device comprises a cell phone.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the action is performed by at least one of the following: a vending machine, a kiosk, a point-of-sales terminal, a computer-based game, a personal data assistant, a vehicle, a television, a robot, a cell phone, and the terminal device.
15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the physical object comprises at least one of the following: a person, a building, a vehicle, a sign, a magazine, a newspaper, a poster, a billboard, a consumer product, a game object, a point-of-sales terminal, a vending machine, a passport, a driver's license, a box, a machine part, and a television.
16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the action is further based on a location.
17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the action is further based on a time.
18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the physical object lacks a tag.
19. The device of claim 1 , wherein the physical object comprises a tag.
20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the execution of the action is further based on information decoded from the tag.
21. The device of claim 19 , wherein the tag comprises at least one of the following: a bar code, a matrix code, a 2D code, and alphanumeric text.
22. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises a transaction with an account.
23. The device of claim 22 , wherein the account includes at least one of the following: an on-line account, a credit card account, a bank account, an account linked to the device, and an account linked to a user.
24. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises an on-going interaction.
25. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises accessing a web site or web service over a network.
26. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises initiating a software process on the terminal device.
27. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises initiating a phone call.
28. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises initiating a radio communication.
29. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises reading a portion of a printed media object related to the physical object.
30. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises sending information related to the target object to a web site.
31. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises sending information related to the target object to a browser.
32. The device of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises displaying information related to the physical object on a display screen.
33. The device of claim 32 , wherein the information related to the physical object comprises at least some of the object attributes.