Abstract:
Art can be infused with network identifiers at the time of its creation, rather than as a post-process. The identifiers may be encoded as overt elements of the art, and enable the artist to reprogram—as over time—an augmentation of the artwork experience via network-delivered components. These network components can include stimuli present when the artist created the work (e.g., music), commentary by the artist, video and augmented reality features, audience-crowdsourced content (e.g., imagery of, or feedback provided by, other viewers encountering the artwork), etc. The artwork augmentation can vary with the user's context (e.g., location, demographics, interests, history). Physical brushes can be equipped to insert such identifiers in graphic arts; other authoring tools are disclosed as well. The network experience can be delivered via smartphones, projectors, and other devices. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Abstract:
A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, the phone is guided in various of its intuitive computing operations by user-spoken clues. A discovery session may be launched by the user speaking a cueing expression, which serves to switch the device from a lower activity state to a heightened alert state. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Abstract:
Reference imagery of dermatological conditions is compiled in a crowd-sourced database (contributed by clinicians and/or the lay public), together with associated diagnosis information. A user later submits a query image to the system (e.g., captured with a smartphone). Image-based derivatives for the query image are determined (e.g., color histograms, FFT-based metrics, etc.), and are compared against similar derivatives computed from the reference imagery. This comparison identifies diseases that are not consistent with the query image, and such information is reported to the user. Depending on the size of the database, and the specificity of the data, 90% or more of candidate conditions may be effectively ruled-out, possibly sparing the user from expensive and painful biopsy procedures, and granting some peace of mind (e.g., knowledge that an emerging pattern of small lesions on a forearm is probably not caused by shingles, bedbugs, malaria or AIDS). A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Abstract:
The present technology concerns cell phones and other portable devices, and more particularly concerns use of such devices in connection with media content (electronic and physical) and with other systems (e.g., televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). One particular aspect of the technology concerns complementing primary content viewed on one screen (e.g., a television screen) with auxiliary content displayed on a second screen (e.g., a cell phone screen). Different auxiliary content can be paired with the primary content, depending on the profile of the user (e.g., age, location, etc.). Some embodiments make use of location information provided by the primary screen device. Other embodiments make use of content identification data provided by the primary screen device. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Abstract:
The present technology concerns improvements to smart phones and related sensor-equipped systems. Some embodiments involve spoken clues, e.g., by which a user can assist a smart phone in identifying what portion of imagery captured by a smart phone camera should be processed, or identifying what type of image processing should be conducted. Some arrangements include the degradation of captured content information in accordance with privacy rules, which may be location-dependent, or based on the unusualness of the captured content, or responsive to later consultation of the stored content information by the user. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Abstract:
Methods and arrangements involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. One particular arrangement concerns a software program that is launched following detection of audio content performed by a first musical artist. A phone can be provided with plural such software programs, tailored to respond to different types of detected content. Another aspect of the disclosed technology enables a creator of content to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Abstract:
The disclosure relates to accessing computer resources by sensing audio with a microphone. One claim recites a system comprising a software module including instructions for causing a wireless device with cell phone communication capability to: i) extract identifying data from microphone-captured audio, the microphone-captured audio captured by the wireless device; ii) obtain device information for a class of devices associated with the wireless device; iii) control communication of the identifying data and the device information; and iv) control a user interface to provide access to a computer resource based on a service provided by said software module in response to communication of the identifying data and the device information, in which the service is configured to provide access in response to audio prompting, and in which said software module is configured to direct access of the wireless device according to the service; and a network resource comprising a data registry, the data registry providing a correlation between identifying data, device information and response information, the network resource configured to provide the service to said software module including providing the response information to said software module, the response information being associated with the identifying data and the device information. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.
Abstract:
The disclosure relates, e.g., to media processing methods and arrangements. One method includes: obtaining first optical data in a first user's cell phone, the first optical data corresponding to a first face of a product's packaging, the product also including a second face of the packaging, the first face comprises first digital watermarking conveying first data and the second face comprises second digital watermarking convey second data; analyzing the first optical data to obtain the first data therefrom; responsive to providing the first data to a remotely located computer resource, the first user's cell phone receiving a first response; obtaining second optical data in a first user's cell phone, the second optical data corresponding the second face of the packaging; analyzing the second optical data to obtain the second data therefrom; responsive to providing the second data to a remotely located computer resource, the first user's cell phone receiving a second response, the second response being different from the first service; and storing in the cell phone an association between: i) the first data and the first response, and ii) the second data and the second response. Of course other methods, combinations and systems are disclosed as well.
Abstract:
The present technology concerns improvements to smart phones and related sensor-equipped systems. Some embodiments involve spoken clues, e.g., by which a user can assist a smart phone in identifying what portion of imagery captured by a smart phone camera should be processed, or identifying what type of image processing should be conducted. Some arrangements include the degradation of captured content information in accordance with privacy rules, which may be location-dependent, or based on the unusualness of the captured content, or responsive to later consultation of the stored content information by the user. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Abstract:
The disclosure relates to accessing computer resources by sensing audio with a microphone. One claim recites a system comprising: a software module comprising instructions for controlling a wireless device to: i) extract identifying data from microphone-captured audio by applying a hashing algorithm to the microphone-captured audio; ii) obtain device information for a class of devices associated with the wireless device; iii) control communication of the identifying data and the device information; and iv) control a user interface to facilitate access to a third party computer resource based on a service received by said software module in response to communication of the identifying data and the device information, in which the service is configured to facilitate access in response to audio prompting; and a network resource comprising a data registry, the data registry comprising a correlation between identifying data, device information and sponsored links, the network resource configured to provide the service to said software module including providing a sponsored link to the software module, the sponsored link being associated with the identifying data and the device information. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.