Internet access via smartphone camera

Abstract

A mobile device, system, method, and software for communicating with the internet utilizing a written universal resource locator (URL). A camera unit is used to receive a raw visual light image containing a written URL, the raw visual light image is converted to an electronic image, and the device locates glyphs of at least one particular standardized set of URL characters in the electronic image, for example glyphs corresponding to www. Then the URL characters are extracted from the electronic image, the URL is sent in a request signal to a web server, and in response an internet site is presented. The mobile device includes initiation means for sending an instruction to obtain a raw visual light image that includes glyphs of at least one particular set of characters, such as www, and further includes a camera, a display, and an internet interface. The mobile device processes an electronic image signal provided by the camera, in order to obtain the web site signal from the internet interface.

1 - 41 . (canceled)  
   
   
       42 . A method comprising: 
 acquiring a raw visual light image that contains a written uniform resource locator;    converting the raw visual light image to an electronic image;    locating a set of characters of the uniform resource locator within the electronic image,    wherein said set of characters includes a common uniform resource locator character string;    using said set of characters as a flag to provide a location of the rest of the uniform resource locator; and    attempting extraction of the rest of the uniform resource locator.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , also comprising: 
 approximating an angle between a plane of at least one of the characters and a plane perpendicular to a line of sight to said at least one of the characters; and    compensating for said angle in order to extract said rest of the uniform resource locator.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising: 
 sending results of the extraction attempt in a request signal to a web server in order to access an internet-site;    processing a reply from the web server; and    presenting the internet site if the reply is sufficient.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the common uniform resource locator character string is html or www or corn.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said plane of at least one of the characters is a surface containing at least one glyph of said at least one of the characters.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising zooming in on the uniform resource locator after locating said set of characters but before attempting said extraction of the rest of the uniform resource locator.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said at least one of the characters is the letter “o”.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said extracting of the rest of the uniform resource locator is performed at least partly via a telecommunications network.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising performing the extracting again if the reply indicated an invalid uniform resource locator, wherein the performing is performed using a different computer having a greater capacity.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the attempted extraction also yields at least one alternate uniform resource locator that will be tried if said reply indicated an invalid uniform resource locator.  
   
   
       52 . Apparatus, comprising 
 means for acquiring a raw visual light image that contains a written uniform resource locator;    means for converting the raw visual light image to an electronic image;    means for locating a set of characters of the uniform resource locator within the electronic image, wherein said set of characters includes a common uniform resource locator character string;    means for using said set of characters as a flag to provide a location of the rest of the uniform resource locator; and    means for attempting extraction of the rest of the uniform resource locator.    
   
   
       53 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , also comprising: 
 means for approximating an angle between a plane of at least one of the characters and a plane perpendicular to a line of sight to said at least one of the characters; and    means for compensating for said angle in order to extract said rest of the uniform resource locator.    
   
   
       54 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , further comprising: 
 means for sending results of the extraction attempt in a request signal to a web server in order to access an internet site;    means for processing a reply from the web server; and    means for presenting the internet site if the reply is sufficient.    
   
   
       55 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein the common uniform resource locator character string is html or www or com.  
   
   
       56 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein said plane of at least one of the characters is a surface containing at least one glyph of said at least one of the characters.  
   
   
       57 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , further comprising means for zooming in on the uniform resource locator after locating said set of characters but before attempting said extraction of the rest of the uniform resource locator.  
   
   
       58 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein said at least one of the characters is the letter “o”.  
   
   
       59 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein said extracting the rest of the uniform resource locator is performed at least partly via a telecommunications network.  
   
   
       60 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , further comprising means for performing the extracting again if the reply indicated an invalid uniform resource locator, wherein the performing is performed using a different computer having a greater capacity.  
   
   
       61 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein the means for attempting extraction also yields at least one alternate uniform resource location that will be tried if said reply indicated an invalid uniform resource locator.  
   
   
       62 . Apparatus comprising”
 a camera device configured to acquire a raw visual light image that contains a written uniform resource locator;    a converter module configured to convert the raw visual light image to an electronic image;    a first locating module configured to locate a set of characters of the uniform resource locator within the electronic image, wherein said set of characters includes a common uniform resource locator character string;    a second locating module configured to use said set of characters as a flag to provide a location of the rest of the uniform resource locator; and    an extraction module configured to attempt to extract the rest of the uniform resource locator.    
   
   
       63 . The apparatus of  claim 62 , also comprising: 
 an approximation module configured to approximate an angle between a plane of at least one of the characters and a plane perpendicular to a line of sight to said at least one of the characters; and    a compensation module configured to compensate for said angle in order to extract said rest of the uniform resource locator.    
   
   
       64 . The apparatus of  claim 62 , further comprising: 
 a sending module configured to send results of the extraction attempt in a request signal to a web server in order to access an internet site;    a processing module configured to process a reply from the web server; and    a display configured to present the internet site if the reply is sufficient.    
   
   
       65 . The apparatus of  claim 62 , wherein the common uniform resource locator character string is html or www or com.  
   
   
       66 . A software product for use in a mobile terminal, the software product comprising a computer readable storage medium having executable code embedded therein; the codes, when executed, being adapted to carry out the functions of: 
 acquiring a raw visual light image that contains a written uniform resource locator;    converting the raw visual light image to an electronic image;    locating a set of characters of the uniform resource locator within said electronic image, wherein said set of characters includes a common uniform resource locator character string;    using said set of characters as a flag to provide a location of the rest of the uniform resource locator; and    attempting extraction of the rest of the uniform resource locator.    
   
   
       67 . The software product o  claim 66 , wherein said functions also comprise: 
 approximating an angle between a plane of at least one of the characters and a plane perpendicular to a light of sign to said at least one of the characters; and    compensating for said angle in order to extract said rest of the uniform resource locator.    
   
   
       68 . The software product of  claim 67 , wherein said functions also comprise: 
 sending the results of the extraction attempt in a request signal to a web server in order to access an internet site;    processing a reply from the web server; and    presenting the internet site if the reply is sufficient.    
   
   
       69 . A system comprising: 
 a mobile terminal; and    a network element,    wherein said mobile terminal comprises a camera device configured to acquire a raw visual light image that contains a written uniform resource locator; a converter module configured to convert the raw visual light image to an electronic image; a first locating module configured to locate a set of characters of the uniform resource locator within said electronic image, wherein said set of characters includes a common uniform resource locator character string; a second locating module configured to use said set of characters as a flag to provide a location of the rest of the uniform resource locator; an extraction module configured to attempt to extract the rest of the uniform resource location; a sending module configured to send results of the extraction attempt in a request signal to the network element in order to access an internet site; a processing module configured to process a reply from the network element; and a display configured to present the internet site if the reply is sufficient.    
   
   
       70 . The system of  claim 69 , wherein the mobile terminal further comprises an approximation module configured to approximate an angle between a plane of at least one of the characters and a plane perpendicular to a line of sight to said at least one of the characters; and a compensation module configured to compensate for said angle in order to extract said rest of the uniform resource locator.