Using Local Networks For Location Information And Image Tagging

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for establishing a location for a digital image without the use of a GPS unit. Aspects of the invention include broadcasting over a network a location identifier (ID) identifying a location of the network; detecting the location ID by a digital image capture device coupled to the network; and in response to the image capture device capturing a digital image when in communication with the network, associating the location ID with the digital image.

1 . A method for tagging digital images in a system having a network-based service maintaining a database of one or more wireless networks, the network IDs associated with the one or more wireless networks, location tags each describing a location of one of the one or more wireless networks, and a plurality of reference images, each reference image stored in association with a description tag indicating the content of the reference image and at least one corresponding network identifier (ID) of a wireless network from one or more wireless networks detected when the reference image was captured, the network ID identifying at least a portion of the wireless network from the one or more wireless networks without using global positioning system coordinates, the method comprising:
 transmitting at least one digital image and at least one network ID of at least one of the one or more wireless networks associated with the at least one digital image to the network-based service;   for each of the at least one digital image:
 receiving a corresponding description tag of a matching reference image from the network-based service, thereby automatically indicating a specific content of the at least one digital image if the network-based service finds a matching reference image among reference images associated with a same network ID as the at least one network ID and associating the corresponding description tag with the at least one digital image; 
 receiving a corresponding location tag, thereby automatically indicating a general capture location of the at least one digital image if the network-based service does not find a matching reference image among reference images associated with a same network ID as the at least one network ID and associating the corresponding location tag with the at least one digital image, the corresponding location tag including a text description of the location of the network portion, 
   
     wherein at least one of the preceding actions is performed on at least one electronic hardware component. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 detecting, by a digital image capture device at least one network ID broadcast over at least one of one or more wireless networks;   associating the at least one network ID with the at least one digital image in response to the digital image capture device capturing the at least one digital image while in range of the at least one network ID.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the digital image capture device associates the at least one network ID with the at least one digital image in response to the digital image capture device capturing the at least one digital image while in range of the at least one network ID using a tagging application. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the digital image capture device comprises a wireless mobile device. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the location tag comprises one of a text tag, an audio tag, and a text and audio tag. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising displaying each of the at least one digital image and one of the corresponding location tag and the corresponding description tag associated with the at least one digital image. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein associating the corresponding location tag with the at least one digital image comprises storing the corresponding location tag as image metadata. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein associating the corresponding description tag with the at least one digital image comprises storing the corresponding description tag as image metadata. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the corresponding description tag includes information in the corresponding location tag. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 prompting a user to enter a description of the at least one digital image if a corresponding description tag is not received; and   transmitting the description to the network-based service.   
   
   
       11 . A system for tagging digital images using one or more wireless networks that broadcast network identifiers (IDs) that are detectable through a wireless protocol and a network-based service that maintains a database of the wireless networks, the network IDs, a location tag of each wireless network describing a location of the corresponding wireless network, and a plurality of reference images, each reference image having an association with at least one corresponding network ID of at least one wireless network from the one or more wireless networks that was detected when the reference image was captured and a description tag indicating the content of the image, the system comprising:
 a tagging component configured to transmit at least one captured digital image and at least one network ID associated with the at least one captured digital image to the network-based service for retrieval of at least one corresponding tag for the at least one captured digital image and for each of the at least one captured digital image:
 receive a corresponding description tag of a matching reference image from the network-based service and associate the corresponding description tag with the at least one captured digital image if the network-based service finds a matching reference image among reference images associated with at least one same network ID as the at least one network ID and associate the corresponding description tag with the at least one captured digital image; and 
 receive a corresponding location tag from the network-based service and associate the corresponding location tag with the at least one captured digital image if the network-based service does not find a matching reference image and associate the corresponding location tag with the at least one captured digital image; and 
   display means for displaying each of the at least one captured digital image and one of the corresponding location tag and the corresponding description tag for each of the at least one captured digital image, wherein at least one of the system components includes at least one electronic hardware component.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising a digital image capture device configured to: capture digital images and for each of the at least one captured digital image: associate the at least one captured digital image with at least one network ID detected at the time of image capture. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the digital image capture device associates the at least one network ID with the at least one digital image in response to the digital image capture device capturing the at least one digital image while in range of the at least one network ID using a tagging application. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the digital image capture device comprises a wireless mobile device. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the location tag comprises one of a text tag, an audio tag, and a text and audio tag. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 11  wherein associating the corresponding location tag with the at least one digital image comprises storing the corresponding location tag as image metadata. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 11  wherein associating the corresponding description tag with the at least one digital image comprises storing the corresponding description tag as image metadata. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the corresponding description tag includes information in the corresponding location tag. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the tagging application is further configured to:
 prompt a user to enter a description of the at least one digital image if a corresponding description tag is not received; and   transmit the description to the network-based service.   
   
   
       20 . A method of providing tag information for digital images in a system using one or more wireless networks that broadcast network identifiers (IDs) that are detectable through a wireless protocol, the method comprising:
 maintaining a database of the one or more wireless networks, the network IDs associated with the one or more wireless networks, location tags each describing a location of one of the one or more wireless networks, and a plurality of reference images, each reference image associated with at least one network ID of at least one wireless network from one or more wireless networks detected when the reference image was captured and a description tag describing contents of each respective reference image, wherein each network ID does not utilize global positioning system coordinates;   receiving at least one image, each of the at least one image having at least one associated network ID detected when the at least one image was captured;   for each of the at least one image:
 comparing the at least one image with relevant reference images associated with a same network ID as the at least one associated network ID; 
 if a matching reference image is found:
 retrieving a corresponding description tag of any matching reference image from the database; 
 providing the corresponding description tag to a requesting application, thereby automatically indicating a specific content of the received image; and 
 
 if a matching reference image is not found:
 retrieving a corresponding location tag from the database corresponding to the wireless network with which the at least one associated network ID is associated; and 
 providing the corresponding location tag to the requesting application, thereby automatically indicating a general capture location of the at least one image, 
 
   wherein at least one of the preceding actions is performed on at least one electronic hardware component.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the requesting application comprises a tagging application. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising:
 receiving a description of the at least one digital image if a matching reference image was not found;   storing the at least one digital image as a reference image;   storing information from the description as a description tag associated with the at least one digital image; and   storing the at least one associated network ID in association with the at least one digital image.   
   
   
       23 . A system for providing tag information for digital images, the system using one or more wireless networks that broadcast network identifiers (IDs) that are detectable through a wireless protocol, the system comprising system components including:
 a network-based service component that maintains a database of the one or more wireless networks, the network IDs associated with the one or more wireless networks, location tags each describing a location of one of the one or more wireless networks, and a plurality of reference images, each reference image associated with at least one network ID of at least one wireless network from one or more wireless networks detected when the reference image was captured and a description tag describing contents of each respective reference image, wherein each network ID does not utilize global positioning system coordinates, the network-based service configured to receive images, each received image having at least one associated network ID detected when the received image was captured;   an image recognition component accessible to the network-based service configured to:
 compare a received image with relevant reference images associated with a same network ID as the at least one associated network ID; and 
 retrieve the description tags of any matching reference images; and 
   for each received image:
 if a matching reference image is found, the network-based service returns a corresponding description tag to a requesting application, thereby automatically indicating a specific content of the received image; and 
 if a matching reference image is not found, the network-based service returns a corresponding location tag, thereby automatically indicating a general capture location of the received image, 
   
     wherein at least one of the system components includes at least one electronic hardware component. 
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the requesting application comprises a tagging application. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the network-based service component is further configured to:
 receive a description of the at least one digital image if a matching reference image was not found;   store the at least one digital image as a reference image;   store information from the description as a description tag associated with the at least one digital image; and   store the at least one associated network ID in association with the at least one digital image.   
   
   
       26 . A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for tagging a digital image in a system having a network-based service maintaining a database of one or more wireless networks, the network IDs associated with the one or more wireless networks, location tags each describing a location of one of the one or more wireless networks, and a plurality of reference images, each reference image stored in association with a description tag indicating the content of the reference image and at least one corresponding network identifier (ID) of a wireless network from the one or more wireless networks detected when the reference image was captured, the network ID identifying at least a portion of the wireless network from the one or more wireless networks without using global positioning system coordinates, the program instructions for:
 transmitting at least one digital image and at least one network ID of at least one of the one or more wireless networks associated with the at least one digital image to the network-based service;   for each of the at least one digital image:
 receiving a corresponding description tag of a matching reference image from the network-based service, thereby automatically indicating a specific content of the digital image if the network-based service finds a matching reference image among reference images associated with a same network ID as the at least one network ID and associating the corresponding description tag with the digital image; and 
 receiving a corresponding location tag, thereby automatically indicating a general capture location of the digital image if the network-based service does not find a matching reference image among reference images associated with a same network ID as the at least one network ID and associating the corresponding location tag with the digital image, the corresponding location tag including a text description of the location of the network portion. 
   
   
   
       27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26  having further program instructions for:
 detecting at least one network ID broadcast over the at least one of the one or more wireless networks; and   associating the at least one network ID with the at least one digital image in response to a digital image capture device capturing at least one digital image while in range of the at least one network ID.   
   
   
       28 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26  having further program instructions for displaying the at least one digital image and one of the corresponding location tag and the corresponding description tag. 
   
   
       29 . A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for tag information for digital images in a system using one or more wireless networks that broadcast network identifiers (IDs) that are detectable through a wireless protocol, the program instructions for:
 maintaining a database of the one or more wireless networks, the network IDs associated with the one or more wireless networks, location tags each describing a location of one of the one or more wireless networks, and a plurality of reference images, each reference image associated with at least one network ID of at least one wireless network from one or more wireless networks detected when the reference image was captured and a description tag describing contents of each respective reference image, wherein each network ID does not utilize global positioning system coordinates;   receiving at least one image, each of the at least one image having at least one associated network ID detected when the at least one image was captured;   for each of the at least one image:
 comparing the at least one image with relevant reference images associated with a same network ID as the at least one associated network ID; 
 if a matching reference image is found:
 retrieving a corresponding description tag of any matching reference image from the database; 
 providing the corresponding description tag to a requesting application, thereby automatically indicating a specific content of the received image; and 
 
 if a matching reference image is not found:
 retrieving a corresponding location tag from the database corresponding to the wireless network with which the at least one associated network ID is associated; and 
 providing the corresponding location tag to the requesting application, thereby automatically indicating a general capture location of the at least one image. 
 
   
   
   
       30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 29  having further program instructions for:
 receiving a description of the at least one digital image if a matching reference image was not found;   storing the at least one digital image as a reference image;   storing information from the description as a description tag associated with the at least one digital image; and   storing the at least one associated network ID in association with the at least one digital image.