Adaptive fiducials for image match recognition and tracking

Abstract

Approaches enable images submitted by users, owner, and/or authorized person of a point of interest (e.g., a place, a scene, an object, etc.) to be used as a fiducial to assist recognition and tracking of the point of interest in an augmented reality environment. Multiple images (e.g., crowd-sourced images) of a point of interest taken from different points of view can be dynamically used. For example, as a user with a user device moves through a point of interest, a different image can be chosen from a set of stored candidate images of the point of interest based at least upon GPS locations, IMU orientations, or compass data of the user device. In this way, instead of relying on artificial fiducial images for various detection and tracking approaches, approaches enable images submitted by users and/or an owner or other authorized person of a point of interest to be used as fiducials to assist recognition and tracking of the point of interest.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computing system, comprising:
 a processor;   memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system to:
 receive image data of a point of interest captured by a camera of a computing device and a location identifier; 
 determine a visual feature representative of the point of interest, using at least one image processing technique; 
 compare the visual feature and the location identifier to stored information associated with a candidate image of a set of candidate images; 
 determine a confidence score between the visual feature and at least one candidate image of the set of candidate images; 
 select a unique image, from the set of candidate images, associated with the highest confidence score, the unique image including the visual feature; 
 retrieve content associated with the stored information, the content including content elements selectable by a user of the computing device; and 
 provide the content for display with the image data on the computing device, the content being rendered in an overlay element that overlays the image data displayed on the computing device. 
   
     
     
         3 . The computing system of  claim 2 , wherein the location identifier comprises information associated with at least one of global positioning system (GPS) data, inertial measurement unit (IMU) data, or compass data at the time of capturing the image data. 
     
     
         4 . The computing system of  claim 2 , wherein the content includes at least one of promotional coupons, menus, advertisements, reservation systems, floor plans, videos, customer reviews, music, chat walls, audio, wait time, attractions of the point of interest, instant or daily specials, recommendations on specific items, hyperlinks to reviews of the point of interest on third party review sites, or alternative points of interest. 
     
     
         5 . The computing system of  claim 2 , wherein the stored information corresponds to image data acquired from at least one source, and wherein the at least one source includes an augmented reality system, social networking websites, electronic image distribution websites, or user provided images. 
     
     
         6 . The computing system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing system to:
 determine that a position of the visual feature is outside a tracking threshold;   receive additional image data and device data captured by the computing device; and   overlay additional content over the additional image data.   
     
     
         7 . The computing system of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing system to:
 determine a second visual feature representative of a second point of interest of the additional image data, using at least one image processing technique;   retrieve a second set of candidate images;   compare the second visual feature to a second candidate image of the second set of candidate images;   determine a second confidence score between the second visual feature and at least one second candidate image of the second set of candidate images; and   select a second unique image, from the set of candidate images.   
     
     
         8 . The computing system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing system to:
 receive tracking information corresponding to a position of the visual feature with respect to the computing system, wherein the tracking information corresponds to timestamp information that corresponds to one of a time of day and a time of year the image data is captured.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving image data of a point of interest captured by a camera of a computing device and a location identifier;   determining a visual feature representative of the point of interest, using at least one image processing technique;   comparing the visual feature and the location identifier to stored information associated with a candidate image of a set of candidate images;   determining a confidence score between the visual feature and at least one candidate image of the set of candidate images;   selecting a unique image, from the set of candidate images, associated with the highest confidence score, the unique image including the visual feature;   retrieving content associated with the stored information, the content including content elements selectable by a user of the computing device; and   providing the content for display with the image data on the computing device, the content being rendered in an overlay element that overlays the image data displayed on the computing device.   
     
     
         10 . The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the location identifier comprises information associated with at least one of global positioning system (GPS) data, inertial measurement unit (IMU) data, or compass data at the time of capturing the image data. 
     
     
         11 . The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the content includes at least one of promotional coupons, menus, advertisements, reservation systems, floor plans, videos, customer reviews, music, chat walls, audio, wait time, attractions of the point of interest, instant or daily specials, recommendations on specific items, hyperlinks to reviews of the point of interest on third party review sites, or alternative points of interest. 
     
     
         12 . The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the stored information corresponds to image data acquired from at least one source, and wherein the at least one source includes an augmented reality system, social networking websites, electronic image distribution websites, or user provided images. 
     
     
         13 . The computing system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determine that a position of the visual feature is outside a tracking threshold;   receive additional image data and a second location identifier captured by the computing device; and   overlay additional content over the additional image data.   
     
     
         14 . The computing system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determine a second visual feature representative of a second point of interest of the additional image data, using at least one image processing technique;   retrieve a second set of candidate images;   compare the second visual feature to a second candidate image of the second set of candidate images;   determine a second confidence score between the second visual feature and at least one second candidate image of the second set of candidate images; and   select a second unique image, from the set of candidate images.   
     
     
         15 . The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the content is displayed on the computing device with at least one of glowing effect, bold effect, billboard effect, or a visual three-dimensional element. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 enabling a user of the computing device to customize a display of the content by indicating a type of content associated with the visual feature   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
 receive image data of a point of interest captured by a camera of a computing device and a location identifier;   determine a visual feature representative of the point of interest, using at least one image processing technique;   compare the visual feature and the location identifier to stored information associated with a candidate image of a set of candidate images;   determine a confidence score between the visual feature and at least one candidate image of the set of candidate images;   select a unique image, from the set of candidate images, associated with the highest confidence score, the unique image including the visual feature;   retrieve content associated with the stored information, the content including content elements selectable by a user of the computing device; and   provide the content for display with the image data on the computing device, the content being rendered in an overlay element that overlays the image data displayed on the computing device.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the stored information is stored remote from the computing device. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:
 receive an indication from the user associated with the content, the indication providing user feedback regarding the content, suggestions regarding additional content, or in input indicative of an updated point of interest.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the location identifier comprises information associated with at least one of global positioning system (GPS) data, inertial measurement unit (IMU) data, or compass data at the time of capturing the image data 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:
 receive tracking information corresponding to a position of the visual feature with respect to the computing system, wherein the tracking information corresponds to timestamp information that corresponds to one of a time of day and a time of year the image data is captured.