Storing Information for Access Using a Captured Image

Abstract

An electronic device comprising circuitry configured to associate first information and at least a first portion of a first image, and circuitry configured to use a second image that includes a portion corresponding to at least the first portion of the first image to access the associated first information.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . An electronic device comprising:
 circuitry configured to associate first information and at least a first portion of a first image; and   circuitry configured to use a second image, that includes a portion corresponding to at least the first portion of the first image, to access the associated first information.   
     
     
         37 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a camera for capturing the first image that includes the portion for association with the first information and for capturing, at a later time, the second image, which includes a portion corresponding to at least the portion of the first image, for accessing the associated first information; and   an output configured to output the accessed information.   
     
     
         38 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 36  further comprising a user input configured to enable selection of a target region on the image. 
     
     
         39 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein a shape of the target region is configured to be automatically constrained to conform to a perspective of the first image. 
     
     
         40 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 38 , further comprising at least one processor configured to determine interest points within the target region. 
     
     
         41 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the interest points are configured to be used to define a model image key for association with the first content in a database. 
     
     
         42 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 41 , further comprising circuitry configured to include a location at which the first image was captured in the model image key. 
     
     
         43 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 36  comprising a user input configured to enable selection of an area, at least a portion of which is the first portion, in the first image with which the first information is associated. 
     
     
         44 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 36  comprising circuitry configured to compose the first information. 
     
     
         45 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 36 , comprising a transmitter for sending a message to a server having a database that associates each of a plurality of image portions with respective information, wherein the message is dependent upon the first portion of the first image and enables the association of the first portion of the first image with the first digital data in the database. 
     
     
         46 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 36 , comprising a transmitter for sending a message to a server having a database that associates each of a plurality of image portions with respective information, wherein the message is dependent upon the second image. 
     
     
         47 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 46 , wherein the message identifies the location at which the second image was captured. 
     
     
         48 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 46 , wherein the message identifies an application running on the electronic device. 
     
     
         49 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 36 , comprising at least one processor configured to determine interest points within the first image and using the interest points to define a scene key, wherein the information is for augmenting existing information already associated with the portion of the first image. 
     
     
         50 . A method of storing information for future access by others comprising:
 associating first information and at least a first portion of a first image in a database controlled by a third party so that the first information can be accessed by others using a second image that includes a portion corresponding to at least the first portion of the first image.   
     
     
         51 . A system for storing information comprising:
 a server having a database that has a plurality of entries each of which associates one of a plurality of image portions with respective information;   a first client device comprising a camera for capturing, at a first time, a first image that includes a first portion and where the first client device is configured to associate, at the database, the first portion with first information; and   a second client device comprising: a camera for capturing, at a second later time, a second image, which includes a portion corresponding to at least the first portion of the first image; where the second client device is configured to use the second image to access, at the database, the associated first information; and an output configured to output the accessed first information.   
     
     
         52 . A system as claimed in  claim 51 , wherein the electronic device comprises a transmitter for sending a message to the server that is dependent upon the second image and identifies the location at which the second image was captured, wherein the location received in the message is usable by the database to simplify the task of finding a correspondence between the second image and a database entry. 
     
     
         53 . A system as claimed in  claim 51 , wherein the electronic device comprises a transmitter for sending a message to the server that is dependent upon the second image and identifies an application running on the second client device, wherein the identity of the application received in the message is usable by the database to simplify the task of finding a correspondence between the second image and a database entry. 
     
     
         54 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium comprising computer program instructions, which when loaded into a processor, enable the method of  claim 50 . 
     
     
         55 . A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program comprising computer program instructions, which when loaded into a processor, enable the method of  claim 50 .