Abstract: Systems and methods of verifying ownership of content can receive and process requests for access to digital content associated with the items. Verifying ownership of content can include receiving, from a device, an image of a first portion of an item. The item can be a book, music disc, movie disc, software disc, or other item having associated digital content. The current location of the device can be transmitted with the image to verify that the device is not in a prohibited location. A comparison of the image received from the device and the current location of the device to verification data associated with the requested digital content can be processed to verify ownership of the physical item. Upon verifying ownership, access to digital content associated with the physical item can be granted on a permanent basis or a temporary basis.

Abstract: Information from a position and/or gesture detection system can be embedded in a Web page, or other such presentation of content, and used to select or otherwise interact with content on the page. In some embodiments, video is captured and displayed showing a current view of the user. Position data corresponding to the video is provided and used to determine directions and extents of motion without having to do significant amounts of image processing. The position data is used to determine locations on the page where the user is attempting to provide input, such as to select an item of content. The content can be modified and/or rendered to appear to be associated with the user in the rendered view. Information from multiple gesture systems can be combined on a single page, and information from one or more gesture systems can be shared among multiple pages and devices.

Abstract: In various embodiments, approaches for identifying missing search phrases are described. Search terms are behaviorally associated with an item in the electronic repository. If a search of the electronic repository fails to surface the item, the at least one search term can be identified as a missing search phrase for the item.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide a method for determining color information for an image. For example, a color descriptor for an image can be determined and compared against color descriptors stored for each of a number of sample images, which each represent a color in a color space. Upon comparison, matching scores can be generated for a color match between the image and each respective sample image. In this example, the number of sample images with a matching score above a threshold value can be summed and the image can be assigned to a color associated with a highest frequency of the number of sample images. Accordingly, the assigned color of the image can then be used in a “query by color” search or a browse-by-color capability.

Abstract: A method and system for assisting a user to generate a task list based on a task description is presented. The task description can be provided as user input or detected based on information about the user. The generated task list includes a series of actions (subtasks) which as a whole complete a task specified in the task description and relevant information. During the task list being generated, some actions are automatically executed without user intervention, or remembered for future execution.

Abstract: Various embodiments enable text aggregation from multiple image frames of text. Accordingly, in order to stitch newly scanned areas of a document together, text in a respective image is recognized and analyzed using an algorithm to identify pairs of corresponding words in other images. Upon identifying a minimum number of matching pairs between two respective images, a mapping between the same can be determined based at least in part on a geometric correspondence between respective identified pairs. Based on this mapping, the recognized text of the two images can be merged by adding words of one image to the other using the matching word pairs as alignment data points.

Abstract: A facility for navigating within a body of data using one of a number of distinct browse graphs is described. Initially, a navigation request is received. Based upon information contained in the received navigation request, the facility selects one of the plurality of browse graphs. In response to user input, the facility browses the body of data using the selected browse graph. The browse graphs may each correspond to a collection of the body of data, such as a website.

Abstract: Systems and methods of classifying sessions are disclosed. A particular method monitors user activity at one or more servers accessible via a network and capturing event entries in an activity log for user activity that is detected. The event entries include descriptive information regarding a user action, a client identifier and a session identifier. The method also includes attempting to classify sessions associated with a plurality of event entries of the activity log as legitimate use or illegitimate use of resources of the one or more servers. The method further includes identifying unclassified sessions. The method also includes determining a count of a number of unclassified sessions associated with a particular client identifier and determining a total number of sessions associated with the particular client identifier. The method further includes classifying the unclassified sessions as legitimate use or illegitimate use of the resources of the one or more servers.

Abstract: Various embodiments may increase scalability of image representations stored in a database for use in image matching and retrieval. For example, a system providing image matching can obtain images of a number of inventory items, extract features from each image using a feature extraction algorithm, and transform the same into their feature descriptor representations. These feature descriptor representations can be subsequently stored and used to compare against query images submitted by users. Though the size of each feature descriptor representation isn't particularly large, the total number of these descriptors requires a substantial amount of storage space. Accordingly, feature descriptor representations are compressed to minimize storage and, in one example, machine learning can be used to compensate for information lost as a result of the compression.

Abstract: Various embodiments identify differences between frame sequences of a video. For example, to determine a difference between two versions of a video, a fingerprint of each frame of the two versions is generated. From the fingerprints, a run-length encoded representation of each version is generated. The fingerprints which appear only once (i.e., unique fingerprints) in the entire video are identified from each version and compared to identify matching unique fingerprints across versions. The matching unique fingerprints are sorted and filtered to determine split points, which are used to align the two versions of the video. Accordingly, each version is segmented into smaller frame sequences using the split points. Once segmented, the individual frames of each segment are aligned across versions using a dynamic programming algorithm. After aligning the segments at a frame level, the segments are reassembled to generate a global alignment output.

Abstract: Active script can be provided with content to be displayed on a computing device to determine whether advertising, intended to be displayed with the content, is actually displayed by the computing device. The script can examine various aspects of the code used to render the content, to determine whether ad-blocking software is blocking the ad or something is otherwise preventing the advertising from being displayed. Information about the visibility of the advertising can be sent to a location such as a logging service, which can store the data until such time as the data is to be retrieved and processed, such as to determine an extent to which client devices are blocking ads to be displayed with content.

Abstract: One or more elements on a computing device can be selected and locked from use. For example, a first user (e.g., adult) of a computing device can allow a second user (e.g., child) to use the former's device; however, the first user might not want the second user to have access to all of the elements on the device, and so the first user can select which elements he/she wants to share with the second user and which elements he/she does not want to share. For example, the first user can select elements and choose to lock the selected elements, lock all other elements, lock the selected elements for a certain period of time, or lock the selected elements but allow for earned usage, etc. The lock can be removed in response to an unlock event, which can comprise a user-initiated unlock, a timed unlock, or a user-earned locked.

Abstract: Information from a position and/or gesture detection system can be transmitted to various devices in order to enable users to interact and/or view others users. In some embodiments, video is captured that includes a current view of the body of a user. In order to prevent an unauthorized, unintended, or undesired transmission of at least part of the body image data, one or more settings or policies can be specified that can control which portions are transmitted, received, and/or displayed. For example, a user can be prompted before body image or position data is transmitted, which enables a user to control the type of data that is sent. A recipient or intermediate entity or component can also specify one or more settings or policies to control the type of data that is transmitted and/or received. In some embodiments, an external service can be utilized to manage the transmission of data.

Abstract: Various embodiments enable the identification of semi-structured text entities in an imager. The identification of the text entities is a relatively simple problem when the text is stored in a computer and free of errors, but much more challenging if the source is the output of an optical character recognition (OCR) engine from a natural scene image. Accordingly, output from an OCR engine is analyzed to isolate a character string indicative of a text entity. Each character of the string is then assigned to a character class to produce a character class string and the text entity of the string is identified based in part on a pattern of the character class string.

Abstract: Techniques for grouping images are disclosed. In some situations, the techniques include identifying at least one event-based image group among a plurality of images based on an event that is associated with each identified image, receiving a selection of one or more objects in a first image of the identified event-based image group, identifying other images in the identified event-based image group that each include at least one of the selected one or more objects, and associating the identified images with the first image. In one instance, the selected objects include individuals captured in the image.

Abstract: The system receives a query and then identifies classifications of the data that may satisfy the received query. The system then displays the identified classifications. In response to selection of a displayed classification, the system displays sub-classifications when the selected classification has sub-classifications and displays the data within the classification when the selected classification has no sub-classifications. In another aspect, the system generates search results for items that are hierarchically classified. For classifications within the hierarchy of classifications, the system generates a search entry containing terms describing the items within that classification. The system then receives a search criteria. The system selects as initial search results those search entries whose terms most closely match the received search criteria. The system can then adjust the initial search results based on the hierarchy of classifications.

Abstract: Systems and approaches are provided for optimizing self-portraiture. The background of the self-portrait can be enhanced by image registration or stitching techniques of images captured using one or more conventional cameras. Multiple standard resolution images can be stitched together to generate a panoramic or a composite image of a higher resolution. Foreground elements, such as one or more representations of users, can also be enhanced in various ways. The representations of the users can be composited to exclude undesirable elements, such as image data of one of the users extending her arm to capture the self-portrait. An ideal pose of the users can automatically be selected and other image enhancements, such as histogram optimization, brightness and contrast optimization, color-cast correction, or reduction or removal of noise, can automatically be performed to minimize user effort in capturing self-portraits.

Abstract: A user can share digital content with another user or device using dynamically-generated barcodes. A user might request to share an electronic book (“e-book”), stored on a first device, with another user having a second device. The first device can generate a barcode that includes not only information about the identity of the e-book, but also information about the user or the first device, which can help to determine rights and/or access restrictions for the content. The second device can capture an image of the barcode generated on a display of the first device, and use information extracted from that image to attempt to obtain a copy of the e-book. Other types of barcodes can be generated based at least in part upon the context, such as where a user is attempting to locate a physical copy of a type of digital content in a retail location.

Abstract: Visual effects for element of interest can be displayed within a live camera view in real time or substantially using a processing pipeline that does not immediately display an acquired image until it has been updated with the effects. In various embodiments, software-based approaches, such as fast convolution algorithms, and/or hardware-based approaches, such as using a graphics processing unit (GPU), can be used reduce the time between acquiring an image and displaying the image with various visual effects. These visual effects can include automatically highlighting elements, augmenting the color, style, and/or size of elements, casting a shadow on elements, erasing elements, substituting elements, or shaking and jumbling elements, among other effects.

Abstract: Information from a position and/or gesture detection system can be embedded in a Web page, or other such presentation of content, and used to select or otherwise interact with content on the page. In some embodiments, video is captured and displayed showing a current view of the user. Position data corresponding to the video is provided and used to determine directions and extents of motion without having to do significant amounts of image processing. The position data is used to determine locations on the page where the user is attempting to provide input, such as to select an item of content. The content can be modified and/or rendered to appear to be associated with the user in the rendered view. Information from multiple gesture systems can be combined on a single page, and information from one or more gesture systems can be shared among multiple pages and devices.