Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling semantic association of images with augmentation data is described. The method may include receiving digital image data captured by a mobile device. The method may also include performing image recognition analysis on an object within the digital image data to identify the object. The method may also include querying a semantic associations database based on a determined identify of the object to determine a secondary meaning associated with the object, and transmitting augmentation data to the mobile device that is semantically relevant to the object based on the secondary meaning.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for processing queries made up of images. In one aspect, a method includes indexing images by image descriptors. The method further includes associating descriptive n-grams with the images. In another aspect, a method includes receiving a query, identifying text describing the query, and performing a search according to the text identified for the query.

Abstract: The present application discloses devices and methods for providing entry into and enabling interaction with a visual representation of an environment. In some implementations, a method is disclosed that includes obtaining an estimated global pose of a device in an environment. The method further includes providing on the device a user-interface including a visual representation of the environment that corresponds to the estimated global pose. The method still further includes receiving first data indicating an object in the visual representation, receiving second data indicating an action relating to the object, and applying the action in the visual representation. In other implementations, a head-mounted device is disclosed that includes a processor and data storage including logic executable by the processor to carry out the method described above.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for surfacing content during a photo sharing process is described. The method may include detecting the initiation of a social networking photo sharing process for a digital image. The method may also include transmitting digital image data corresponding to the digital image to a content surfacing server to locate content relevant to the digital image. The method may also include receiving one or more items of data relevant to the digital image from the content surfacing server. Furthermore, the method may include presenting a notification, before the digital image is uploaded to a social networking system by the social networking photo sharing process, to a user to indicate that content relevant to the digital image has been received.

Abstract: A text recognition server is configured to recognize text in a sparse text image. Specifically, given an image, the server specifies a plurality of “patches” (blocks of pixels within the image). The system applies a text detection algorithm to the patches to determine a number of the patches that contain text. This application of the text detection algorithm is used both to estimate the orientation of the image and to determine whether the image is textually sparse or textually dense. If the image is determined to be textually sparse, textual patches are identified and grouped into text regions, each of which is then separately processed by an OCR algorithm, and the recognized text for each region is combined into a result for the image as a whole.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying objects is provided. In one aspect, the system and method includes a hand-held device with a display, camera and processor. As the camera captures images and displays them on the display, the processor compares the information retrieved in connection with one image with information retrieved in connection with subsequent images. The processor uses the result of such comparison to determine the object that is likely to be of greatest interest to the user. The display simultaneously displays the images the images as they are captured, the location of the object in an image, and information retrieved for the object.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention is a method for populating and updating a database of images of landmarks including geo-clustering geo-tagged images according to geographic proximity to generate one or more geo-clusters, and visual-clustering the one or more geo-clusters according to image similarity to generate one or more visual clusters. In another embodiment, the present invention is a system for identifying landmarks from digital images, including the following components: a database of geo-tagged images; a landmark database; a geo-clustering module; and a visual clustering module. In other embodiments the present invention may be a method of enhancing user queries to retrieve images of landmarks, or a method of automatically tagging a new digital image with text labels.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method for filtering descriptors for visual object recognition is provided. The method includes identifying false positive descriptors having a local match confidence that exceeds a predetermined threshold and a global image match confidence that is less than a second threshold. The method also includes training at least one classifier to discriminate between the false positive descriptors and other descriptors. The method further includes filtering feature point matches using the at least one classifier. According to another embodiment, the filtering step may further include removing one or more feature point matches from a result set. According to a further embodiment, a system for filtering feature point matches for visual object recognition is provided. The system includes a hard false positive identifier, a classifier trainer and a hard false positive filter.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to determining a triggering event of a user, selecting media relevant to the triggering event, and providing the selected media to the user. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for determining a past event of the user that is indicative of past interaction of the user with one or more past entities and the triggering event may be determined to be associated with the past event. The media selected to provide to the user may contain media that includes the one or more past entities associated with the past event and the media may be provided to the user in response to the triggering event.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying objects is provided. In one aspect, the system and method includes a hand-held device with a display, camera and processor. As the camera captures images and displays them on the display, the processor compares the information retrieved in connection with one image with information retrieved in connection with subsequent images. The processor uses the result of such comparison to determine the object that is likely to be of greatest interest to the user. The display simultaneously displays the images the images as they are captured, the location of the object in an image, and information retrieved for the object.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting interest point descriptors for object recognition. In an embodiment, the present invention estimates performance of local descriptors by (1) receiving a local descriptor relating to an object in a first image; (2) identifying one or more nearest neighbor descriptors relating to one or more images different from the first image, the nearest neighbor descriptors comprising nearest neighbors of the local descriptor; (3) calculating a quality score for the local descriptor based on the number of nearest neighbor descriptors that relate to images showing the object; and (4) determining, on the basis of the quality score, if the local descriptor is effective in identifying the object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for telepresence sharing is described. The method may include providing an indication of a plurality of remote vehicles that are available for telepresence sharing to a user. The method may also include receiving a selection from the user to engage a remote vehicle from the plurality of remote vehicles in a telepresence sharing session. Furthermore, the method may also include providing a live video feed captured by the remote vehicle to a mobile device associated with the user.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure pertain to identifying whether or not an image from a user's device is of a place or not. As part of the identification, a training procedure may be performed on a set of training images. The training procedure includes performing measurements of image data for each image in the set to derive a result. The result includes a series of variables for each training image in the set. The series of variable is evaluated for each training image to obtain one or more measurement weights and one or more measurement thresholds. These weights and thresholds are adjusted to set a false positive threshold and a false negative threshold for identifying whether an actual image is of a place type or is some other type of image.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention pertain to matching a selected image/photograph against a database of reference images having location information. The image of interest may include some location information itself, such as latitude/longitude coordinates and orientation. However, the location information provided by a user's device may be inaccurate or incomplete. The image of interest is provided to a front end server, which selects one or more cells to match the image against. Each cell may have multiple images and an index. One or more cell match servers compare the image against specific cells based on information provided by the front end server. An index storage server maintains index data for the cells and provides them to the cell match servers. If a match is found, the front end server identifies the correct location and orientation of the received image, and may correct errors in an estimated location of the user device.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention relate to detecting and blurring images. In an embodiment, a system detects objects in a photographic image. The system includes an object detector module configured to detect regions of the photographic image that include objects of a particular type at least based on the content of the photographic image. The system further includes a false positive detector module configured to determine whether each region detected by the object detector module includes an object of the particular type at least based on information about the context in which the photographic image was taken.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for processing queries made up of images. In one aspect, a method includes indexing images by image descriptors. The method further includes associating descriptive n-grams with the images. In another aspect, a method includes receiving a query, identifying text describing the query, and performing a search according to the text identified for the query.

Abstract: A text recognition server is configured to recognize text in a sparse text image. Specifically, given an image, the server specifies a plurality of “patches” (blocks of pixels within the image). The system applies a text detection algorithm to the patches to determine a number of the patches that contain text. This application of the text detection algorithm is used both to estimate the orientation of the image and to determine whether the image is textually sparse or textually dense. If the image is determined to be textually sparse, textual patches are identified and grouped into text regions, each of which is then separately processed by an OCR algorithm, and the recognized text for each region is combined into a result for the image as a whole.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention is a method for populating and updating a database of images of landmarks including geo-clustering geo-tagged images according to geographic proximity to generate one or more geo-clusters, and visual-clustering the one or more geo-clusters according to image similarity to generate one or more visual clusters. In another embodiment, the present invention is a system for identifying landmarks from digital images, including the following components: a database of geo-tagged images; a landmark database; a geo-clustering module; and a visual clustering module. In other embodiments the present invention may be a method of enhancing user queries to retrieve images of landmarks, or a method of automatically tagging a new digital image with text labels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling virtual tags is described. The method may include receiving a first digital image data and virtual tag data to be associated with a real-world object in the first digital image data, wherein the first digital image data is captured by a first mobile device, and the virtual tag data includes metadata received from a user of the first mobile device. The method may also include generating a first digital signature from the first digital image data that describes the real-world object, and in response to the generation, inserting in substantially real-time the first digital signature into a searchable index of digital images. The method may also include storing, in a tag database, the virtual tag data and an association between the virtual tag data and the first digital signature inserted into the index of digital images.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention pertain to matching a selected image/photograph against a database of reference images having location information. The image of interest may include some location information itself, such as latitude/longitude coordinates and orientation. However, the location information provided by a user's device may be inaccurate or incomplete. The image of interest is provided to a front end server, which selects one or more cells to match the image against. Each cell may have multiple images and an index. One or more cell match servers compare the image against specific cells based on information provided by the front end server. An index storage server maintains index data for the cells and provides them to the cell match servers. If a match is found, the front end server identifies the correct location and orientation of the received image, and may correct errors in an estimated location of the user device.