A waste stream is analyzed and sorted to segregate different items for recycling. Certain features of the technology improve the accuracy with which waste stream items are diverted to collection repositories. Other features concern adaptation of neural networks in accordance with context information sensed from the waste. Still other features serve to automate and simplify maintenance of machine vision systems used in waste sorting. Yet other aspects of the technology concern marking 2D machine readable code data on items having complex surfaces (e.g., food containers with integral ribbing for structural strength or juice pooling), to mitigate issues that such surfaces can introduce in code reading. Still other aspects of the technology concern prioritizing certain blocks of conveyor belt imagery for analysis. Yet other aspects of the technology concern joint use of near infrared spectroscopy, artificial intelligence, digital watermarking, and/or other techniques, for waste sorting. A variety of further features and arrangements are also detailed.
G06K 19/06 - Supports d'enregistrement pour utilisation avec des machines et avec au moins une partie prévue pour supporter des marques numériques caractérisés par le genre de marque numérique, p.ex. forme, nature, code
A thermoplastic resin, such as PET, is molded to define a 2D code signal, such as a digital watermark pattern. The mold can comprise an array of hole or spike features, some of which are directly vented to atmospheric pressure. A network of channels can link the other features to the directly-vented features, so all features are vented. A mold comprising spike features can form a digital watermark pattern on an item such that the watermark payload is decodable both from the side of the item that contacted the mold, and also from the opposite, non-contact side of the item. To aid entry of viscous thermoplastic among the very fine elemental features of a mold representing a watermark signal pattern, the features can be overlapped, forming a connected binary mark having larger features. A variety of other improvements and arrangements are also detailed.
G06K 19/06 - Supports d'enregistrement pour utilisation avec des machines et avec au moins une partie prévue pour supporter des marques numériques caractérisés par le genre de marque numérique, p.ex. forme, nature, code
A surface is laser-etched to convey a 2D machine-readable code pattern. Various strategies are detailed to minimize the etching time. Some strategies include modifying the code pattern to reduce a path length traveled by the laser. Some strategies include modifying the code pattern to make it sub-optimal, i.e., making the code pattern a less-faithful approximation of an ideal code pattern. In some embodiments the etched surface is the surface of a plastic container, and the code pattern conveys information indicating the type of plastic of which the container is manufactured. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Images depicting items in a waste flow on a conveyor belt are provided to two analysis systems. The first system processes images to decode digital watermark payload data found on certain of the items (e.g., plastic containers). This payload data is used to look up corresponding attribute metadata for the items in a database, such as the type of plastic in each item, and whether the item was used as a food container or not. The second analysis system can be a spectroscopy system that determines the type of plastic in each item by its absorption characteristics. When the two systems conflict in identifying the plastic type, a sorting logic processor applies a rule set to arbitrate the conflict and determine which plastic type is most likely. The item is then sorted into one of several different bins depending on a combination of the final plastic identification, and whether the item was used as a food container or not. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
B07C 5/342 - Tri en fonction d'autres propriétés particulières selon les propriétés optiques, p.ex. la couleur
G06V 10/58 - Extraction de caractéristiques d’images ou de vidéos relative aux données hyperspectrales
G06V 10/70 - Dispositions pour la reconnaissance ou la compréhension d’images ou de vidéos utilisant la reconnaissance de formes ou l’apprentissage automatique
B07C 5/344 - Tri en fonction d'autres propriétés particulières selon les propriétés électriques ou magnétiques
B65G 47/49 - Dispositifs pour décharger les objets ou matériaux des transporteurs avec distribution, p.ex. automatique, aux points voulus selon des marques de destination portées soit par les objets, soit par les porte-charges sans contact matériel entre l'objet ou porte-charges et le dispositif automatique de commande
A plastic item, such as a beverage bottle, can convey two distinct digital watermarks, encoded using two distinct signaling protocols. A first, printed label watermark conveys a retailing payload, including a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) used by a point-of-sale scanner in a retail store to identify and price the item when presented for checkout. A second, plastic texture watermark may convey a recycling payload, including data identifying the composition of the plastic. The use of two different signaling protocols assures that a point-of-sale scanner will not spend its limited time and computational resources working to decode the recycling watermark, which may lack data needed for retail checkout. In some embodiments, a recycling apparatus makes advantageous use of both types of watermarks to identify the plastic composition of the item (e.g., relating GTIN to plastic type using an associated database), thereby increasing the fraction of items that are correctly identified for sorting and recycling. In other embodiments the plastic item (or a label thereon) bears only a single watermark. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
G06K 19/06 - Supports d'enregistrement pour utilisation avec des machines et avec au moins une partie prévue pour supporter des marques numériques caractérisés par le genre de marque numérique, p.ex. forme, nature, code
B29B 17/02 - Séparation de matières plastiques des autres matières
B29C 59/00 - Façonnage de surface, p.ex. gaufrage; Appareils à cet effet
B65D 1/00 - Réceptacles rigides ou semi-rigides ayant des corps d'une seule pièce formés, p.ex. par coulage d'un matériau en métal, par moulage d'un matériau plastique, par soufflage d'un matériau vitreux, par coulage d'un matériau en céramique, par moulage d'un
G06K 1/12 - Méthodes ou dispositions pour marquer les supports d'enregistrement sous la forme numérique autrement que par poinçonnage
G06K 7/10 - Méthodes ou dispositions pour la lecture de supports d'enregistrement par radiation corpusculaire
In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective -transformed views - further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used - or ignored - in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Methods and arrangements involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. One arrangement enables a creator of content to select software with for rendering that creator's content - assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another arrangement utilizes the smartphone camera to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some of the detailed technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices - some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography.
G06F 17/00 - TRAITEMENT ÉLECTRIQUE DE DONNÉES NUMÉRIQUES Équipement ou méthodes de traitement de données ou de calcul numérique, spécialement adaptés à des fonctions spécifiques
H04H 60/27 - Dispositions d'enregistrement ou d'accumulation des informations radiodiffusées ou des informations relatives à la radiodiffusion
H04N 21/8405 - Génération ou traitement de données de description, p.ex. descripteurs de contenu représentés par des mots-clés
G06F 3/00 - Dispositions d'entrée pour le transfert de données destinées à être traitées sous une forme maniable par le calculateur; Dispositions de sortie pour le transfert de données de l'unité de traitement à l'unité de sortie, p.ex. dispositions d'interface
A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
G01C 22/00 - Mesure de la distance parcourue sur le sol par des véhicules, des personnes, des animaux ou autres corps solides en mouvement, p.ex. en utilisant des odomètres ou en utilisant des podomètres
G01D 21/02 - Mesure de plusieurs variables par des moyens non couverts par une seule autre sous-classe
G01S 3/802 - Systèmes pour déterminer une direction ou une déviation par rapport à une direction prédéterminée
G01V 3/08 - Prospection ou détection électrique ou magnétique; Mesure des caractéristiques du champ magnétique de la terre, p.ex. de la déclinaison ou de la déviation fonctionnant au moyen de champs magnétiques ou électriques produits ou modifiés par les objets ou les structures géologiques, ou par les dispositifs de détection
G10L 15/24 - Reconnaissance de la parole utilisant des caractéristiques non acoustiques
A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
H04W 4/00 - Services spécialement adaptés aux réseaux de télécommunications sans fil; Leurs installations
G01C 23/00 - Instruments combinés indiquant plus d’une valeur de navigation, p.ex. pour l’aviation; Dispositifs de mesure combinés pour mesurer plusieurs variables du mouvement, p.ex. la distance, la vitesse ou l’accélération
G01V 3/08 - Prospection ou détection électrique ou magnétique; Mesure des caractéristiques du champ magnétique de la terre, p.ex. de la déclinaison ou de la déviation fonctionnant au moyen de champs magnétiques ou électriques produits ou modifiés par les objets ou les structures géologiques, ou par les dispositifs de détection
G06T 1/00 - Traitement de données d'image, d'application générale
H04N 5/262 - Circuits de studio, p.ex. pour mélanger, commuter, changer le caractère de l'image, pour d'autres effets spéciaux
The present technology concerns use of cell phones and other portable devices connection with media content (electronic and physical and with other systems (e g, televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). Some aspects allow users to easily transfer displayed content from cell phone screens onto a television screens for easier viewing, or vice versa for content portability. Others enable users to participate interactively in entertainment content. Still other aspects of the technology involve a program directory database, compiled automatically from information reported by network nodes that watch and identify content traffic passing through networked computers. By identifying content resident at a number of different repositories (e g, web sites, TV networks, P2P systems, etc ), such a directory allows cell phone users to identify the diversity of scheduled or on-demand content sources. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
H04N 21/2665 - Rassemblement de contenus provenant de différentes sources, p.ex. Internet et satellite
H04W 4/18 - Conversion de format ou de contenu d'informations, p.ex. adaptation, par le réseau, des informations reçues ou transmises pour une distribution sans fil aux utilisateurs ou aux terminaux
H04N 21/254 - Gestion au sein du serveur de données additionnelles, p.ex. serveur d'achat ou serveur de gestion de droits
H04N 21/262 - Ordonnancement de la distribution de contenus ou de données additionnelles, p.ex. envoi de données additionnelles en dehors des périodes de pointe, mise à jour de modules de logiciel, calcul de la fréquence de transmission de carrousel, retardement d
H04N 21/278 - Base de données de descripteurs de contenu ou service de répertoire pour accès par les utilisateurs finaux
H04N 21/436 - Interfaçage d'un réseau de distribution local, p.ex. communication avec un autre STB ou à l'intérieur de la maison
H04N 21/478 - Services additionnels, p.ex. affichage de l'identification d'un appelant téléphonique ou application d'achat
A63F 13/26 - Dispositions de sortie pour les dispositifs de jeu vidéo ayant au moins un dispositif d’affichage supplémentaire, p.ex. sur la manette de jeu ou à l’extérieur d’une cabine de jeu
11.
CONTENT INTERACTION METHODS AND SYSTEMS EMPLOYING PORTABLE DEVICES
A portable device, such as a cell phone, is used to "forage" media content from a user's environment For example, it may listen to a television viewed by a traveler in an airport lounge By reference to digital watermark or other data extracted from the content, the device can identify the television program, and enable a variety of actions For example, the device may instruct a DVR to record the remainder of the television program - or determine when the program will be rebroadcast, and instruct the DVR to record the program in its entirety at that later time The device may also identify content that preceded (or follows) the foraged content Thus, a user who tunes-m just at the end of an exciting sporting event can capture one of the following commercials, identify the preceding program, and download same for later viewing
H04N 21/4227 - Entrée à distance par un utilisateur situé à distance du dispositif client, p.ex. au travail
H04W 8/18 - Traitement de données utilisateur ou abonné, p.ex. services faisant l'objet d'un abonnement, préférences utilisateur ou profils utilisateur; Transfert de données utilisateur ou abonné
H04N 5/76 - Enregistrement du signal de télévision
Mobile phones and other portable devices are equipped with a variety of technologies by which existing functionality can be improved, and new functionality can be provided. One such improvement concerns an architecture employing a forked image processing path: a first branch is tailored for human visual system purposes, and a second branch is tailored for object recognition. The first branch processes captured imagery using a gamma correction module, a de-mosaicing module, or a JPEG compression module, and provides imagery useful for rendering into perceptual form for human viewing. The second branch processes the captured imagery without any of the noted modules, and provides imagery that can be applied to a recognition stage, to yield plural-bit data identifying an object depicted in the image data. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
A method and system for provides routing of metadata related to media content, using content identifiers to locate the metadata content and rules to determine a subset of the metadata to deliver. This method registers globally unique identifiers for content objects. These globally unique identifiers each comprise a content identifier provided with the content object and a bounding identifier identifying a set of content identifiers of which the content identifier is a member. For each of the globally unique identifiers, information is maintained about a metadata source. The method receives a first content identifier for the content object, and uses a bounding identifier associated with the set of the first content identifier to determine the globally unique identifier for the first content identifier. The user is routed to the metadata source associated with globally unique identifier.
brevets
