Annotated Image Instruction Overlay for Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing instructions, such as travel or appliance repair instructions, often rely on text and images that can be unclear, with generic images not matching the user's specific object, leading to confusion, and video instructions may not align with the user's pace or object specifics, making them inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A system using a portable computing device to capture images of objects, which are then annotated with instructions through image recognition technology, allowing for precise overlay of annotations onto the user's image, enabling clear and user-paced guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If generic images are provided with textual instructions, then the instructions can be provided in a standardized format, but the images may not correspond with the user's specific object, leading to confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from generic standardized images to user-specific customized images by capturing and annotating the actual object the user is working with. Each image is tailored to the specific object, location, and user perspective, providing locally optimized visual information rather than generic representations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the user's actual object through image capture, then overlays annotations directly onto this copy. This allows the instructional information to be precisely aligned with the user's specific object while maintaining the standardized annotation format.
2Loss of information
If video instructions are used to provide detailed guidance, then visual demonstrations can be provided, but the content may move at a fixed pace that does not align with the user's desired speed, requiring frequent pausing and rewinding
Solution Approach 1:
The video instruction is segmented into discrete annotated images, each representing a specific step or action. Users can view individual images at their own pace without being constrained by video timing, allowing them to progress through instructions sequentially or skip ahead as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the fixed-pace video format into a dynamic, user-controlled sequence of images. Users can interact with the annotated images at their own speed, pausing, reviewing, or advancing through steps without the constraints of video playback timing.
3Loss of information
If textual instructions are provided with images, then detailed guidance can be given, but the textual instructions may be unclear and the images may not map precisely to the object of interest
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the textual instruction content with visual image representation by overlaying annotations directly onto captured images of the user's object. This integration ensures that text and image work together cohesively rather than as separate, potentially conflicting elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses visual annotations including colored overlays, highlights, and markers on the captured images to precisely indicate objects of interest and action locations. These visual cues provide precise spatial mapping between the instructions and the user's specific object.
Data Source
AI summary
A method described herein includes the acts of receiving an image captured by a mobile computing device and automatically annotating the image to create an annotated image, wherein annotations on the annotated image provide instructions to a user of the mobile computing device. The method further includes transmitting the annotated image to the mobile computing device.