Event Determination from Photos Using Context Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Travelers often miss out on local events due to lack of knowledge about scheduled or impromptu events in unfamiliar areas, especially if they cannot speak the local language or access relevant information.

Innovation Solution

An event determination system that captures images and associated context data, using spatial and temporal information to retrieve relevant events from a database, and analyzes images to determine event types, allowing users to discover events in real-time without prior knowledge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a visitor checks with local people or browses websites to find events, then the visitor can obtain event information, but the visitor requires prior planning and language knowledge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent information accessibilityVSAvoidease of event discovery

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by automatically capturing images and context data, retrieving relevant events from databases, and presenting event information without requiring the user to actively search or interact with local resources. The mobile device performs the information-gathering function autonomously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual information gathering (checking websites, asking locals) with an automated digital system that uses image recognition, database querying, and algorithmic event matching to provide event information automatically.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Loss of information

If the visitor is unfamiliar with local customs or cannot speak the local language, then the visitor cannot ask about events, but the visitor still needs event information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent information accessibilityVSAvoidadaptability to unfamiliar environments

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary (the automated event determination system) that bridges the gap between the visitor and local event information. Instead of requiring direct interaction with locals or language skills, the system mediates by automatically interpreting visual context and retrieving relevant event data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of time

If the visitor happens upon an ongoing event without prior knowledge, then the visitor may miss the event details, but the visitor is present at the location

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereal-time event discoveryVSAvoidevent nature understanding

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by continuously or periodically retrieving event information based on location and time context, so that when a visitor captures an image at an ongoing event, the relevant event information is already available or can be quickly retrieved and presented.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8831352B2Event determination from photos

Publication Date: 2014.09.09 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Events may be determined based on an image and context data associated with the image. An event type associated with the image may be determined based on a concept of the image. A list of events may be retrieved from an event database based on the context data. The retrieved list of events may then be ranked based on the determined event type and the context data. Through this event determination, a user may obtain information of one or more events happening at a specific location simply by capturing an image of that specific location, thereby saving the user from searching and browsing the Internet or brochure to locate the information of the one or more events at the specific location.