Apple patents method for intelligent caller ID image selection
Apple has won a patent for the method in which pictures are assigned to incoming calls, offering a twist to the common feature seen on most cellular devices since the introduction of the camera phone.
Illustration of caller ID image with example caller "Pat." | Source: USPTO
The U.S. patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple's U.S. Patent No. 8,331,916 for "Image selection for an incoming call." At first glance, the patent appears to be simply covering the method with which a device assigns a picture to a contact, but on closer inspection the IP calls for a more advanced system that randomizes and selects images intelligently based on predetermined criteria.
According to the patent language, the system relies on filters to parse out relevant images of a contact associated with a certain caller ID. Any incoming telecommunication protocol can be used to determine who the caller is, for example text messages are supported.
Pulling from a pool of images, stored on-board the receiving device or on an off-site server, the system matches the caller ID information with pictures associated with the caller. For example, upon detection, a caller's picture may be randomly selected from the image pool based on a weighting system that takes into account how many times a certain image has been used. Going further, the pictures may have associated star ratings that can be used to refine the filter even further.
The method also allows for image selection based on a set of criteria, such as location, date and other rules. For example, if a call is found to be originating from San Francisco, the system will search the image pool for pictures of the caller taken in that city. Alternately, if the call originated from the home town of the caller, but that person is currently on a trip to New York, pictures of previous trips to New York will be displayed.
Flowchart of image selection system.
Time is also taken into consideration as an image taken during the day or night can be selected depending on what time it is in the call's originating location.
Finally, the system also supports video snippets to be played in place of pictures when appropriate.
The '916 patent was first filed in 2010, with Timothy B. Martin and Gregory Charles Lindley credited as its inventors.
Illustration of caller ID image with example caller "Pat." | Source: USPTO
The U.S. patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple's U.S. Patent No. 8,331,916 for "Image selection for an incoming call." At first glance, the patent appears to be simply covering the method with which a device assigns a picture to a contact, but on closer inspection the IP calls for a more advanced system that randomizes and selects images intelligently based on predetermined criteria.
According to the patent language, the system relies on filters to parse out relevant images of a contact associated with a certain caller ID. Any incoming telecommunication protocol can be used to determine who the caller is, for example text messages are supported.
Pulling from a pool of images, stored on-board the receiving device or on an off-site server, the system matches the caller ID information with pictures associated with the caller. For example, upon detection, a caller's picture may be randomly selected from the image pool based on a weighting system that takes into account how many times a certain image has been used. Going further, the pictures may have associated star ratings that can be used to refine the filter even further.
The method also allows for image selection based on a set of criteria, such as location, date and other rules. For example, if a call is found to be originating from San Francisco, the system will search the image pool for pictures of the caller taken in that city. Alternately, if the call originated from the home town of the caller, but that person is currently on a trip to New York, pictures of previous trips to New York will be displayed.
Flowchart of image selection system.
Time is also taken into consideration as an image taken during the day or night can be selected depending on what time it is in the call's originating location.
Finally, the system also supports video snippets to be played in place of pictures when appropriate.
The '916 patent was first filed in 2010, with Timothy B. Martin and Gregory Charles Lindley credited as its inventors.
Comments
Copier's be warned.
Time will tell.
[URL=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/current-caller-id-android-app_n_1760702.html]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/current-caller-id-android-app_n_1760702.html[/URL]
[I]"Whenever you get a call, you will not only see your caller's name, number and locale; you'll also get the weather where she's calling from, a local news headline from her city, her latest Facebook update, a tweet she just sent out, and her current employment listing on LinkedIn."[/I]
I think this IP from Apple looks really nice, and most likely will work more often than not since most pictures are taken with cellphones that has the GPS info in there as well.
That's all?!?! It should include their credit score, their relationship status, their medical history, their last 10 search strings on google, and the last 20 websites they visited, the last person they spoke or texted to, and a breadcrumb trail of where they've been for the past 12 hours.
They can't. Already selling that, to governments, add agencies and such¡
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
They can't. Already selling that, to governments, add agencies and such¡
I realize that one was sarcasm, but this one isn't if the ITU has it's way. . . and they might:
http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2230847/us-prepared-to-walk-out-of-itu-talks-over-internet-regulation
"Somebody clamps a deep packet inspection thing on your cable which reads every packet and reassembles the web pages, cataloguing them against your name, address and telephone number either to be given to the government when they ask for it or to be sold to the highest bidder – that's a really serious breach of privacy," he told a meeting of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) earlier this year."
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
That's how the authorities found Mr McAffee. A simple photo taken by a journalist during an interview while he was on the run.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rot'nApple
Is this patent awarded by the same group that first awarded and then invalidated the Steve Jobs multi touch patent granted to Apple?
No this was the same group that granted and then invalidated the S3 patents that Apple was supposedly infringing.
Our biggest telco here in The Netherlands did DPI, and got into trouble. Main reason was that they didn't expect their profit to be so much lower than expected after the wider adoption of smartphones. Well duh, people started using WhatsApp instead of the ridiculously overpriced SMS.
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/05/13/1452225/dutch-provider-kpn-under-fire-over-dpi
When the quality of a search is decided by who has which patent, then obviously all existing searches will degrade, and new search engines cannot get off the ground being next to useless.
Another patent of common sense.
I don't think so as it looks like the software kicks in after getting the caller ID at the time of call. It isn't listening to anything it already does, unlike Skype on WP8. I read that that implementation does need a constant link to a Skype server, causing more drain than just having the baseband being connected over cellular. Can't find the article now, sorry.
Awesome. Now is it in production?
PhilBoogie
It isn't listening to anything it already does, unlike Skype on WP8. I read that that implementation does need a constant link to a Skype server, causing more drain than just having the baseband being connected over cellular. Can't find the article now, sorry.
I remember seeing that at one point. Something about Skype not receiving incoming calls unless it's running in the foreground. Made the whole thing seem pointless.
PhilBoogie
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/current-caller-id-android-app_n_1760702.html
"Whenever you get a call, you will not only see your caller's name, number and locale; you'll also get the weather where she's calling from, a local news headline from her city, her latest Facebook update, a tweet she just sent out, and her current employment listing on LinkedIn."
Sounds about right for the rumored Facebook phone. All it needs is an automatic wall post stating that you called me.
Then we get into seeing people's obvious drunk dials, neurotic significant others calling ten times in a row, and the occasional call from an abortion clinic (with the requisite tasteless friend who 'Likes' it).
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
Oh nooozz, Android has this already¡
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/current-caller-id-android-app_n_1760702.html
"Whenever you get a call, you will not only see your caller's name, number and locale; you'll also get the weather where she's calling from, a local news headline from her city, her latest Facebook update, a tweet she just sent out, and her current employment listing on LinkedIn."
That's absolutely disgusting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
That's absolutely disgusting.
Agreed. That's one 3rd party app that deserves ignoring in the app market IMO. Looks like a grab by the White Pages (I assume phone companies) to get app users to allow every permission they could think of to access your personal details.
I thought you said Android had this IP. What is in that article is nothing like this. In fact it sounds like a cluttered hot mess.
That patent hasn't actually been invalidated despite the hyperbolic hit whoring headlines claiming it.
This will and should be invalidated.