Image-based search engine for mobile phones with camera

1. A method for updating object representations in an image database, the method comprising:

receiving an image of an object from a client device associated with a user, the receiving of the image constituting a first user query for information related to the object;

recognizing the object using an image recognition engine and an image database, the image database storing object identifiers in association with objects;

associating, from the image database, an object identifier with the recognized object;

transmitting to the client device associated with the user, information related to the recognized object;

receiving an indication of whether the user accepted the transmitted information as being relevant to the object; and

responsive to a computed confidence measure of the recognition of the object exceeding a given threshold, storing the image of the object in the image database in association with the object identifier;

wherein the confidence measure is computed at least in part based on the indication that the user accepted the transmitted information as being relevant to the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the confidence measure is computed at least based in part on an amount of time that the client device displays the transmitted information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the confidence measure is computed at least based in part on whether a second user query for information related to the object is received within a predetermined amount of time of the first user query.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a web page address related to the recognized object and storing the web page address in association with the object identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising

identifying an audio stream related to the recognized object and storing the audio stream in association with the object identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recognized object comprises text, the method further comprising translating the text and storing the translated text in association with the object identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein recognizing the object comprises at least one of: performing optical character recognition, performing object recognition, and performing facial recognition.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein performing object recognition comprises performing rigid texture object recognition.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein performing object recognition comprises performing articulate object recognition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the object is obtained using a built-in camera of the client device.

11. A recognition computer server system for updating object representations in an image database, the recognition computer server system adapted to perform actions comprising:

receiving an image of an object from a client device associated with a user, the receiving of the image constituting a first user query for information related to the object;

recognizing the object using an image recognition engine and an image database, the image database storing object identifiers in association with objects;

associating, from the image database, an object identifier with the recognized object;

transmitting to the client device associated with the user, information related to the recognized object;

receiving an indication of whether the user accepted the transmitted information as being relevant to the object; and

responsive to a computed confidence measure of the recognition of the object exceeding a given threshold, storing the image of the object in the image database in association with the object identifier;

wherein the confidence measure is computed at least in part based on the indication that the user accepted the transmitted information as being relevant to the object.

12. The recognition computer server system of claim 11, wherein the confidence measure is computed at least based in part on an amount of time that the client device displays the transmitted information.

13. The recognition computer server system of claim 11, wherein the confidence measure is computed at least based in part on whether a second user query for information related to the object is received within a predetermined amount of time of the first user query.

14. The recognition computer server system of claim 11, the actions of the recognition computer server system further comprising identifying a web page address related to the recognized object and storing the web page address in association with the object identifier.

15. The recognition computer server system of claim 11, the actions of the recognition computer server system further comprising identifying an audio stream related to the recognized object and storing the audio stream in association with the object identifier.

16. The recognition computer server system of claim 11, wherein the recognized object comprises text, the method further comprising translating the text and storing the translated text in association with the object identifier.

17. The recognition computer server system of claim 11, wherein recognizing the object comprises at least one of: performing optical character recognition, performing object recognition, and performing facial recognition.

18. The recognition computer server system of claim 17, wherein performing object recognition comprises performing rigid texture object recognition.

19. The recognition computer server system of claim 17, wherein performing object recognition comprises performing articulate object recognition.

20. The recognition computer server system of claim 11, wherein the image of the object is obtained using a built-in camera of the client device.