System and method for species and object recognition

A computer program product, comprising one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions executable by a computing device to implement an object identification method comprising:

• (A) receiving, in response to a first user request via a user interface of a computer system, an initial photograph of an object to be identified,
• wherein the initial photograph contains one or more markers from a list of predefined markers stored in a database of the computer system,
• wherein each marker present in the initial photograph includes (1) a property of the object, (2) a measured value of the property, (3) identification of an entity for measuring the value of the property of the marker, and (4) an association with one or more species of objects;
• (B) identifying, by an identification and analysis component of the computer system, one or more species of the object associated with each marker present in the initial photograph by comparing the measured values of the properties of the one or more markers present in the initial photograph of the object with classifiers of species listed in the database of the computer system;
• (C) determining, by the identification and analysis component of the computer system, for each identified species a species confidence level of species identification of the object by comparing the measured values of the properties of the one or more markers present in the initial photograph with predetermined marker threshold values stored in the database for each identified species;
• (D) selecting, by the identification and analysis component of the computer system, the identified species having a corresponding highest species confidence level in comparison to the species confidence levels of the other identified species;
• determining, by the identification and analysis component of the computer system, if the highest species confidence level of the selected species meets or exceeds a predetermined species confidence level threshold value stored in the database;
• when the highest species confidence level of the selected species meets or exceeds the predetermined species confidence level threshold value, then
• determining, by the identification and analysis component of the computer system, an object confidence level of identification for each object within the selected species by comparing the measured values of the properties of the one or more markers present in the initial photograph of the object to be identified with object classifiers of each object of the selected species, said object classifiers listed in the database of the computer system;
• and
• presenting, by the computer system to the user, the identified object having a highest object confidence level of the objects within the selected species;
• and
• when said highest species confidence level is below the predetermined species confidence level threshold value, then (i) receiving, in response to a second user request via the user interface of the computer system, additional data to assist in identifying the object, the additional data comprising atmospheric conditions at the object and (ii) repeating steps (B) through (D) in consideration of the additional data.

A system, comprising a computing device, said computing device comprising one or more processors, one or more memories, and one or more computer readable hardware storage devices, said one or more hardware storage devices containing program code executable by the one or more processors via the one or more memories to identify an object, the method comprising:

• (A) receiving, in response to a first user request via a user interface of a computer system, an initial photograph of an object to be identified,
• wherein the initial photograph contains one or more markers from a list of predefined markers stored in a database of the computer system,
• wherein each marker present in the initial photograph includes (1) a property of the object, (2) a measured value of the property, (3) identification of an entity for measuring the value of the property of the marker, and (4) an association with one or more species of objects;
• (B) identifying, by an identification and analysis component of the computer system, one or more species of the object associated with each marker present in the initial photograph by comparing the measured values of the properties of the one or more markers present in the initial photograph of the object with classifiers of species listed in the database of the computer system;
• (C) determining, by the identification and analysis component of the computer system, for each identified species a species confidence level of species identification of the object by comparing the measured values of the properties of the one or more markers present in the initial photograph with predetermined marker threshold values stored in the database for each identified species;
• and
• (D) selecting, by the identification and analysis component of the computer system, the identified species having a corresponding highest species confidence level in comparison to the species confidence levels of the other identified species;
• determining, by the identification and analysis component of the computer system, if the highest species confidence level of the selected species meets or exceeds a predetermined species confidence level threshold value stored in the database;
• when the highest species confidence level of the selected species meets or exceeds the predetermined species confidence level threshold value, then
• determining, by the identification and analysis component of the computer system, an object confidence level of identification for each object within the selected species by comparing the measured values of the properties of the one or more markers present in the initial photograph of the object to be identified with object classifiers of each object of the selected species, said object classifiers listed in the database of the computer system;
• and
• presenting, by the computer system to the user, the identified object having a highest object confidence level of the objects within the selected species;
• and
• when said highest species confidence level is below the predetermined species confidence level threshold value, then (i) receiving, in response to a second user request via the user interface of the computer system, additional data to assist in identifying the object, the additional data comprising atmospheric conditions at the object and (ii) repeating steps (B) through (D) in consideration of the additional data.