# US 8,787,969 B2 · Using low-cost tags as a virtual storage medium for multimedia information > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,969 B2 - Document ID: US8787969B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/541,124 - Filed: 2012-07-03 - Published: 2012-11-15 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-04-09 - Assignees: Air Arts, Inc. - Applicants: Ven Chava; Prasad Ravva - Inventors: Ven Chava; Prasad Ravva - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787969B2 ## CPC - H04Q 9/00: Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom - H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces - H04M 2250/52: including functional features of a camera - H04Q 2209/47: using RFID associated with sensors - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract Systems, methods and computer program products for storing, securing, identifying, authenticating and retrieving multimedia messages using low-cost barcode or RFID tags are disclosed. Additionally, a set of software features facilitate the easy and intuitive storage and retrieval of multimedia information using a mobile telephone acting on the media tags. Such tags can be attached or affixed to physical, real-world objects thus allowing multimedia messages associated with the tags to be retrieved with the real-world objects in a time-shifted and space-shifted manner from when and where they were recorded. The present invention uses low-cost (metal, paper or plastic) tags—encoded using barcodes or RFID—as virtual message storage units and commercially-available terminals equipped with appropriate software and sensors, such as mobile telephones, as recording and reading devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of using a low-cost tag as a virtual storage medium for multimedia information, comprising the steps of: (a) reading a unique visual identifier code imprinted on the tag, wherein the tag is affixed to an object; (b) decrypting said unique visual identifier code in order to authenticate the tag; (c) determining, from said unique visual identifier code, an application identifier indicative of a media file operation to be performed; (d) determining whether a media file associated with said unique visual identifier code exists on a storage medium; (e) retrieving, when the determination of step (d) is positive, said media file from said storage medium; and (f) presenting said media file to a user according to said media file operation indicated by said application identifier; whereby the multimedia information stored in said media file is a form of contextual communications related to said object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said operation to be performed is one of: play voice; play video; show picture; and show text. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tag is constructed from a low-cost material selected from the group consisting of: paper, metal, plastic and leather. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said reading step is performed by a camera embedded in a mobile telephone, and said storage medium is the local store of said mobile telephone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein said unique visual identifier code is one of: a Data Matrix 2D barcode; a MaxiCode 2D barcode; and a QR Code 2D barcode. ### Claim 6 A method of using a low-cost tag as a virtual storage medium for multimedia information, comprising the steps of: (a) reading a unique visual identifier code imprinted on the tag, wherein the tag is affixed to an object; (b) decrypting said unique visual identifier code in order to authenticate the tag; (c) determining, from said unique visual identifier code, an application identifier indicative of a media file operation to be performed; (d) determining whether a media file associated with said unique visual identifier code exists on a storage medium; (e) recording, when the determination of step (d) is negative, multimedia information into said media file according to said media file operation indicated by said application identifier; and (f) storing said media file onto said storage medium; whereby the multimedia information stored in said media file is a form of contextual communications related to said object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein said operation to be performed with respect to the multimedia information is one of: record voice; record video; record picture; and enter text. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the tag is constructed from a low-cost material selected from the group consisting of: paper, metal, plastic and leather. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein said reading step is performed by a camera embedded in a mobile telephone, and said storage medium is the local store of said mobile telephone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein said unique visual identifier code is one of: a Data Matrix 2D barcode; a MaxiCode 2D barcode; and a QR Code 2D barcode. ### Claim 11 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to use a low-cost tag as a virtual storage medium for multimedia information, said control logic comprising: first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to scan a unique visual identifier code imprinted on the tag, wherein the tag is affixed to an object; second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to decrypt said unique visual identifier code in order to authenticate the tag; third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine, from said unique visual identifier code, an application identifier indicative of a media file operation to be performed; fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine whether a media file associated with said unique visual identifier code exists on a storage medium; and fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to retrieve, when the determination of said fourth computer readable program code means is positive, said media file from said storage medium; and sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display said media file according to said media file operation indicated by said application identifier. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said operation to be performed with respect to the multimedia information is one of: play voice; play video; show picture; and show text. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer is a mobile telephone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said storage medium is the local store of said mobile telephone. ### Claim 15 A method of using a low-cost tag as a virtual storage medium for multimedia information, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving an input from a user indicative of the desire to delete a media file stored on a storage medium; (b) reading a unique visual identifier code imprinted on the tag, wherein the tag is affixed to an object; (c) decrypting said unique visual identifier code in order to authenticate the tag; (d) determining whether said media file associated with said unique visual identifier code exists on said storage medium; (e) deleting, when the determination of step (d) is positive, said media file from said storage medium; and (f) presenting a confirmation to said user that said media file has been deleted; whereby the multimedia information stored in said media file is a form of contextual communications related to said object. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the tag is constructed from a low-cost material selected from the group consisting of: paper, metal, plastic and leather. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein said reading step is performed by a camera embedded in a mobile telephone, and said storage medium is the local store of said mobile telephone. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said unique visual identifier code is one of: a Data Matrix 2D barcode; a MaxiCode 2D barcode; and a QR Code 2D barcode. ### Claim 19 A method of using low-cost tags as a virtual storage medium for multimedia information, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving an input from a user indicative of the desire to associate a media file, currently associated with a first tag, with a second tag; (b) reading a first unique visual identifier code imprinted on said first tag, and reading a second unique visual identifier code imprinted on said second tag; (c) decrypting said first and second unique visual identifier codes in order to authenticate said first and second tags; (d) determining whether said media file associated with said first unique visual identifier code exists on a storage medium; and (e) when the determination of step (d) is positive: (i) associating said media file with said second unique visual identifier code; and (ii) disassociating said media file with said first unique visual identifier code. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein said tags are constructed from a low-cost material selected from the group consisting of: paper, metal, plastic and leather. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein said reading steps are performed by a camera embedded in a mobile telephone, and said storage medium is the local store of said mobile telephone. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein said unique visual identifier code is one of: a Data Matrix 2D barcode; a MaxiCode 2D barcode; and a QR Code 2D barcode. ### Claim 23 A method of securely using low-cost tags as a virtual storage mediums for multimedia information, comprising the steps of: (a) reading a first unique visual identifier code imprinted on a media tag, wherein said media tag is affixed to an object; (b) reading a second unique visual identifier code imprinted on a security tag, wherein said security tag is affixed to said object; (b) decrypting said first and second unique visual identifier codes in order to authenticate said tags; (c) determining, from said first unique visual identifier code, an application identifier indicative of a media file operation to be performed; (d) determining whether there is an association between said first unique visual identifier code and said second unique visual identifier code; (e) determining whether a media file associated with said first unique visual identifier code exists on a storage medium; (f) retrieving, when the determination of steps (d) and (e) are positive, said media file from said storage medium; and (g) presenting said media file to a user according to said media file operation indicated by said application identifier; whereby the multimedia information stored in said media file is a form of contextual communications related to said object. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein said tags are constructed from a low-cost material selected from the group consisting of: paper, metal, plastic and leather. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein said reading steps are performed by a camera embedded in a mobile telephone, and said storage medium is the local store of said mobile telephone. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein said unique visual identifier code is one of: a Data Matrix 2D barcode; a MaxiCode 2D barcode; and a QR Code 2D barcode. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein said operation to be performed is one of: play voice; play video; show picture; and show text.