# US 9,519,836 B2 · Locating objects using images from portable devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,836 B2 - Document ID: US9519836B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/467,387 - Filed: 2014-08-25 - Published: 2015-03-05 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-05 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Simon A. S. Briggs; James K. Hook; Hamish C. Hunt; Nicholas K. Lincoln - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519836B2 ## CPC - G06V 10/95: {structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures} - G06V 20/52: Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A method and/or computer program product assists in locating objects using a local physical device and one or more remote physical devices having image capture capability. A local physical device captures one or more reference images of an object, and shares identification metrics associated with one or more reference images of the object with one or more of the remote physical devices. One or more remote physical devices captures one or more images of an area in which the object may be located, and determines, using the identification metrics, whether any of the images captured includes the object. In response to a determination that any of the images captured includes the object, those images are stored and associated with the object. In response to the object being lost by a user, the local physical device reviews the stored images to determine a location of the lost object. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for assisting in locating objects using a local physical device and one or more remote physical devices, the local physical device and the one or more remote physical devices having image capture capability, the method comprising: capturing, by the local physical device, one or more reference images of an object; sharing, by the local physical device, identification metrics associated with one or more reference images of the object with one or more of the remote physical devices; specifying the one or more remote physical devices according to a profile of the one or more remote physical devices, wherein the profile identifies a level of trustworthiness and a physical location of the one or more remote physical devices; capturing, by the one or more of the remote physical devices, one or more images of an area in which the object may be located; determining, by one or more of the one or more remote physical devices and using the identification metrics, whether any of the one or more images captured includes the object; in response to a determination that any of the one or more images captured by the one or more of the remote physical devices includes the object, storing one or more of the one or more images as stored images, and associating the stored images with the object; and in response to the object being lost by a user, reviewing, by the local physical device, one or more of the stored images associated with the object to determine a location of the lost object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: capturing, by the local physical device, one or more images of an area in which the object may be located; and determining, by the local physical device and using the identification metrics, whether any of the one or more images captured includes the object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: assigning an identifier to captured one or more images of the object, the identifier being associated with the object; and wherein: the stored images are associated with the identifier; and the one or more of the stored images to be reviewed are determined using the assigned identifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more images captured by the one or more of the remote physical devices is a video that is stored on a circular buffer, wherein the circular buffer only stores a latest 10 seconds of the video. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: in further response to the object being lost, determining, by the local physical device and in real time, whether any of the one or more images captured includes the lost object; and in response to determining that one or more images captured includes the lost object, transmitting a message indicating that an image of the lost object has been captured. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification metrics cannot be viewed on the one or more remote physical devices. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: in response to the object being lost by a user, the one or more remote physical devices determining in real time whether any of the one or more images captured includes the lost object; and in response to the one or more remote physical devices determining in real time that any of the one or more images captured includes the lost object, transmitting a message to the local physical device indicating that an image of the lost object has been captured. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: configuring the one or more remote physical devices to prevent a user of the one or more physical devices from viewing the one or more of the stored images associated with the object. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification metrics associated with the one or more reference images of the object shared with the one or more remote physical devices are the reference images of the object. ### Claim 10 A system for use with a local physical device and one or more remote physical devices, the local physical device and the one or more remote physical devices having image capture capability, for assisting in locating objects, the system comprising: a local physical device having: an image capture portion for capturing one or more reference images of the object; a communication portion for sending identification metrics associated with the one or more reference images of the object with one or more of the remote physical devices and for receiving one or more images of an area around the one or more remote physical devices associated with the object from the one or more remote physical devices, and wherein the one or more images of the area are stored images; a review portion for reviewing one or more stored images associated with the object to determine the location of the lost object, the one or more stored images being captured by the one or more remote physical devices; and one or more remote physical devices having: an image capture portion for capturing one or more images of an area around the one or more remote physical devices; a comparison portion for determining using the one or more reference images, whether any of the one or more images captured includes the object and responsive to a determination that any of the one or more images captured includes the object, storing one or more of the one or more images as stored images and associating the stored images with the object; and a communication portion for receiving identification metrics and sending one or more images of an area around the one or more remote physical devices associated with the object, wherein the one or more remote physical devices are specified according to a profile of the one or more remote physical devices, and wherein the profile identifies a level of trustworthiness and a physical location of the one or more remote physical devices. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the image capture portion of the local physical device captures one or more images of an area in which the object may be located and determines, using the identification metrics, whether any of the one or more images captured includes the object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising an identifier associated with the captured one or more images of the object, the identifier being associated with the object; and wherein: the stored images are associated with the identifier; and one or more of the stored images to be reviewed are determined using the assigned identifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the stored images comprises a portion of video. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the comparison portion associates a time with the stored images. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein further responsive to the object being lost, the local physical device determines in real time whether any of the one or more images captured includes the lost object and responsive to the determination, indicates that an image of the lost object has been captured. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the stored images cannot be viewed on the one or more remote physical devices. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein further responsive to the object being lost, the one or more remote physical devices determine in real time whether any of the one or more images captured includes the lost object and responsive to the determination, indicate to the local physical device that an image of the lost object has been captured. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the identification metrics associated with the one or more reference images of the object shared with the one or more remote physical devices are the reference images of the object. ### Claim 19 A computer program product for assisting in locating objects using a local physical device and one or more remote physical devices, the local physical device and the one or more remote physical devices having image capture capability, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and wherein the program code is readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising: capturing, by the local physical device, one or more reference images of an object; sharing, by the local physical device, identification metrics associated with one or more reference images of the object with one or more of the remote physical devices; specifying the one or more remote physical devices according to a profile of the one or more remote physical devices, wherein the profile identifies a level of trustworthiness and a physical location of the one or more remote physical devices; capturing, by the one or more of the remote physical devices, one or more images of an area in which the object may be located; determining, by one or more of the one or more remote physical devices and using the identification metrics, whether any of the one or more images captured includes the object; in response to a determination that any of the one or more images captured by the one or more of the remote physical devices includes the object, storing one or more of the one or more images as stored images, and associating the stored images with the object; and in response to the object being lost by a user, reviewing, by the local physical device, one or more of the stored images associated with the object to determine a location of the lost object.