Microsoft Seeks Patent For "Search By Sketch" 104
theodp writes "So, how does one search for images that aren't tagged with keywords? Google does offer its sometimes-spotty search by image, but what if you don't have an image handy that looks like what you're searching for? Microsoft, reports GeekWire, offers a solution that's 'a little like playing Pictionary with a search engine — drawing a sketch and seeing if the algorithm can return pictures that match it.' That's the concept behind Microsoft Research's patent-pending 'MindFinder' project, which has already been incorporated into a Windows Phone app called Sketch Match. A patent application made public Thursday notes that touch computing makes sketching easier than ever, making one wonder if we'll be 'giving Bing the finger' with Windows 8!"
Patent the concept or specific algorithm? (Score:5, Insightful)
I oppose software patents in general, but if this patent covers their specific algorithm I don't really have a problem with that.
The trouble is that regardless of whatever algorithm they describe in the patent, the patent can be used to sue others who use a different algorithm to implement the same concept.
So they can get a patent on an ineffective algorithm for image search, wait for somebody else to create a better algorithm that is actually effective, then sue the implementor of the better algorithm. The patent effectively covers the concept, not the algorithm, hindering innovation by preventing others from implementing their own different algorithms for the same concept.
Re:What about false positives? (Score:3, Insightful)
Is this serious or a really stupid joke? Obviously "Safe Search" options already exist. Also obvious, it's never a good idea to search for anything of visit webpages you've never been to before in front of 400 other people. Neither of these things are new, and "Search by Sketch" changes neither of them. For the record, you hit porn on page 2 on Google Image Search for "Wrench or bracket" if Safe Search is off. So far, I've yet to find a search term that doesn't produce porn on page 2 or earlier if Safe Search is off.
Re:Like digiKam has had for the last few years? (Score:2, Insightful)
it used to be that they added "on the internet", now they add "on a mobile phone", looks like this one adds "with fingers on a mobile phone"
Re:Already Done (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Already exists (Score:5, Insightful)
or
3. Recognize that there is legitimate room within patents for doing something that has already been done but doing it in a non obvious, novel way.
I'm not saying this is the case for this particular patent, but just pointing out that in my understanding patents aren't always about doing a certain thing but rather doing a certain thing in a certain way. Obviously this limits the scope of the patent to that one certain way.
So, to put it in slashdot terms (i.e. a car analogy), pretty much every car sold today has shock absorbers, and the standard way of doing this is to use metal coil springs. If somebody were to put time and research into improving the design of shock absorbers and came up with a design that used marshmallows instead of metal coil springs, I would consider that novel and I think you would agree that it is non-obvious. To me, if we have the patent system that we have, that is at least a legitimate use of it. You aren't patenting shock absorbers, you are patenting shock absorbers that use marshmallows to absorb the shock of the impact.