# How Phones Use Photos to Buy or Research Products

> A method for using a smartphone camera to photograph a product and send that image to a remote server to trigger a purchase or retrieve product information.

- **Patent:** US 8204793
- **Original title:** Portable communication device and method of use
- **Owner:** Wounder GmbH LLC
- **Granted:** 2012
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 4
- **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, ecommerce, telecommunications

## What it does

This patent describes a process where a mobile device uses its camera to capture an image of a product. The device stores this image and, upon a specific user input, transmits it over a cellular network to a remote computer. That remote system analyzes the image to identify the item, then either processes a purchase request or fetches relevant web data to send back to the user's phone. This allows a user to effectively 'scan' an object in the real world to interact with e-commerce platforms or search engines.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover image processing performed entirely on the local mobile device without a remote server.
- Does not cover systems that rely solely on QR codes or barcodes rather than general product imagery.
- Does not cover augmented reality overlays that do not involve a specific request to purchase or retrieve product information.

## The clever bit

The patent shifts the heavy lifting of image recognition and web data retrieval from the resource-constrained phone to a remote server, enabling complex commerce tasks on 2010-era mobile hardware.

## Real-world examples

1. Google Lens
2. Amazon mobile app visual search
3. Pinterest Lens
4. Snapchat Scan

## Why it matters

This patent captures the early logic behind visual search and 'shoppable' images. By formalizing the link between a mobile camera, cellular data, and backend e-commerce servers, it outlines the foundation for modern visual shopping experiences.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Phones Use Photos to Buy or Research Products cover?

A method for using a smartphone camera to photograph a product and send that image to a remote server to trigger a purchase or retrieve product information.

### Who owns patent US 8204793?

Wounder GmbH LLC owns this patent, granted in 2012.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent is expected to expire on June 19, 2032, when the invention enters the public domain.

### What is patent US 8204793 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 4 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This patent captures the early logic behind visual search and 'shoppable' images. By formalizing the link between a mobile camera, cellular data, and backend e-commerce servers, it outlines the foundation for modern visual shopping experiences.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover image processing performed entirely on the local mobile device without a remote server.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8204793/fulfillment-by-amazon-fba

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US8204793

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._