1334 results about "Digital watermarking" patented technology

A cell phone is equipped with a 2D optical sensor, enabling a variety of applications. For example, such a phone may also be provided with a digital watermark decoder, permitting decoding of steganographic data on imaged objects. Movement of a phone may be inferred by sensing movement of an imaged pattern across the optical sensor's field of view, allowing use of the phone as a gestural input device through which a user can signal instructions to a computer-based process. A variety of other arrangements by which electronic devices can interact with the physical world are also detailed, e.g., involving sensing and responding to digital watermarks, bar codes, RFIDs, etc.

In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A digital watermark (DWM) content identifier is steganographically embedded in content. The DWM content identifier provides a link to a rights registry storing usage rights associated with the content. In some implementations the rights registry provides an association between the DWM content identifier and a digital rights management (DRM) content identifier. The DRM content identifier is used to find associated usage rights. The DWM content identifier can also be used to transfer content from a first DRM system to a second DRM system.

A method and apparatus for identifying an object include encoding physical attributes of an object where the encoded information is utilized as at least one element for composing a digital watermark for the object. In another embodiment the physical attributes of the object are utilized as a key for accessing information included in a digital watermark for the object.

Media objects are transformed into active, connected objects via identifiers embedded into them or their containers. In the context of a user's playback experience, a decoding process extracts the identifier from a media object and possibly additional context information and forwards it to a server. The server, in turn, maps the identifier to an action, such as returning metadata, re-directing the request to one or more other servers, requesting information from another server to identify the media object, etc. The server may return a higher fidelity version of content from which the identifier was extracted. In some applications, the higher fidelity version may be substituted for the original media object and rendered to provide higher quality output. The linking process applies to broadcast objects as well as objects transmitted over networks in streaming and compressed file formats.

In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A method for applying a digital watermark to a content signal is disclosed. In accordance with such a method, a watermarking key is identified. The watermarking key includes a binary sequence and information describing application of that binary sequence to the content signal. The digital watermark is then encoded within the content signal at one or more locations determined by the watermarking key.

Two or more digital watermarks, with different characteristics, are embedded in a document. The characteristics are chosen so that the watermarks will be affected in different manners if the document is subsequently copied or reproduced. The detection process or mechanism reads two or more of the watermarks and compares their characteristics. While wear and handling may change the characteristics of the digital watermarks in a document, the relationship between the characteristics of the multiple digital watermarks in a document will nevertheless give an indication as to whether a document is an original or a copy of an original. Document wear can be independently assessed and used as an aid in interpreting the detected watermark characteristics.

A cryptographic device and corresponding method for producing a cloaked watermark which is a private watermark having the functionality of a public watermark. In one embodiment, the cryptographic device comprises an internal memory and a processor contained in a package. The internal memory provides a region for storage of key information used at least to produce the cloaked watermark. The processor is coupled to the internal memory and is responsible for producing a cloaked watermark based on the key and for inserting the cloaked watermark into an outgoing data set.

The present invention provides methods and systems for authenticating identification documents. We also teach an identification document including two or more digital watermarks. The watermarks correspond with each other or with indicia carried by the identification document. The correspondence can be verified to determine authenticity. We also provide digital watermark detection methods and systems to identify the different watermarks through embedded orientation components. We then focus watermark message-decoding efforts on areas identified as likely including watermark orientation components. In one implementation we provide a watermark detection trigger to identify so-called legacy documents. The trigger may indicate the presence or expected absence of a digital watermark. In other implementations we provide a versatile document authenticator to toggle between watermarking and non-watermarking authentication processes depending on a detection trigger.

A tile-based arrangement is employed to effect watermarking of plural-bit auxiliary data into still or moving digital images. In a particular embodiment, the plural-bit auxiliary data is represented as a rectangular block of overlay data. This block is repetitively tiled, both vertically and horizontally, across the image, and combined with the image data to effect the encoding.

The present invention provides methods and systems for authenticating identification documents. We also teach an identification document including two or more digital watermarks. The watermarks correspond with each other or with indicia carried by the identification document. The correspondence can be verified to determine authenticity. We also provide digital watermark detection methods and systems to identify the different watermarks through embedded orientation components. We then focus watermark message-decoding efforts on areas identified as likely including watermark orientation components. In another implementation we provide a watermark detection trigger to identify so-called legacy documents. The trigger may indicate the presence or expected absence of a digital watermark. In other implementations we provide a versatile document authenticator to toggle between watermarking and non-watermarking authentication processes depending on a detection trigger. Other implementations are provided as well.

The present invention relates to various digital watermarking methods and systems. In one embodiment, a handheld device displays a digitally watermarked ticket image at an event center. At the event center, a watermark decoder extracts the watermark to determine authorized entry. In another embodiment, a plurality of microlenses can provide a polarized luminance pattern on a display. The pattern corresponds to (or conveys) a unique device identifier. In yet another embodiment, monetary objects are watermarked with payload information to signify currency denomination. The payload information, once extracted, is used to provide feedback regarding the currency denomination. An audio signal or Braille output can be provided as feedback. In still another embodiment, a document management system is based on watermarks. Embedded watermarks are used to track document history, determine document version information, and enhance overall security. In still another embodiment, an inventory system reads watermarks that have been directly applied to inventory items. Inventory management is greatly enhanced. Handheld computing devices are advantageously employed with these embodiments.

The present invention relates to digital watermarking. In a preferred embodiment, a multi-channel media signal is embedded with first and second digital watermark components. The first component is embedded in a first of the channels and a second component is embedded in a second of the channels. The second component is registered with the first component so as to reduce visible attributes that are attributable to the first component.

To enhance decoding of signals suspected of containing a watermark, a suspect signal is screened to compute detection values evincing presence and strength of a watermark. Screening strategies control detector actions, such as rejecting un-marked signals and improving synchronization of watermarks in suspect signals.

The disclosure describes an authentication system and related methods for authenticating printed objects. The system uses an information-based metric along with one or more print quality metrics to provide accurate detection or classification of a counterfeit printed object. The print quality metric evaluates attributes of a subject image associated with the original printer, ink or paper to detect degradation of those operations due to copying operations like an image scanning and halftone printing subsequent to the original printing of the object. The information-based metric measures message symbol errors in an optically readable code, such as a digital watermark.

The present invention provides methods and systems to improve network searching for watermarked content. In some implementations we employ keyword searching to narrow the universe of possible URL candidates. A resulting URL list is searched for digital watermarking. A system is provided to allow customer input. For example, a customer enters keywords or network locations. The keywords or network locations are provided to a watermark-enabled web browser which accesses locations associated with the keywords or network locations. Some implementations of the present invention employ a plurality of distributed watermark-enabled web browsers. Other aspects of the invention provide methods and system to facilitate desktop searching and automated metadata gathering and generating. In one implementation a digital watermark is used to determine whether metadata associated with an image or audio file is current or fresh. The metadata is updated when it is out of date. Watermarks can also be used to link to or facilitate so-called on-line “blogs” (or online conversations).

To enhance decoding of signals suspected of containing an embedded auxiliary signal, a suspect signal is screened to compute detection values evincing presence and strength of the embedded signal. Screening strategies control detector actions, such as rejecting un-marked signals, improving synchronization of a reader used to extract hidden messages in suspect signals, determining authenticity of signals, and controlling use of the signals.

Provided is a method and a system for automatically controlling display of video or image data in dependence on content classification information which is integrated within the data by means of invisible digital watermarking techniques. A controller decodes the watermarked content codes and then prevents displaying of certain material, by overlaying the display with blanking data, if the codes match certain stored codes which the controller has been set to respond to.The use of invisible digital watermark codes by a controller which operates in response to the watermark codes provides reliable control since the codes are more difficult for unauthorized persons to detect and remove than other embedded codes would be.

The present invention provides steganographic-embedding techniques. In one implementation a digital watermark signal is mapped to a set of spatial positions. Physical message objects are positioned according to the set of spatial positions. The signal is provided on a physical structure such as a building or road. The signal may include geo-location information. The geo-location information identifies the location of the physical structure. In other cases the signal includes a marker or identifier. The marker or identifier provides a reference point for images depicting the physical structure.

The present invention relates generally to watermarking. In one implementation a method of pre-analyzing a digital signal for encoding digital watermarks using a digital filter comprising determining what changes in the digital signal will be affected by the digital filter is provided. In another implementation a system for pre-analyzing a digital signal for encoding at least one digital watermark using a digital filter is provided. The method includes a processor for identifying an area of the digital signal that will be affected by the digital filter; and an encoder for encoding the at least one digital watermark in the digital signal, the encoder encoding the at least one digital watermark so as to avoid the at least one area of the digital signal that will be affected by the digital filter. Other implementations are provided as well.

In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A steganographic method embeds hidden information like digital watermarks and digital fingerprints into an image by applying one or more zero-mean patches to a digital signal that conveys the image. Each zero-mean patch comprises elements having an average value substantially equal to zero. A printer tracking system is implemented by selecting a plurality of zero-mean patches according to a string of bits representing a printer serial number, and modifying printer control signals to embed the plurality of patches in each of a number of virtual cells within the image to be printed. The offset of the virtual cells with respect to the boundaries of the image and the location of the patches within each virtual cell are established in pseudo-random fashion. The printer tracking system further includes a technique for subsequently detecting the printer serial number by scanning the printed image and running a detection algorithm on the scanned data to recover the string of bits embedded in the zero-mean patches.

The present invention provides methods and systems to improve network searching for watermarked content. In some implementations we employ keyword searching to narrow the universe of possible URL candidates. A resulting URL list is searched for digital watermarking. A system is provided to allow customer input. For example, a customer enters keywords or network locations. The keywords or network locations are provided to a watermark-enabled web browser which accesses locations associated with the keywords or network locations. Some implementations of the present invention employ a plurality of distributed watermark-enabled web browsers. Other aspects of the invention provide methods and system to facilitate desktop searching and automated metadata gathering and generating. In one implementation a digital watermark is used to determine whether metadata associated with an image or audio file is current or fresh. The metadata is updated when it is out of date. Watermarks can also be used to link to or facilitate so-called on-line “blogs” (or online conversations).

Digital watermarking technology is used to convey location data for images or objects depicted in video. A digital watermark may associate geovector information with the video or object and areas depicted in the video. A geovector may include location coordinates such as longitude, latitude, altitude, etc. In one implementation, geovector information is embedded within a video frame so as to correspond with an area depicted in the video frame's center or off-center location. In a second implementation, a geovector includes an identifier or indexing protocol for use in a video management system.

A method of managing content, and in particular, managing content on the Internet retrieves a web page that includes an image and detects whether the image included within the web page is embedded with a digital watermark. It generates an indicia associated with an image included in the web page that is embedded with a digital watermark. The indicia indicate to the user which images include watermarks. The watermarks may be used to convey links to related web pages or specific information about the images, such as usage rights and licensing information. Variations of this method create image bookmarks to web pages including images using thumbnails of those images. A content management system comprises a first program for retrieving web pages including images. It also includes a second program for extracting an image from a web page, creating a thumbnail of the image, and forming an image bookmark linking the thumbnail to the web page that the image has been extracted from. The thumbnails are used to create a visual index to corresponding web pages from which the images originated on the Internet. A method of visual indexing of content on a network, such as the Internet, retrieves a web page, extracts an image included on the web page, generates a thumbnail of the image, and creates a link between the thumbnail and a location of the web page from which the image has been extracted.