Digital Watermark Encoding in Printers for Metadata Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital watermarking technologies have limited adoption by consumers for encoding imagery and interacting with associated registry databases, as previous systems were not simple enough for widespread home use, and failed to preserve the richness of online metadata when photographs were printed.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating digital watermarking into common image processing operations, allowing users to define network experiences for printed images, either automatically or through user interaction, enabling linking back to online content like Facebook pages, and using cloud services for metadata management and encoding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If digital watermarking technology is used to encode imagery and link to online content, then online metadata and content experiences are preserved when photographs are printed, but the system becomes too complex for widespread consumer use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complexity of digital watermark encoding and registry interaction from the consumer device and relocates it to the printer. The printer autonomously performs watermark embedding and manages registry communications, while consumers only need to perform simple actions like selecting images for printing or touching printed images with their smartphones. This extraction resolves the contradiction by preserving online metadata functionality while reducing consumer-facing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the printer as an intermediary device between the consumer and the registry database. The printer serves as a mediator that handles the complex tasks of watermark encoding, registry communication, and metadata management, while providing a simplified interface to consumers. This intermediary role resolves the contradiction by shielding consumers from system complexity while maintaining full metadata preservation capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If digital watermarking is integrated into common image processing operations, then consumer ease of use improves, but the ability to provide rich network interactions and metadata management is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the functionality into two distinct parts: a simplified consumer interface for initiating print jobs or interacting with printed images, and a sophisticated printer-based system for watermark encoding and registry management. This segmentation allows consumers to experience ease of use while the printer handles the complex network interactions and metadata management, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and functional versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service functionality where the printer autonomously performs watermark encoding, registry database interactions, and metadata management without requiring consumer expertise. The printer automatically handles these tasks as part of the standard printing process, enabling consumers to easily use the system while maintaining rich network interaction capabilities through the printer's autonomous operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If users manually define network experiences for printed images, then customization and user control improve, but the time and effort required for setup increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by automatically associating printed images with their source online content and pre-configuring the watermark encoding before printing. The system proactively retrieves metadata, establishes registry links, and prepares the watermark embedding in advance, eliminating the need for users to manually define network experiences during or after printing. This resolves the contradiction by providing customization capabilities while eliminating setup time through automated preliminary actions.
Data Source
AI summary
Digital watermark encoding—and associated registry transactions—are made transparent to consumers—performed as built-in features of common image processing operations, such as taking a picture, or printing a picture. In one arrangement, a user particularly defines network experiences that a hardcopy image is to invoke. The user may interact with buttons and other controls of a graphical user interface on the touchscreen of a printer to author specific experiences that should be triggered by a hardcopy image—such as launching a related video, playing a recorded audio clip, displaying other images in a story narrative to which the hardcopy image relates, etc. These choices can be made at the time of printing, or the printer can be used as an interface to establish or adjust such network experiences after printing. The printer then attends to interactions with network infrastructure components needed to give the hardcopy print the user-desired functionality. In another arrangement, the content experience triggered by a printed image is authored automatically, e.g., by reference to data mined from the image's online context (e.g., Facebook photo album). A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.