Collateral data combined with user characteristics to select web site

• US 20020032734A1
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Application Number:
  US09/915,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032734A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/483 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking

Abstract

A system where collateral information in a file or image is used together with information concerning a particular user'"'"'s characteristics to direct a user to a particular web site. A user is direct to a web site and presented with information based both upon the original collateral information and information from the data base of users characteristics. In one embodiment, a file or data stream includes collateral data that identifies the URL of a central web site. When a file containing the collateral data is transferred to a browser, the central web site is accessed and it interrogates a data base containing various information. The output of the data base search is another URL that directs the browser that received the original collateral data to another web site which then sends information to the user. In an alternate embodiment, a user uses a hand held digital camera to gather information from images such as magazine covers or product boxes. The images contain digital watermarks that carry collateral data. The collateral data is used to interrogate either a local or a remote data base which contains information pertinent to the particular user'"'"'s characteristics.

Claims

1. A method of providing information to a user in a systems that includes

a first web server storing a file that includes collateral data,

a second web server that has stored therein a data base of users and associated interest profiles,

a third web server that stores web pages of interest to users with a particular interest profile, the steps of:

accessing said file and reading the collateral data to obtain the URL of said second web server,

interrogating said data base to find the interest profile of the particular user who accessed said file, and

accessing a web page having information pertinent to the particular user to provide information to said user.

12. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said data base has information stored relative to Global Unique Identifiers (GUIDs).

13. The method recited in claim 1 wherein each user is identified by a GUID.

2. A method of selecting objects for a particular user from a collection of objects, using a camera to read an image containing a watermark from each of said objects,

the watermark in the image on each object either directly or indirectly providing information concerning the characteristics of the associated object,

interrogating a data base to match the object characteristics to the user'"'"'s characteristics,

informing the user of the object which has characteristics that match the users characteristics.

3. The method recited in claim 2 wherein said data base contains information concerning said user'"'"'s characteristics.

4. The method recited in claim 2 wherein said system selects one object from said collection of objects and informs said user of said selection.

14. The method recited in claim 2 wherein said camera is a PC camera.

5. A system for directing a user to a web site, said system comprising,

a camera for acquiring an electronic image of a watermarked printed image,

a watermark reading program for reading said watermark and for generating collateral data,

a database containing information concerning said user, information relevant to said collateral data, and information concerning alternate web sites

a program for directing said user to a web site determined by information from said database.

6. The system recited in claim 5 wherein said data base contains information concerning said user'"'"'s preferences.

7. The system recited in claim 5 wherein said base references a web sited based upon the particular collateral data read from a watermark and said user'"'"'s characteristics.

8. The system recited in claim 5 wherein said camera is a PC camera.

9. The system recited in claim 5 wherein said camera, and said data base are contained in a portable computer.

10. The system recited in claim 9 wherein said a portion of said data base is at a remote location and said portable computer interrogates said remote portion of said data base via the Internet.

11. The system recited in claim 9 wherein said portable computer includes a web browser program.

16. The method recited in claim 15 wherein said electronic image is acquired from a printed image containing a watermark.

17. The method recited in claim 15 wherein said data base is interrogated over the Internet.

18. The method provided in claim 15 wherein said user is directed to a web page by providing an URL to a web browser.

15. A method for accessing a particular web page for a user comprising,

acquiring an electronic image of a watermarked printed image,

reading said watermark to acquire collateral data,

interrogating a data base that has information concerning the characteristics of said user and information concerning said collateral data to select a pertinent web page,

directing said user to said selected web page.