Internet linking from audio and image content

• US 20060136565A1
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0081 whereby both original and watermarked images are required at decoder, e.g. destination-based, non-blind, non-oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 : Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 : involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 : based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 : embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

Address information is steganographically encoded into audio or graphic data, and thereafter decoded to permit linking to the internet. The address information can be a literal URL, or may be an index to a database from which a corresponding URL can be obtained.

Claims

1. A method for enabling audio-based linking to the internet, comprising:

steganographically encoding an audio signal with address information; and

distributing the encoded audio signal to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the address information is not recognizable as such to human listeners of said audio signal.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the address information comprises a URL.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the address information comprises an index to a remote data structure, the remote data structure having a corresponding URL address stored therein.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the audio conveys said address information notwithstanding transformation into or out of digital form.

6. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon audio encoded according to claim 1.

7. A method comprising:

receiving audio data; and

steganographically encoding machine readable data in the audio data, the machine readable data identifying a computer implemented process that is to be invoked when the steganographic encoding is decoded and acted upon by a computer device.

8. A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising:

receiving artwork corresponding to an object to be printed, the artwork including text and background;

steganographically embedding into at least the background of said artwork certain information indicative of an address associated with said computer; and

printing said object using the artwork into which said information has been steganographically embedded.

9. A physical object printed on a substrate and including text and background, at least the background being of continuous tone and having a plural-bit code steganographically embedded therein, said code being an index to a data structure that specifies address information of a computer resource that is to be associated with said object.

10. The object of claim 9 wherein said data structure is maintained on a computer separate from the computer whose address information is to be associated with the object.

11. A method comprising:

at a first device, receiving data representing a graphic, the graphic having non-uniformly toned regions with information steganographically encoded therein;

decoding the steganographically encoded information from the received data;

communicating with a second, remote device;

receiving data from the remote device; and

controlling an aspect of operation of the first device in accordance with said data received from the remote device;

wherein the data received from the remote device is a function of information decoded from the received data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said steganographic encoding is adapted in strength in accordance with features of the graphic data, said adaptation comprising more than two different strengths.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said steganographic encoding is manifested as extra pseudo-random noise in the received graphic data.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said controlling includes presenting a web page on the first device, the contents of said web page depending on data received from the remote device.

15. The method of claim 11 that includes using said decoded information to identify a node on a computer network, said node comprising the remote device.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the remote device comprises a server computer.

17. The method of claim 11 that includes controlling output presented to a user of the first device in accordance with the data received from the remote device.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the remote device is identified in accordance with the information decoded from the received data.

19. The method of claim 11 that includes producing the received graphic data from a non-digital representation thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 that includes producing the received graphic data by scanning a tangible medium with visible light

21. A method comprising:

receiving graphic data; and

steganographically encoding machine readable data in the graphic data, the machine readable data identifying a computer implemented process that is to be invoked when the steganographic encoding is decoded and acted upon by a computer device.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said steganographic encoding is adapted in strength in accordance with local characteristics of the graphic data, said adaptation comprising more than two different strengths.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said steganographic encoding is manifested as extra pseudo-random noise in the received graphic data.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said computer implemented process includes communicating with a remote computer, and controlling information presented to a user in accordance with data received from said remote computer.

25. A tangible medium comprising an encoded graphic, the graphic comprising non-uniformly toned regions that are steganographically encoded to convey machine readable data, wherein said machine-readable data serves to elicit a processing action corresponding thereto when decoded by a first computer device.

26. The tangible medium of claim 25 wherein said encoding is adapted in strength in accordance with local characteristics of the graphic, said adaptation comprising more than two different strengths.

27. The tangible medium of claim 25 wherein said steganographic encoding is manifested as extra pseudo-random noise in the encoded graphic.

28. The tangible medium of claim 25 in which said data serves to trigger linking of said first computer device to a second computer device, the second computer device being determined in accordance with said data.

29. The tangible medium of claim 25 in which the processing action includes communicating with a second computer device, receiving data from said second device, and controlling an aspect of operation of the first device in accordance with said received data.

30. A method comprising:

receiving an index number;

by reference to said index number, obtaining from a database an identification of a node on a computer network corresponding thereto;

establishing a link to said identified node;

receiving information from said node; and

controlling operation of a user device in accordance with information received from said node;

wherein the index number is based on information decoded from a steganographically encoded creative data object.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said creative data object represents a graphic having regions of non-uniform tone, and said index number is steganographically encoded in said regions.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said creative data object represents audio.

33. The method of claim 30 in which said controlling includes directing a web browser on the user device to present information received from said identified node.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein a web browser performs said decoding of the steganographically encoded creative data object.

35. A network-connected device characterized by a decoder that decodes information steganographically encoded within a creative data object, the device utilizing said decoded information to elicit an action by a remote computer, said remote computer transferring information to said device through the network in accordance with information decoded from the creative data object.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein the creative data object represents a graphic having non-uniformly toned regions with said information steganographically encoded therein.

37. The device of claim 35 in which said decoded information comprises address information, and the device includes a web browser that loads a web page identified by said address information

38. The device of claim 35 wherein said steganographic encoding of said data object is adapted in strength in accordance with features of the object, said adaptation comprising more than two different strengths.

39. The device of claim 35 wherein said steganographic encoding is manifested as extra pseudo-random noise in the data object.

40. A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising:

receiving digital data corresponding to a commercial, or transaction-based, graphic image;

steganographically encoding the graphic image to hide plural bit address information therein; and

distributing the encoded graphic image data to users in digital, rather than hardcopy form;

decoding the plural-bit address information from data corresponding to the encoded commercial, or transaction-based, graphic image; and

directing a web browser to an internet address determined by reference to said decoded information; and

from said internet address, presenting a user an opportunity to engage in a purchase transaction over the internet.

41. A method comprising:

providing digital data at a user'"'"'s computer, the data comprising plural-bit sampled values representing media content;

passing said digital data to a processing system;

receiving from said processing system an identifier derived from said sampled values;

using said derived identifier to index a database;

obtaining from said database a URL address corresponding to said derived identifier;

establishing a link to said URL address; and

presenting information to the user accordance with information obtained from said URL address.

42. The method of claim 41 in which the digital content includes image content.

43. The method of claim 41 in which the image content comprises a photographic image.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein said sampled values have at least three different values.

45. The method of claim 41 that includes processing said digital data in said processor to decode said identifier therefrom, said identifier earlier having been steganographically encoded by a process that made slight changes to said digital data.

46. The method of claim 41 that includes presenting said information to the user on a screen display on the user'"'"'s computer.