Geographic information systems using digital watermarks

• US 20070025591A1
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey, Lofgren, Neil, Patterson, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for managing images or video and related information. In one embodiment, geographic information system (GIS) layer information is registered or aligned to an image or video using digital watermark information embedded within the image or video. Other embodiments are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method of registering an image captured from an aerial platform in an image registry, the image comprising a digital watermark embedded therein, the digital watermark comprising an identifier, the digital watermarking embedded in the image through relatively slight alterations to data representing the image said method comprising:

storing the image in the registry so as to be retrievable based on the identifier;

automatically searching computer databases for information associated with the identifier; and

upon finding additional information that is associated with the identifier, associating the additional information with the image via the digital watermark identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a geo-location associated with an area depicted in the image.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the additional information comprises information associated with the geo-location associated with the area depicted in the image.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a key word, and said searching comprises providing the key word to a search engine associated with the computer databases.

5. A method of operating a network filter, the network comprising a plurality of network nodes, the network filter to help manage images or video each including an identifier embedded therein in the form of a digital watermark, said method comprising:

monitoring image or video traffic to a particular network node,

identifying a first image or video at the particular network node through decoding a digital watermark embedded in the first image or video, the digital watermark including a first identifier;

determining additional information associated with the first image based at least in part on the first identifier; and

notifying the network node of the presence of the additional information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the additional information comprises a recently captured image or video corresponding to the first image or video, the recently captured image or video comprising a second identifier that is associated with the first identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first identifier and the second identifier represent geo-coordinates.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

upon receipt of a request, providing information associated with the request, wherein the request comprises an image or video identifier.

9. A method of scheduling an alert to announce the presence of available information associated with an image or video, wherein the image or video includes at least one digital watermark embedded therein, the digital watermark comprising an identifier, said method comprising:

receiving an identifier from a network terminal, wherein the network terminal obtains the identifier through decoding a digital watermark from an image or video;

monitoring data records associated with the identifier; and

upon identifying updated information associated with the identifier, sending a message to the network terminal announcing the availability of the updated information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said monitoring comprises decoding digital watermarks from data stored in the data records.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the identifier comprises geo-location information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the updated information comprises aerial imagery or video.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the digital watermarking utilizes a transform domain.

14. A method of correlating a geographic information system (GIS) layer with an image or video comprising:

decoding a digital watermark embedded in the image or video, the digital watermark comprising at least a plural-bit identifier;

identifying a GIS layer which is associated with the image via the plural-bit identifier; and

providing the GIS layer.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the GIS layer is spatially registered to the image or video via the digital watermark.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the digital watermark comprises an orientation component and the GIS layer is spatially registered to the image or video via at least the orientation component.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the digital watermark comprises an orientation component, and the orientation component is utilized to determine a relative spatial position associated with the image or the GIS layer.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the digital watermark utilizes a transform domain.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions stored therein, the instruction comprising instructions to carry out the method recited in claim 16.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions stored therein, the instruction comprising instructions to carry out the method recited in claim 17.