User control and activation of watermark enabled objects

• US 20070055884A1
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/359,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055884A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00355 Mark-sheet input sensing record carriers G06K7/00; character recognition G06V30/10; document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00358 Type of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00374 on the same page as at least a part of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• 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: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and systems for associating watermark enabled objects with machine behaviors. Machine behaviors refer to actions by devices or systems in response to a triggering event. Examples of these behaviors include fetching a web page, opening an email client to send an email to a specific person, initiating a phone or video conference call, etc. A registration system enables users to associate machine behaviors with objects through a watermark embedded in the objects. The decoding of the watermark initiates a process for triggering the machine behaviors associated with the watermarked object. While the disclosure describes an implementation for stickers as a class of watermark enabled objects, the system and related methods apply to other forms of watermark enabled objects, including both electronic and physical objects.

Claims

1. A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object wherein the object is a sticker, and the watermark is embedded into an image printed on the stocker by altering the image to hide machine readable data in the image.

2. A watermark enable object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object;

wherein the object is a prop in a computer game, and the prop supplies information to the computer game by conveying the information in a message embedded in a watermark on the prop.

4. The object of claim 2 wherein the message includes an index to a database entry where information for controlling the game is stored.

3. A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object;

wherein the object has two or more facets, each facet being embedded with a different watermark message used to control a game.

5. A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object;

wherein the machine behavior includes launching an email program and an email directed to a destination associated with the object via the watermark.

6. A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object;

wherein the machine behavior includes launching an Internet chat session.

7. A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object, wherein the machine behavior includes placing a telephone call to a destination associated with the object.