Embedding and Reading Codes on Objects

• US 20070108287A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Bruce, Rhoads, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,379,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/086 with markings consisting of randomly placed or oriented elements, the randomness of the elements being useable for generating a unique identifying signature of the record carrier, e.g. randomly placed magnetic fibers or magnetic particles in the body of a credit card
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/01 Testing electronic circuits therein

Abstract

Watermarks and/or other related machine-readable coding techniques are used to provide data on or in objects. In one implementation a method includes providing an object with first machine-readable information. The first machine-readable information is provided on or in the object with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The method also includes providing second machine-readable information on or in the object. The second machine-readable information is readable from optical scan data representing at least a portion of an object surface including the second-machine-readable information. The second machine-readable information is provided to cooperate with the first machine-readable information. Other implementations are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an object with first machine-readable information, wherein the first machine-readable information is provided on or in the object with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag; and

providing second machine-readable information on or in the object, wherein the second machine-readable information is readable from optical scan data representing at least a portion of an object surface including the second-machine-readable information,

wherein the second machine-readable information is provided to cooperate with the first machine-readable information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of first machine-readable comprises a product identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second machine-readable information is conveyed through digital watermarking.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second machine-readable information is conveyed through characters recognizable with optical character recognition.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second machine-readable information is provided to validate the first machine-readable information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first machine-readable information and the second machine-readable information are provided to collectively identify the object.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first machine-readable information or the second machine-readable information comprises machine-executable instructions.

8. A method comprising:

receiving audio or video content, wherein the audio or video content comprises a hidden steganographic code including information;

detecting the steganographic code to obtain the information;

providing at least a portion of the information to a data repository to identify machine-executable instructions stored therein;

receiving machine-executable instructions from the data repository; and

executing the machine-executable instructions to control processing of the audio or video content.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein executing the machine-executable instructions processes the audio or video content as part of inventory or distribution management.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein executing the machine-executable instructions processes the audio or video content as part of audio or video identification.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein executing the machine-executable instructions processes the audio or video content as part of a purchase of the audio or video content.

12. A method for converting a machine-readable coding symbology into a radio frequency coding scheme, the method comprising:

obtaining a mapping between product identifiers and codes in the machine-readable coding scheme;

mapping the product identifiers of a set of products into object references suitable for use with radio frequency identification tags; and

providing at least one radio frequency identification tag on or in a product, the radio frequency identification tag providing information associated with an object reference that is related to the product.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the information comprises a link to a data repository.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the information comprises a product name and price for a retail point of sale transaction.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the information includes a machine instruction or set of instructions that are executed in response to a read operation of the at least one radio frequency identification tag.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the information comprises a product identifier.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing a digital watermark on the object, the digital watermark including second information to cooperate with the information.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the machine-readable coding comprises a bar code symboloy.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the machine-readable coding comprises a digital watermarking symboloy.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the machine-readable coding comprises radio frequency identification coding.