Methods and Systems Useful in Linking From Objects to Remote Resources

• US 20070208805A1
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Bruce, Rhoads, Geoffrey, Hein, William, Levy, Kenneth, Maclntosh, Brian, Rosenthol, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/381 using identifiers, e.g. barcodes, RFIDs for URLs G06F16/9554
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An identifier corresponding to an object is used in establishing links to related electronic resources. The identifier can be obtained by decoding a watermark, performing a hashing algorithm on content data, reading a bar code, etc. The object can be physical (e.g., a magazine page) or electronic (e.g., music or image data). Suitable devices useful with this technology include cell phones, PDAs, and the like, which may include sensors for capturing object data. The associated electronic resource can be a web site from which information, image/audio content, etc., is provided. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A database method comprising:

generating a database record including plural data fields;

generating a file corresponding to said database record and including data from at least certain of said fields;

electronically distributing a copy of the file to each of plural recipients;

one of said recipients adding data to a copy of the file, or changing data in a copy of the file, and sending the file to the database;

updating the database record in accordance with said changed file;

generating a new file corresponding to the updated database record and including data from at least certain of said fields; and

electronically distributing a copy of the new file to each of said plural recipients.

2. A networked computer system, responsive to watermark data sent from a remote client application before delivery of subject content has started, to initiate start of said subject content.

3. The networked computer system of claim 2, responsive to watermark data sent from a software program on a remote computer, to initiate delivery of audio or video data to said remote computer.

4. A method that includes:

capturing image data using an optical sensor device in a wireless device;

providing image information corresponding to said image data to a processor, and receiving from said processor an identifier corresponding to the image information;

querying a database using said identifier; and

presenting information on a display of said wireless device, said presented information being related to information obtained from said database in response to said query.

5. The method of claim 4 that further includes, at said processor, deriving the identifier from the image information.

6. The method of claim 4 that includes:

transmitting first information from said wireless device to a first computer; and

authenticating said wireless device, or a user thereof, said authenticating including exchanging data between said first computer and a second computer.

7. A database system for associating metadata with physical objects, the system being adapted to receive queries originating from wireless phones, the system including a processor and a tangible memory having stored therein a first set of metadata associated with a first object identifier, and a second set of metadata associated with a second object identifier, characterized in that at least one of said sets of metadata includes date or time information relating to use of said metadata.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said date or time information comprises expiration data indicating when at least certain of said metadata should be regarded as expired.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said date or time information comprises effective data, indicating when at least certain of said metadata should be given effect.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the first set of metadata includes said date or time information, but the second set of metadata does not.

11. A method comprising:

receiving metadata associated with an object identifier;

storing the received metadata;

associating an expiration date with said metadata;

receiving a request to extend said expiration date;

extending said expiration date; and

imposing a customer charge in connection with said extending.

12. A method that includes:

storing metadata in association with an object identifier, said metadata including a reference to remotely-stored content;

receiving a query corresponding to data sent by a wireless phone;

identifying metadata corresponding to said query, and acting based on same so that said remotely-stored content can be provided to said wireless phone; and

apart from the query, occasionally checking that the remotely-stored content is available for provision to said wireless phone.

13. The method of claim 12 that includes occasionally checking that the remotely-stored content is available for provision to said wireless phone within an expected period, and if not, then responding to a received query with other content.

14. The method of claim 12 that includes occasionally checking that the remotely-stored content is available for provision to said wireless phone within an expected period, and if not, then alerting a sponsoring party associated with said metadata.

15. A method that includes:

receiving, from a user device, image data corresponding to an image captured by said device;

providing said received image data to a processor, and receiving from said processor an identifier corresponding to the image information;

querying a database using said identifier;

identifying an image corresponding to said identifier; and

transmitting said identified image to said user device.

16. The method of claim 15 that further includes, at said processor, deriving the identifier from the image information.

17. The method of claim 16 in which said deriving includes applying a hashing algorithm to the image information.

18. A method of operating a system with which users interact using wireless phones, the method including:

receiving a message transmitted from a wireless phone, the message comprising an instruction, and associated data required by a responding system to appropriately act on said instruction;

examining said message for additional information indicating that a user of said wireless phone has assented to collection of demographic usage information; and

if said additional information is found in said message, then collecting information relating to said message, and associating same with user profile information, by which demographic usage of said system can be estimated.

19. The method of claim 18 in which said additional information comprises a demographic identifier.

20. A system comprising the elements and features, and implementing the methods, substantially as described in the foregoing detailed description.