Digital Watermarking Apparatus and Methods

• US 20080260201A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Brundage, Trent J., Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Hannigan, Brett T., Ellingson, Eric E., Rodreguez, Tony F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,545,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/162 Length or width
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

The present invention relates to various digital watermarking methods and systems. In one embodiment, monetary objects can be watermarked to signify currency denomination information. The information, once extracted, is used to provide feedback regarding the currency denomination. An audio signal or Braille output can be provided as feedback. In another embodiment, a document management system can be based on watermarks. Embedded watermarks can be used to track document history, determine document version information, and enhance overall security. Handheld computing devices can be advantageously employed with these embodiments. Of course, other embodiments are provided and claimed as well.

Claims

1. A method of determining a size or denomination of a momentary object comprising:

decoding a watermark embedded in a monetary object, the watermark including data corresponding to a denomination of the monetary object; and

based on the data, determining feedback to indicate the denomination of the monetary object; and

providing the feedback.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the provided feedback comprises an audible announcement or a series of audible sounds of the denomination of the monetary object.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the provided feedback comprises Braille typography indicating the denomination of the monetary object.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said decoding comprises analyzing optical scan data corresponding to the monetary object.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the provided feedback comprises Braille feedback.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a handheld computing device decodes the watermark.

17. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to perform the method of claim 1.

18. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to perform the method of claim 2.

7. A method of managing documents comprising:

encoding a document with a digital watermark including a document history identifier;

storing the document history identifier in a database, and associating related document history with the document history identifier; and

upon receipt of a decoded digital watermark identifier, indexing the database with the identifier to access the related document history.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the related document history comprises document version information.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the document version information includes both version information pertaining to the document, and information pertaining to a later version.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the related document history comprises one of document version data, creation time, author and last edited information.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the identifier comprises at least document version information.

16. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to perform the method of claim 7.

12. A handheld device comprising:

a camera to capture image or video data;

a display, said display being operable to at least;

i) display captured image or video data, and ii) graphics including a display screen keyboard to allow user data entry;

an input to receive data;

a digital watermark embedder, said digital watermark embedder operable to insert digital watermarks in;

i) audio or video files received via said input; and

ii) image or video data captured by said camera.

13. The handheld device according to claim 12 wherein digital watermarks inserted by said digital watermark embedder comprises a device identifier that is uniquely associated with the handheld device.

14. The handheld device according to claim 12 wherein the digital watermarking is inserted in to an audio or video file received via said input, and the digital watermarking includes or links to a history associated with the audio or video file.

15. The handheld device according to claim 14 wherein the handheld device includes a module to update the history to reflect receipt or processing of the audio or video history by the handheld device.

19. A device comprising:

an image or video display including a first set of elements and a second set of elements, the first set of elements being varied relative to at least the second set of elements, the first set of elements being arranged to provide a plural-bit device identifier obtainable from optical scan data representing at least a portion of the image or video display, the first set of elements and the second set of elements being arranged so as to conceal the presence of the plural-bit device identifier from a human observer of the display.

20. The device of claim 19 further comprising electronic circuitry to energize at least the first elements so as to change the plural-bit device identifier.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the first set of elements comprises micro-lenses.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the second set of elements comprises micro-lenses.

23. The device according to claim 19 wherein the first set of elements comprises a first filter.

24. The device according to claim 23 wherein the second set of elements comprises a second filter.