Processes for Encoding Substrates with Information and Related Substrates

• US 20090080758A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Alattar, Adnan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/135
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/00 Processes for making continuous lengths of paper, or of cardboard, or of wet web for fibre board production, on paper-making machines
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 9/00 Complete machines for making continuous webs of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/046 by discriminating a special original, e.g. a bank note
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain

Abstract

The present invention provides processes to encode substrates (e.g., paper, synthetics, etc.) with information, and substrates including signals encoded therein. One claim recites a substrate-making process including: obtaining an element to be utilized in a substrate-making process, the element including a property to introduce a texture pattern including an encoded signal into a substrate, the encoded signal being machine-detectable from image data corresponding to at least a portion of the texture pattern, the encoded signal including a variable component; and utilizing the element to impart the texture pattern into a substrate during the substrate-making process. Another claim recites a physical substrate including: a surface having a texture pattern provided in the surface during a substrate-making process. The texture pattern includes a machine-readable signal that is detectable from image data corresponding to at least a portion of the texture pattern. The signal includes a variable component that has discernable properties in a frequency domain. The texture pattern is provided in the surface during the substrate-marking process by a non-printing element. Of course, other claims and combinations are also provided.

Claims

1. A substrate-making process including:

obtaining an element to be utilized in a substrate-making process, the element including a property to introduce a texture pattern including an encoded signal into a substrate, the encoded signal being machine-detectable from image data corresponding to at least a portion of the texture pattern, the encoded signal including a variable component; and

utilizing the element to impart the texture pattern into a substrate during the substrate-making process.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the variable component includes properties that are discernable in a frequency-domain.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the properties provide calibration information that is to be utilized when machine-detecting the encoded signal from the texture pattern.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the calibration information includes rotation, scale or translation information to be utilized when machine-detecting the encoded signal.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the variable component conveys plural-bit data.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the presence or absence of different frequency-domain properties conveys “

1”

or “

0”

bits.

7. The process of claim 1 in which the element comprises a de-watering element.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the encoded signal is steganographically hidden in the texture pattern.

9. The process of claim 1 in which the encoded signal comprises frequency domain plural impulses.

10. The process of claim 1 in which the encoded signal comprises both spatial domain and frequency domain properties.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises at least one substrate from a group of substrates comprising paper and synthetics.

12. A physical substrate comprising:

a surface including a texture pattern provided in the surface during a substrate-making process, the texture pattern comprising a machine-readable signal that is detectable from image data corresponding to at least a portion of the texture pattern, the signal including a variable component comprising discernable properties in a frequency domain, the texture pattern being provided in the surface during the substrate-marking process by a non-printing element.

13. The substrate of claim 12 wherein the properties provide calibration information that is to be utilized when machine-reading the signal.

14. The substrate of claim 13 wherein the calibration information includes rotation, scale or translation information.

15. The substrate of claim 12 wherein the variable component conveys plural-bit data.

16. The substrate of claim 12 wherein the presence or absence of different frequency-domain properties conveys “

1”

or “

0”

bits.

17. The substrate of claim 12 in which the non-printing element removes water from the substrate.

18. The substrate of claim 17 wherein the element comprises a de-watering element.

19. The substrate of claim 12 wherein the signal is steganographically hidden in the texture pattern.

20. The substrate of claim 12 in which the signal comprises frequency domain plural impulses.

21. The substrate of claim 12 in which the signal comprises both spatial domain and frequency domain properties.

22. The substrate of claim 12 wherein the surface comprises at least paper or synthetics.