Image Sensors Worn or Attached on Humans for Imagery Identification

• US 20090116687A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: MacIntosh, Brian T., Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• 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: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink

Abstract

The presently claimed invention relates to image sensors to be worn or attached on a human. One claim recites an apparatus including: an image sensor to capture image data, said apparatus to be worn or attached on a human so that said image sensor captures image data while said apparatus is worn or attached on the human; and an analyzer to analyze captured image data and to determine plural-bit identifiers for one or more objects represented in the captured image data. Of course, additional combinations are provided as claimed as well.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an image sensor to capture image data, said apparatus to be worn or attached on a human so that said image sensor captures image data while said apparatus is worn or attached on the human; and

an analyzer to analyze captured image data and to determine plural-bit identifiers for one or more objects represented in the captured image data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzer comprises a machine-readable indicia detector.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said plural-bit identifiers are carried by machine-readable indicia on objects.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said plural-bit identifiers are carried by digital watermarking, the digital watermarking being conveyed through alterations to data on or in objects.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a communications output to communicate determined plural-bit identifiers.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein captured image data comprises video.

13. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein captured image data comprises video.

6. A method comprising:

wearing or attaching, by a human, an apparatus including an image sensor to capture image data so that said image sensor captures image data while said apparatus is worn or attached on the human; and

analyzing captured image data and to determine plural-bit identifiers for one or more objects represented in the captured image data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said act of analyzing comprises detecting machine-readable indicia.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said plural-bit identifiers are carried with machine-readable indicia on objects.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said plural-bit identifiers are carried with digital watermarking on objects.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising communicating determined plural-bit identifiers to a remote computer.

11. A computer readable medium comprising instructions or circuitry to carry out the method of claim 6.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein captured image data comprises video.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein captured image data comprises video.