Digital Watermarking Methods, Programs and Apparatus

• US 20100013951A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Reed, Alastair M., Stach, John, Rodriguez, Tony F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,068,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant

Abstract

The present claims recite various steganographic and digital watermarking methods and apparatus. One claim recites a method of watermarking a representation of a physical object. The method includes: projecting a watermark orientation component onto a physical object; and using a camera or image sensor, capturing an image or video of the physical object including the watermark orientation component as projected thereon. Another claim recites an apparatus including: a light source for projecting a registration component onto a physical object; a camera or sensor for capturing an image or video of the physical object including the registration component as projected thereon; and an electronic processor programmed for encoding a message in the image or video captured by said camera or sensor. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method of watermarking a representation of a physical object comprising:

projecting a watermark orientation component onto a physical object; and

using a camera or image sensor, capturing an image or video of the physical object including the watermark orientation component as projected thereon.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the watermark orientation component is projected onto the physical object via at least one of a flash, light or illumination.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the flash or light comprises a filter, wherein the filter includes a pattern therein representing the orientation component, such that projecting light through the filter provides the watermark orientation component.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using a programmed electronic processor, steganographically embedding a message or payload in the captured image or video, the message or payload cooperates with or relies on the watermark orientation component that is captured along with the image or video.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a light source for projecting a registration component onto a physical object;

a camera or image sensor for capturing an image or video of the physical object including the registration component as projected thereon; and

an electronic processor programmed for encoding a message in the image or video captured by said camera or sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, in which the light source comprises at least one of a flash, light or illumination source.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, in which light source comprises a filter, the filter includes a pattern therein to represent the registration component, such that projecting light through the filter provides the registration component.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the message cooperates with or relies on the registration component that is captured along with the image or video.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the registration component provides a relative spatial distance or relationship clues.

17. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said electronic processor is operating to encode a message in the image or video captured by said camera or sensor.

10. A method of embedding auxiliary data in an object comprising:

providing a first diffraction grating pattern, wherein the first diffraction grating pattern provides a first design viewable only with illumination at a first angle and detection at a corresponding angle, and wherein the first diffraction grating pattern provides the first design so as to include first steganographic auxiliary data; and

providing a second diffraction grating pattern, wherein the second diffraction grating pattern provides a second design viewable only with illumination at a second angle and detection at a corresponding angle, and wherein the second diffraction grating pattern provides the second design so as to include second steganographic auxiliary data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first steganographic auxiliary data and the second steganographic auxiliary data are only readable when the first design and the second design are combined.

12. The method claim 10, wherein the first steganographic auxiliary data and the second steganographic auxiliary data is only readable when the first design and the second design are added or subtracted from one another.

13. A method to introduce a digital watermark orientation component comprising:

providing a green or blue-screen backdrop;

projecting a steganographic orientation component on the green or blue-screen backdrop; and

using a camera or image sensor, capturing imagery including people or objects in front of the green or blue-screen including the projected steganographic orientation component, in which captured imagery includes a representation of the projected steganographic orientation component, and in which the steganographic orientation component is machine-readable from analysis of the captured imagery.

14. The method of claim 13 where the steganographic orientation component comprises digital watermarking.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising, with reference to at least the orientation component, providing at least one of digital animation, computer graphics or video overlay.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said providing at least one of digital animation or video overlay references at least one of an orientation, scale or translation of the orientation component.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a light projector for projecting a steganographic orientation component on a green or blue-screen backdrop; and

a camera or image sensor for capturing imagery including people or objects in front of the green or blue-screen including the projected steganographic orientation component thereon, in which captured imagery includes a representation of the projected steganographic orientation component, and in which the steganographic orientation component is machine-readable from analysis of the captured imagery.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which said captured imagery comprises video.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the camera or image sensor is operating to capture imagery.