Handheld Devices and Methods for Extracting Data

• US 20100016016A1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Brundage, Trent, Lofgren, Neil
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0042 Fragile watermarking, e.g. so as to detect tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0061 Embedding of the watermark in each block of the image, e.g. segmented watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• 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 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to handheld devices and using such to extract identifying data. One claim recites a handheld wireless device including: an input for receiving a subset of database information; electronic memory for storing the retrieved subset of database information, the handheld device including an input device; an optical imaging device for capturing a portion of a map, the portion of the map including at least one steganographic watermark hidden therein through alterations to data representing the portion, the alterations being generally imperceptible to a human observer of the portion of the map, the steganographic watermark including map location information; an electronic processor configured to: determine which information of the retrieved subset of the database information corresponds to the map location information; and control providing corresponding retrieved subset database information. Other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Claims

1. A handheld wireless device comprising:

an input for receiving a subset of database information;

electronic memory for storing the retrieved subset of database information, the handheld device including an input device;

an optical imaging device for capturing a portion of a map, the portion of the map including at least one steganographic watermark hidden therein through alterations to data representing the portion, the alterations being generally imperceptible to a human observer of the portion of the map, the steganographic watermark including map location information;

an electronic processor configured to;

determine which information of the retrieved subset of the database information corresponds to the map location information; and

control providing corresponding retrieved subset database information.

2. The handheld device of claim 1 in which the electronic processor is operating to perform said determine function or said control function.

13. The handheld device of claim 1 in which said handheld device comprises a cell phone.

14. The cell phone of claim 13 in which said optical imaging device comprises a digital camera.

3. A method for use with a handheld wireless device comprising:

capturing imagery of a road or informational sign with an imaging device, the imaging device providing data representing at least picture elements of imagery corresponding to the road or information sign;

utilizing a multi-purpose electronic processor for extracting identifying information from the data representing at least picture elements of imagery corresponding to the road or information sign; and

outputting a response corresponding with the extracted identifying information, the response being associated with the road or informational sign.

4. A programmed handheld wireless device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed handheld wireless device to perform the acts of claim 3.

5. A computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose computer processor to perform the acts of claim 3.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising interrogating a database with the extracted identifying information to locate a corresponding web page address.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the response comprises displaying a web page associated with the web page address.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising accessing a file associated with the extracted identifying information, the file including one of audio, video or text data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the response comprises rendering the audio, video or text data.

10. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 9.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the multi-purpose electronic processor is utilized for extracting identifying information from digital watermarking.

12. A computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose computer processor to perform the acts of claim 9.

15. A handheld wireless apparatus comprising:

an optical imagery device for capturing imagery of a road or informational sign, the optical imagery device for providing data representing at least picture elements of imagery corresponding to the road or information sign;

a multi-purpose electronic processor for extracting identifying information from the data representing at least picture elements of imagery corresponding to the road or information sign; and

an output for outputting a response corresponding with the extracted identifying information, the response being associated with the road or informational sign.

16. The handheld device of claim 15 in which the electronic processor is operating to extract identifying information from the data representing at least picture elements of imagery corresponding to the road or information sign.

17. The handheld device of claim 15 in which said handheld device comprises a cell phone.

18. The cell phone of claim 17 in which said optical imaging device comprises a digital camera.

19. The handheld device of claim 15 in which said multi-purpose electronic processor is also for interrogating a database with extracted identifying information to locate a corresponding web page address.

20. The handheld device of claim 19 in which said output comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) and the response comprises displaying a web page associated with the web page address via the GUI.

21. The handheld device of claim 15 in which said multi-purpose electronic processor is also for accessing a file associated with the extracted identifying information, the file including one of audio, video or text data, and the response comprises rendering the audio, video or text data via the output.

22. The handheld device of claim 15 in which said multi-purpose electronic processor extracts identifying information from digital watermarking represented in the data.