SPATIAL DATA ENCODING AND DECODING

• US 20110200262A1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advocado, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koplar Interactive Systems International, LLC
• Inventors: Withers, James G., Canel-Katz, Lilly, Imler, David, Katz, Jonathan I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,295,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/593 involving spatial prediction techniques

Abstract

Methods and systems for spatial data encoding and decoding are described. A tile may be designated within a source frame. The tile may be divided into at least one bit area. A particular message bit value of a message may be accessed. A statistical property calculation may be performed on a pixel variable value of available pixels within the tile. A pixel variable value of pixels in the particular bit area of a target frame may be shifted to encode a particular message bit. A particular pixel variable value of a particular pixel of the plurality of pixels may be shifted by a shift value. The shift value may be in accordance with the statistical property calculation, the particular message bit value, and a particular modulation pattern value of the plurality of modulation pattern values for the particular pixel within the particular bit area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a comparison tile within a source frame, the comparison tile including a plurality of available pixels;

identifying at least one bit area within the comparison tile, a particular bit area of the at least one bit area being encoded with a message bit, the message bit being associated with a message;

performing a statistical property calculation for a plurality of pixel variable values within the comparison tile;

applying a modulation pattern to at least one bit area of a target frame; and

identifying at least one message bit in a target frame in accordance with the performing of the statistical property calculation and the applying of the modulation pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the comparison tile comprises:

accessing a decoding key, the decoding key including identification of the comparison tile in the source frame; and

identifying the comparison tile in accordance with the decoding key.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying of the modulation pattern comprises:

accessing the modulation pattern;

calculating an average pattern value for the comparison tile of the frame;

calculating an average pixel variable value for the comparison tile;

applying a matched filter to a pixel variable value of a plurality of pixels in the particular bit area in accordance with the average pattern value and the average pixel variable value to obtain a numeric value, the numeric value capable of being used to identify a particular message bit of the at least one message bit, the matched filtered being in accordance with the modulation pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the source frame as the target frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulation pattern is a two-dimensional Gaussian function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulation pattern is a pseudo-Gaussian function.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes at least one of a web site address, identification data, a promotional opportunity, authentication data, non-pictorial data, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel variable value includes color values.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel variable value includes at least one of a blue chrominance, a red chrominance value, or a luminance value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a statistical property calculation is used to obtain a linear combination of two color values.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a digital signal including the source frame.

12. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

identify a comparison tile within a source frame, the comparison tile including a plurality of available pixels;

identify at least one bit area within the comparison tile, a particular bit area of the at least one bit area being encoded with a message bit, the message bit being associated with a message;

perform a statistical property calculation for a plurality of pixel variable values within the comparison tile;

apply a modulation pattern to at least one bit area of a target frame; and

identify at least one message bit in a target frame in accordance with the performing of the statistical property calculation and the applying of the modulation pattern.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more instructions to apply the modulation pattern include:

access the modulation pattern;

calculate an average pattern value for the comparison tile of the frame;

calculate an average pixel variable value for the comparison tile;

apply a matched filter to a pixel variable value of a plurality of pixels in the particular bit area in accordance with the average pattern value and the average pixel variable value to obtain a numeric value, the numeric value capable of being used to identify a particular message bit of the at least one message bit, the matched filtered being in accordance with the modulation pattern.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more instructions to apply the modulation pattern include applying a two-dimensional Gaussian function.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more instructions to apply the modulation pattern include applying a pseudo-Gaussian function.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the pixel variable values include color values.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the pixel variable value includes at least one of a blue chrominance, a red chrominance value, or a luminance value.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the pixel variable value includes a linear combination of two color values.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein applying a two-dimensional Gaussian function includes applying the function to at least one of a blue chrominance and a red chrominance value, or both.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the message bit is part of at least one of a web site address, identification data, a promotional opportunity, authentication data, non-pictorial data, or combinations thereof.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the identifying of the comparison tile comprises:

accessing a decoding key, the decoding key including identification of the comparison tile in the source frame; and

identifying the comparison tile in accordance with the decoding key.