MACHINE-READABLE GLASS

• US 20160180207A1
• Filed: 12/16/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Tony F., Falkenstern, Kristyn R., Reed, Alastair M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,600,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1095 the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like

Abstract

In one embodiment, a sidewalk-facing display window of a retail store is treated to scatter (or absorb) a portion of incident light, in a narrow wavelength spectral band. A machine-readable pattern, which encodes an identifier, is projected onto the treated window from outside the store. The reflection (absorption) of that projected pattern, within the narrow spectral band, escapes notice of shoppers on the sidewalk. Yet if a shopper captures imagery of a product displayed on the other side of the display window, using a mobile device camera, the pattern is captured with the imagery, and can be analyzed to decode the identifier. The mobile device can use this decoded identifier to access online information about the displayed product, for presentation to the shopper on the mobile device display. The technology is particularly suited for wearable computing devices, and more generally enables glass windows to subliminally convey digital information to image sensors conveyed by passing shoppers. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a display window at a retail store; and

means for forming a subliminal pattern on said glass, the pattern encoding an identifier in a machine-readable symbology;

wherein a camera-equipped user device on one side of the window can capture imagery depicting a subject on the opposite side of the window, which imagery also includes said machine-readable symbology, but said symbology is not evident to the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said optical pattern is detectable as illumination reflected and scattered from said display window.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the window includes an optical filter that notches a band of visible spectrum, wherein said optical pattern is detectable as illumination reflected and scattered from said optical filter, in said band.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which at least ten percent of the incident illumination in said band is reflected from the window, in non-specular fashion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means comprises an optical data projector that obliquely projects said pattern onto said glass.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which a majority of the visible light energy projected by said projector is within said band.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means comprises a layer of patterned varnish applied to the glass.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 that further includes a product displayed on one side of the glass, for imaging by a user'"'"'s camera-equipped device from the opposite side of the glass, the apparatus also including a physical computer memory device that associates said identifier with information about said product, for presentation by the user'"'"'s device.

9. An article of food packaging, characterized by a patterned layer of film that is transparent except at one or more visible light bands of wavelengths, said film presenting an attenuation of at least 3 dB across each said band, and each said band being less than 30 nanometers in width.

10. A method comprising the acts:

forming a first pattern on a transparent material, the first pattern encoding a first plural-bit payload in a machine readable symbology, the first pattern absorbing incident radiation in a first part of the visible spectrum;

forming a second pattern on a transparent material, the second pattern encoding a second plural-bit payload in a machine readable symbology, the second pattern absorbing incident radiation in a second part of the visible spectrum;

wherein the first pattern is tailored to enable decoding of its machine readable payload by a capture device at a first location relative to the transparent material, and the second pattern is tailored to enable decoding of its machine readable payload by a capture device at a second location different than the first.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first and second plural-bit payloads are the same.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first pattern is tailored for viewing from a viewpoint having an oblique, rather than a normal, view of said transparent material.

13. The method of claim 10 in which the transparent material comprises a film, and the method further includes laminating said film to glass.