Linking of computers based on optical sensing of digital data

• US 6,311,214 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet D.
• Application Number:
  US09/342,689
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/230, 709/250, 709/313, 709/328, 709/329, 380/4, 380/9, 380/49
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 : related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 : visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 : using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 : using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 : Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 : involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 : relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 : Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 : from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• 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 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32229 : with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A printed object, such as an item of postal mail, a book, printed advertising, a business card, product packaging, etc., is steganographically encoded with plural-bit data. When such an object is presented to an optical sensor, the plural-bit data is decoded and used to establish a link to an internet address corresponding to that object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a digitally encoded object to an optical sensor, the optical sensor producing output data;

decoding plural-bit data from the sensor output data; and

using said plural-bit data to establish a link to an internet address having data relating to said object;

wherein the object is steganographically encoded with said plural-bit data.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the object is a business card.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the object comprises printed advertising.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the object comprises product packaging.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the product packaging comprises a cover associated with packaged music media.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the object comprises a portion of a book.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the object comprises an article of postal mail.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the object comprises printed advertising.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the plural-bit data comprises a code, the method including consulting a data structure to obtain an internet address associated with the code, and initiating a link to said address.

10. A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to an object, said object comprising visual data and having information indicative of an address associated with the computer steganographically embedded in-band within said visual data;

decoding the information from said object; and

initiating a link to the computer using said information;

said decoding and initiating being performed by the same device.

11. The method of claim 10 in which said receiving comprises receiving said object from a digital storage or transmission medium in digital form, without said object having being rendered in human-perceptible form since being steganographically embedded.

12. The method of claim 10 in which said receiving comprises sensing a human-perceptible form of said object, as by an optical sensor device.

13. A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to an object, said object comprising visual data and having information indicative of an address associated with the computer steganographically embedded in-band within said visual data;

decoding the information from said object; and

initiating a link to the computer using said information;

wherein said receiving comprises receiving said object from a digital storage or transmission medium in digital form, without said object having being rendered in human-perceptible form since being steganographically embedded.

14. A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to an object, said object comprising visual data and having information indicative of an address associated with the computer steganographically embedded in-band within said visual data;

decoding the information from said object; and

initiating a link to the computer using said information;

wherein said visual data includes plural samples, said steganographically embedded information extending generally throughout said samples, rather than localized in one or more particular portions thereof, wherein the information can be decoded from an excerpt of said visual object and used to initiate the link to the computer.

15. A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising:

receiving image data corresponding to a printed object, the printed object including both text and background, at least the background having information indicative of an address associated with the computer steganographically embedded therein;

decoding the information from said image data; and

initiating a link to the computer using said information.

16. The method of claim 15 in which said information comprises a code, the method including consulting a database to obtain a computer address associated with said code, and initiating a link to said address.

17. The method of claim 15 in which the printed object comprises a business card.

18. The method of claim 15 in which the printed object comprises printed advertising.

19. The method of claim 15 in which the printed object comprises product packaging.

20. The method of claim 15 in which the product packaging comprises a cover associated with packaged music media.

21. The method of claim 15 in which the printed object comprises a portion of a book.

22. The method of claim 15 in which the printed object comprises an article of postal mail.

23. The method of claim 15 in which the printed object comprises printed advertising.