Encoding and decoding a message within an image

• US 6,819,776 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Celebrate International LLC
• Original Assignee: Kenneth H.P. Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Kenneth H. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US10/039,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20020150276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,053 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/240, 382/181, 382/218, 382/233, 382/237, 382/238, 235/454, 235/456, 235/462.45, 235/494, 380/51, 380/54, 380/210, 380/252, 380/207, 380/28, 713/176, 713/179, 375/262, 375/265, 375/341, 358/426.03, 358/426.12, 358/509
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/143 Glyph-codes

Abstract

A method for decoding a message embedded in a pattern of pixels. The method includes the steps of determining the pixel values for pixels from the pattern of pixels, determining binary values from the pixel values for pixels from the pattern of pixels; and determining the embedded message from the binary values. The pixels have a range of pixel values between a maximum and a minimum. The pixels are divided into cells each having glyph cell and background pixels. The binary value of a glyph pixel is determined by the contrast the glyph pixel has with its background pixels. The method can be used to decode embedded web-site address from an image with a foreground image and the embedded web-site address.

Claims

1. A device for loading address information into a data communication application, comprising:

(a) a reader for sensing light from a selected pattern of pixels and determining pixel values of pixels in said pattern of pixels, said pattern of pixels constituting a foreground visual image that conveys recognizable information to an observer and having embedded address information; and

(b) processor that is adapted to recover embedded address information from the pattern of pixels, said processor being adapted to determine the embedded address information by determining binary values via comparing pixel values of selected pixels to the pixel values of pixels neighboring thereto in the pattern of pixels and for loading the address information onto the data communication application for communicating according to the address information.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the reader comprises a light source for illuminating the pattern of pixels to provide light to be sensed by the reader.

3. The device according to claim 2 further comprising a computer running the data communication application and a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic signals representing address information to the computer to direct the data communication application to connect to a data source.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the processor includes a code means for determining pixel values of pixels by determining binary values using contrast of brightness to compare pixel values of selected pixels to pixel values of pixels neighboring thereto in the pattern of pixels and a code means for loading the address information onto the data communication application for connecting to a data resource according to the address information.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein the code means for determining the embedded address information divides the pattern of pixels into cells containing matrices of pixels to determine said binary values.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the processor determines the embedded address information via dividing pixels in the pattern of pixels into cells containing matrices of pixels and separating pixels in a cell into one or more glyph pixels and background pixels and determining the binary value of a cell via determining the relationship of data in glyph pixel to background pixels in the cell and wherein the data communication application is not comparing an original image to a suspected derivative thereof for signature identification.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein the processor determines the embedded address information via dividing pixels in the pattern of pixels into cells containing arrays of pixels and determining for a cell the contrast between brightness of a glyph pixel and average brightness derived from background in the cell to find binary value represented by the glyph pixel.

8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the pattern of pixels constitutes a visual image having text or an object and the processor is adapted to divide the pixels into cells and recover embedded information from the pattern of pixels by determining binary values of pixels in the cells, wherein the binary value of a pixel in a cell is determined via comparing the pixel value of said pixel in relation to a value derived from the pixel values of pixels neighboring thereto in the cell.

9. A method for loading information into a data communication application, comprising:

(a) receiving light from a display that shows a pattern of pixels and determining pixel values of pixels in said pattern of pixels, said pattern of pixels constituting a foreground visual image that conveys understandable information to an observer and having embedded information that is undecipherable by human eyes;

(b) recovering the embedded information from the pattern of pixels; and

(c) loading the embedded information into the data communication application for the data communication application to act according to the recovered embedded information.

10. The method according to claim 9 comprising using an instrument to determine binary value of a pixel using contrast of brightness to compare pixel values of selected pixels to the pixel value of said pixel.

11. The method according to claim 10 whereas the embedded information includes a URL address and the recovering of the embedded URL address further comprises substantially removing the foreground image to form a glyph map by determining for pixels in the pattern of pixels the absolute value of the difference between a pixel and its neighboring pixels.

12. The method according to claim 9 further comprising arranging pixels in said pattern of pixels to derive cells including glyph pixels and background pixels;

and determining binary values of the glyph pixels wherein the pixel value of a cell is determined by contrasting brightness of a glyph pixel to a value derived from brightness of the background pixels in the cell, and wherein the visual image shows text or an object.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the determining binary values via contrasting process comprises:

for a glyph pixel determining the average pixel value of its background pixels and calculating the difference between the glyph pixel'"'"'s pixel value and its average background pixel value; and

determining the binary value to be a first binary value if said difference is larger than a threshold and determining the binary value to be a second binary value if said difference is smaller than the threshold.

14. The method according to claim 12 whereas the process of recovering the embedded information further comprises determining a first logical value of a glyph pixel based on a high contrast between the pixel and background pixels neighboring thereto and determining a second logical value opposite of that of the first logical value based on a low contrast between the pixel and background pixels neighboring thereto, wherein said glyph pixels and background pixels allow the foreground visual image to convey understandable information to an observer.

15. A method for decoding a message embedded in a pattern of pixels, comprising:

(a) determining the pixel values for pixels from the pattern of pixels, said pattern of pixels constituting a foreground visual image that conveys recognizable information to an observer;

(b) determining binary values from the pixel values for pixels from the pattern of pixels via contrasting the brightness of selected pixels to the brightness of pixels neighboring thereto; and

(c) determining an embedded message from the binary values.

16. A method for embedding a message into an initial image, comprising:

(a) determining logical values of a message to be embedded in an initial image;

said initial image conveying understandable information to an observer; and

(b) providing brightness values of pixels of the initial image and incorporating the logical values of the message into the initial image into a resultant image via reversing pixel values of selected pixels to provide a high contrast between said selected pixels with pixels neighboring thereto to represent a first logical value and to provide a low contra between said selected pixels with pixels neighboring thereto to represent a second logical value, wherein said reversal of brightness values does not render said resultant image incapable of conveying understandable information to an observer.

17. The method according to claim 16 comprising arranging pixels in said pattern of pixels into cells of matrices of pixels and setting pixel values to selected logic pixels based on brightness thereof and for a selected logic pixel if the contrast between the brightness of said selected logic pixel and those of background pixels neighboring thereto is small assigning a new pixel value to said selected logic pixel to render high contrast between said selected logic pixel'"'"'s resultant pixel value and pixel values of background pixels neighboring thereto to represent a selected first binary value whereas to represent a selected second binary value to not assign a new pixel value to selected logic pixel so as to not render high contrast between the selected logic pixel'"'"'s resultant pixel value and pixel values of background pixels.

18. A device for decoding a message embedded in a pattern of pixels, comprising:

(a) a reader for sensing light from a selected pattern of pixels and determining pixel values of pixels in said pattern of pixels, said pattern of pixels constituting a foreground visual image that conveys recognizable information to an observer; and

(b) processor adapted to recover embedded message from the pattern of pixels, said processor being adapted to determine the embedded message by determining binary values using contrast of brightness to compare pixel values of selected pixels to the pixel values of pixels neighboring thereto in the pattern of pixels.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein processor is adapted to recover embedded message from the pattern of pixels via determining a pixel as having a first binary value when said pixel has a high contrast with pixels neighboring thereto and determining said pixel as having a second binary value when said pixel has a low contrast with pixels neighboring thereto.

20. device for loading a web-site address into a web browser for connecting to the web-site, comprising:

(a) a reader for sensing light from a selected pattern of pixels and determining pixel values of pixels in said pattern of pixels, said pattern of pixels constituting a foreground visual image that conveys information to an observer; and

(b) processor that is adapted to recover embedded web-site address from the pattern of pixels, said processor being adapted to determine the embedded web-site address by determining binary values via comparing pixel values of selected pixels to the pixel values of pixels neighboring thereto in the pattern of pixels and for loading the web-site address onto the web browser for connecting to the web-site according to the web-site address.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the processor includes a code means for determining pixel values of pixels by determining binary values using contrast of brightness to compare pixel values of selected pixels to pixel values of pixels neighboring thereto in the pattern of pixels and a code means for loading the web-site address onto the web browser for connecting to the web-site according to the web-site address.

22. A method for loading a URL address into a web browser, comprising:

(a) receiving light from a display that shows a pattern of pixels and determining pixel values of pixels in said pattern of pixels, said of pixels constituting a foreground visual image that conveys understandable information to an observer and having an embedded URL address;

(b) recovering the embedded URL address from the pattern of pixels by determining binary values via comparing pixel values of selected pixels to the pixel values of pixels neighboring thereto in the pattern of pixels; and

(c) loading the URL address into the web browser for connecting to the web-site according to the URL address.

23. The method according to claim 22 comprising determining binary value of a pixel using contrast of brightness to compare pixel values of selected pixels to the pixel value of said pixel.