Watermarking a carrier on which an image will be placed or projected

• US 6,961,442 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L., Hannigan, Brett T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Samir
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHATNAGAR, ANAND P
• Application Number:
  US09/803,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 283/72, 283 74- 81, 283/85, 283/93, 283/113, 283901-902, 382/100, 382/232, 380/277, 380/278, 380/279
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/10 Watermarks
• 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 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

A carrier is watermarked and then an image is printed or displayed on this carrier. A watermark can then be read from the image. If the image is printed on the carrier, the watermark can be read from the printed image or from any copy of the printed image. If the watermark is displayed on the carrier, and the displayed image is then copied, the copies will bear the watermark.

Claims

1. A method of watermarking an image comprising the steps of,

applying a first material on a substrate in a pattern corresponding to a digital watermark, said first material being transparent, printing an image on said substrate, said image having different characteristics in the areas where said first material is located, wherein the first material affects the printing of the image to embed the digital watermark in the printed image such that the digital watermark is readable from a digital image scanned from the printed image.

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said first material comprises a transparent wax.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said first material is applied by using a wax sublimation printing process.

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said image is printed using an ink jet printing process.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said first material is applied by using a wax sublimation printing process and said image is printed using an ink jet printing process.

6. A method of watermarking an image comprising the steps of,

applying a first material on a screen in a pattern that represents a digital watermark, projecting an image on said screen, said screen reflecting said image with different characteristics in the areas where said first material is located, whereby recordings of said projected image bear said digital watermark.

7. The method recited in claim 6 wherein said screen is a movie theater.

8. The method recited in claim 6 wherein a series of images comprising a movie is projected on said screen.

9. A method of watermarking recorded images comprising the steps of projected an image on a screen which has areas with different reflective characteristics in a pattern that represents a digital watermark, recording images from said screen, whereby the recorded images bear said digital watermark.

10. The method recited in claim 9 wherein a series of images comprising a movie are projected on said screen.

11. A material suitable for printing comprising a substrate and a layer of material positioned on said substrate in a pattern that represents a digital watermark, said material being invisible to the human eye and affecting ink deposited on said substrate, wherein the first material affects the printing of an image to embed the digital watermark in the printed image such that the digital watermark is readable from a digital image scanned from the printed image.

12. The method recited in claim 11 wherein said material is transparent.

13. The method recited in claim 11 wherein said material is a transparent wax.

14. The method recited in claim 11 wherein said printing is done by an inkjet printing process.

15. A screen on which images are projected, the screen comprising:

a pattern of areas having different reflectivity or light absorption properties representing a digital watermark such that when an image is projected onto the screen, the areas modify the projected image so that the projected image on the screen bears the digital watermark.

16. The screen of claim 15 wherein the pattern of areas is formed from a coating on the screen.

17. The screen of claim 15 wherein the pattern of areas is formed from a layer of adhesive applied to the screen.

18. An object for receiving a printed image, the object comprising:

a substrate; and

a material on the substrate in a pattern corresponding to a digital watermark, said material being operable to change characteristics of an image printed on the object according to the pattern to embed the digital watermark in the printed image such that the digital watermark is readable from a digital image scanned from the printed image.

19. The object of claim 18 wherein the material is printed on the substrate.

20. The object of claim 18 wherein the material changes ink absorption of the object such that the pattern is embedded in an image printed on the object.

21. A screen on which images are projected, the screen comprising:

a pattern of areas having different reflectivity of light absorption properties representing a digital watermark such that when an image is projected onto the screen, the areas modify the projected image so that a recording of the projected image bears the digital watermark.

22. A method of watermarking images projected on a screen, the method comprising:

providing a pattern of areas having different properties representing a digital watermark on the screen; and

projecting an image on the screen, the projected image being combined with the pattern on the screen such that a recording of the projected image on the screen bears the digital watermark.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the different properties comprise different reflectivity properties.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the different properties comprise different light absorption properties.