Routing networks for use with watermark systems

• US 6,965,683 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Hein, William C. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US10/032,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/233, 380/51, 380/54, 713/167, 713/168, 713/176, 713/179, 713/200, 713/201, 715/501.1, 715/514, 715/515, 715/516, 705/50, 705/51, 705/54, 709/217, 709/229
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code
• 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 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467

Abstract

A watermark embedded in a content (e.g., a printed document, digital audio, etc.) includes data that associates the content with a remote store of related data. For example, an image watermark may contain an index value that identifies a database record specifying (a) the owner'"'"'s name; (b) contact information; (c) license terms and conditions, (d) copyright date, (e) whether adult content is depicted, etc., etc. Or a magazine advertisement may contain an index value that identifies a database record specifying a related URL. Sometimes there are several back-and-forth exchanges between the decoding device and the database. To speed response time, it is desirable that this traffic be exchanged with a database that is located close—in network proximity—to the device that decodes the watermark. In one embodiment this is accomplished by first querying a master database with the zip code, or other identifier, of the decoding device. The first database then responds by identifying a second, nearby database with which further traffic should be exchanged.

Claims

1. In a method that includes:

presenting a physical object to an optical sensor;

discerning from optical sensor data an identifier associated with the object;

transferring the identifier to an indexing system; and

determining from the indexing system an internet address corresponding to said object;

an improvement comprising;

sending user data to a master system, the user data providing information related to user location

at said master system, identifying an indexing system close to the user from plural different indexing systems; and

transferring said identifier to said identified indexing system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user data comprises a postal code.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user data comprises a country identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user data also comprises object type data, and said identifying comprises identifying the indexing system as a function of both the user location and the object type data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said physical object comprises a printed substrate.

6. A routing method for use by a router in an object-to-web linking system, comprising:

receiving an object identifier sent from a client device, said identifier corresponding to a physical object presented to said client device;

receiving a location identifier sent from a client device and identifying a location of said device;

by reference to at least said location identifier, determining an address of an object-related database system remote from said router, from several possible such database systems; and

transferring said object identifier to said determined database system.

7. The method of claim 6 that further includes:

receiving an object type identifier from the client device; and

determining said address by reference to at least said location data and said object type identifier.