Digital watermarking systems

• US 7,191,156 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2000
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Seder, Phillip Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): HEWITT II, CALVIN L
• Application Number:
  US09/562,049
• Time in Patent Office: 2,507 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/14, 705/15, 705/39, 705/67, 705/27, 705/41, 705/64, 705/75, 709/217, 713/200, 713/202, 713/176, 235/379, 235/493, 235/492, 382/100
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• 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 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A variety of systems responsive to watermarked documents are detailed. In one, watermarking is employed to facilitate e-commerce transactions. More particularly, watermarking is employed to assure that an on-line purchaser of goods has physical custody of the credit card being charged. Without such custody, the requested transaction will be refused by the credit card issuer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scanning a document to provide document data, wherein the document data includes first plural-bit payload data that has been steganographically encoded in the document;

decoding the steganographically encoded first plural-bit payload data from the document data;

transmitting cookie data from a user computer to a remote computer, and by reference to said cookie data, retrieving second data, said second data corresponding to said cookie data;

verifying the decoded first plural-bit payload data against the retrieved second data; and

,

performing an action facilitated by the document based at least in part on the verification.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second data is associated with the document.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least part of the second data is printed on said object.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein at least part of the second data is encoded on a mag stripe on said document.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said checking includes performing a hashing operation on at least part of the second data, and checking said hash for a match with said decoded first data.

6. The method of claim 1 that includes retrieving at least part of the second data from a cache on a user'"'"'s computer.

7. The method of claim 1 that includes transmitting information related to the first and second data to a remote computer, and checking at said remote computer to verify said expected correspondence.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the document is a credit card.

9. The method of claim 8 that includes transmitting information related to the first data to a remote computer, and checking the first data for said correspondence with at least part of second data stored at said remote computer.

10. A system for use by a consumer to make purchases over the internet, the system comprising:

a storage medium for storing a data record indicating whether physical presentment of a card is required prior to completing purchases from said system;

a processor for reading the data record and, based on the data record, requiring physical presentment of the card prior to completing such purchases;

a transmitter for transmitting cookie data to a remote site to obtain data used to verify the card; and

a steganographic decoder for verifying the physical presentment of the card based on steganographic data decoded from the card.

11. The system of claim 10 including an RFID reader operable to read data from the card used to verify physical presentment of the card.

12. The system of claim 10 including a mag stripe reader operable to read data from the card used to verify physical presentment of the card.