Digital watermarking apparatus and methods

• US 7,330,564 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2007
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Brundage, Trent J., Hannigan, Brett T., Rodriguez, Tony F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso; Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US11/622,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20070110275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 358/3.28, 380/52, 380/54, 380/270, 396/310, 283 72- 75, 283/85, 283/93, 283/113, 283/901, 340/5.8, 340/5.86, 455/556.1, 235/494, 356/71, 707/9, 707/101, 705/50, 713/165, 713/167, 713/176, 713/179, 359/642, 359/707, 257/427, 257/E27.132, 438/57
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/162 Length or width
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

The present invention relates to various devices, including handheld devices. One claim recites a device including an image sensor including lenses, the lenses are arranged to create a pattern in captured image data, the pattern to be created so as to steganographically hide a plural-bit identifier in the captured image data, and electronic circuitry. Of course, other combinations are provided and claimed as well.

Claims

1. A handheld device comprising:

an image sensor including;

a set of microlenses, wherein at least some microlenses within the set of microlenses correspond to one or more pixel elements, and

wherein the set of microlenses are arranged to create a pattern in image data captured by said image sensor, the pattern being created in a steganographic manner and including an identifier.

2. The handheld device according to claim 1 further comprising a display.

3. The handheld device according to claim 2 wherein the device comprises a cell phone.

4. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the set of micro-lenses are polarized.

5. The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising electronic circuitry controlling the set of microlenses, wherein the electronic circuitry controls the set of microlenses to change the pattern.

6. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a device identifier.

7. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a plural-bit identifier.

8. A handheld device comprising:

at least an image sensor including;

lenses, with at least some of the lenses corresponding to one or more pixel elements, and

wherein the lenses are arranged to create a pattern in image data captured by said image sensor, the pattern to be created so as to steganographically hide a plural-bit identifier in the image data captured by said image sensor.

9. The handheld device according to claim 8 further comprising a display.

10. The handheld device according to claim 9 wherein the device comprises a cell phone.

11. The handheld device of claim 8 wherein the lenses are polarized.

12. The handheld device of claim 8 further comprising a processor or electronic circuitry to control the lenses, wherein the electronic circuitry controls the lenses to change the pattern or the identifier.

13. The handheld device of claim 8 wherein the identifier comprises a device identifier.

14. The handheld device of claim 8 wherein the lenses comprise microlenses.

15. A device comprising:

an image sensor including lenses, wherein the lenses are arranged to create a pattern in captured image data, the pattern to be created so as to steganographically hide a plural-bit identifier in the captured image data; and

electronic circuitry.

16. The device according to claim 15 wherein the image data comprises video data.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the lenses comprise microlenses.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein the identifier comprises a device identifier.

19. The device of claim 15 wherein the electronic circuitry controls the lenses to change the pattern or the plural-bit identifier.

20. The device of claim 15 wherein the device comprises a cell phone.