Methods, objects and apparatus employing machine readable data

• US 7,548,643 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Davis, Bruce L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US11/925,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/141, 382/143, 382/145, 382/152, 340/500, 340/540, 340/635, 340/653, 340/5.8, 438/14, 438/15, 438/16, 438/17, 235/468
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• 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 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00094 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00876 wherein physical copy protection means are attached to the medium, e.g. holograms, sensors, or additional semiconductor circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54486 : Located on package parts, e.g. encapsulation, leads, package substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/544 : Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps test patterns for characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/573 : using passive means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 : Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/665 : using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 : relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 : Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00838 : Preventing unauthorised reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 : based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• 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 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 : the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 : the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to steganography and data hiding. One claimed combination recites an apparatus including circuitry having measurable performance or operating characteristics, and steganographic indicia including or linking to plural-bit data pertaining to the performance or operating characteristics. Other combinations are described and claimed as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining an operating or performance characteristic associated with an apparatus;

determining a numeric expression associated with the operating or performance characteristic;

steganographically hiding the numeric expression on or in the apparatus so that the presence of the numeric expression is not readily discernable to a human viewer of the apparatus, but the numeric expression can be obtained from the apparatus with visible light imaging, wherein the numeric expression is useable in determining whether the apparatus is operating or functioning as expected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises electronic circuitry.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein numeric expression comprises plural-payloads.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a processor.

5. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions to execute the method of claim 1.

6. A method comprising:

determining an operating or performance characteristic associated with an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a surface with a numeric expression carried on or in the surface, wherein the numeric expression is steganographically hidden on or in the surface through photolithography;

determining a numeric value associated with the operating or performance characteristic;

steganographically hiding the numeric value on or in the apparatus, wherein the numeric value is useable in determining whether the apparatus is operating or functioning as expected.

7. A method comprising:

determining an operating or performance characteristic associated with an apparatus;

determining a numeric expression associated with the operating or performance characteristic, wherein the numeric expression comprises an index to a data record including information associated with the operating or performance characteristic;

steganographically hiding the numeric expression on or in the apparatus, wherein the numeric expression is useable in determining whether the apparatus is operating or functioning as expected.

8. An object comprising:

electronic processing circuitry having an operating or performance characteristic associated therewith;

steganographic indicia carried by the object, the steganographic indicia pointing to data to verify or test the operating or performance characteristic.

9. The object according to claim 8 wherein the steganographic indicia comprises digital watermarking.

10. The object of claim 8 wherein the object comprises a surface with the steganographic indicia carried on or in the surface.

11. The object of claim 8 comprising a processor.

12. The object of claim 8 wherein steganographic indicia comprises plural-payloads.

13. An object comprising:

electronic processing circuitry having an operating or performance characteristic associated therewith;

steganographic indicia carried by the object, the steganographic indicia comprising or pointing to data to verify or test the operating or performance characteristic, wherein the steganographic indicia comprises an index to a data record including information associated with the operating or performance characteristic.

14. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry including measurable performance or operating characteristics;

redundantly provided steganographic indicia including or linking to plural-bit data pertaining to the performance or operating characteristics, wherein the presence of the redundantly provided steganographic indicia is not readily discernable to a human viewer of the apparatus, but the redundantly provided steganographic indicia can be obtained from the apparatus with visible light imaging.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the plural-bit data further comprises information pertaining to the fabrication of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the plural-bit data comprises a plurality of fields.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising memory includes instructions for execution by said circuitry.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the plural-bit data further comprises information pertaining to a manufacturing date of the apparatus.

19. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry including measurable performance or operating characteristics;

steganographic indicia pointing to or linking to plural-bit data pertaining to the performance or operating characteristics; and

memory, and said plural-bit data further comprises an indication regarding an expected capacity of the memory.

20. An object comprising:

electronic processing circuitry having an operating or performance characteristic associated therewith;

machine-readable steganographic indicia carried by the object, the steganographic indicia comprising or pointing to data to verify or test the operating or performance characteristic, the steganographic indicia being carried by the object with surface texturing, where the surface texturing does not betray the existence of the machine-readable steganographic indicia.

21. An apparatus comprising:

memory; and

machine-readable indicia pointing to or linking to data that provides an indication regarding an expected capacity of the memory.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the apparatus comprises a surface, and the machine-readable indicia is provided on or in the surface.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the machine-readable indicia comprises steganographic indicia.

24. An apparatus comprising:

memory; and

steganographic machine-readable indicia including or linking to data that provides an indication regarding an expected capacity of the memory, wherein the presence of the steganographic machine-readable indicia is not readily discernable to a human viewer of the apparatus, but the steganographic machine-readable indicia can be obtained from the apparatus with visible light imaging.