Methods and systems for interacting with physical objects

• US 7,628,320 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US12/126,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20080292137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/382, 235/383, 235/470, 235485-487, 235/472.01, 235/472.02
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/23 Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/305 Associated digital information record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/333 Watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 : visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 : using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 : using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• 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: 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 20/00884 : 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: 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 1/00973 : from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• 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 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• 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 1/32229 : with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes 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 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• 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 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• 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 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A user detects data from a physical object (e.g., a poster) using a handheld appliance. The appliance then contacts a remote computer based on the data obtained from the object, and can perform any of a variety of functions, such as purchasing tickets to a concert or movie, or downloading music. The data can be obtained from the object in various ways, such as by optical sensing or by electromagnetic detection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

pointing a portable image sensor device towards a physical object that is free of visible digital encoding;

capturing one or more 2D frames of imagery from the physical object using the sensor device;

providing image information representing the object to a processing device, and receiving first data derived from said provided image information from the processing device;

using the first data to identify corresponding second data in a data structure that stores plural second data, where the data structure associates the plural second data with plural different first data; and

though use of the second data identified from the data structure, initiating an action relating to the physical object from which the imagery was captured;

wherein the method further includes analyzing the imagery for one or more clues, the clue(s) helping the first data to better correspond to a particular object, rather than to another object or to visual clutter within the imagery, the analyzing including one or more of the following;

i. regarding a point at a center of an image frame as corresponding to the particular physical object, and from that point analyzing to discern an associated boundary;

ii. identifying features in the imagery having a relatively greater movement between frames of imagery, as contrasted with other image features;

iii. identifying plural non-parallel straight edge boundaries in the imagery;

iv. identifying a trapezoidal shape in the imagery;

v. identifying an object within the imagery by reference, at least in part, to color; and

vi. identifying an object within the imagery by reference, at least in part, to spatial frequency.

2. The method of claim 1 that includes capturing plural frames of imagery, wherein the first data is dependent on more than one of said frames.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein one of said frames depicts the object from one perspective, and a second of said frames depicts the object from a second, different, perspective.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable image sensor device is attached to a body of a user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the portable image sensor device is head-mounted on the user.

6. The method of claim 1 that further includes processing the image information in the processing device, said processing comprising applying a digital watermark decoding algorithm to the image information to produce the first data therefrom.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said capturing comprises capturing the one or more frames of imagery from a printed poster.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the action comprises playing a clip of entertainment content.

9. The method of claim 1 that includes discerning orientation data, and mapping image information to another perspective in accordance with the orientation data, wherein the first data is based on the mapped image data.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing device applies an algorithm to the image information that is robust to at least certain changes in scale.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing device applies an algorithm to the image information that is robust to at least certain changes in rotation.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor forages, operating in a free-running mode to grab plural frames of image data per second, rather than being triggered by a user to capture imagery only when the device is pointed towards an intended object.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing includes regarding a point at a center of an image frame as corresponding to the particular physical object, and from that point analyzing to discern an associated boundary.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the analyzing also includes one of acts (ii) through (vi).

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing includes identifying features in the imagery associated with the particular physical object by reference to greater movement of certain image features between frames of imagery, as contrasted with other image features.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the analyzing also includes one of acts (i) or (iii)-(vi).

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing includes identifying plural non-parallel straight edge boundaries in the imagery.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the analyzing also includes one of acts (i)-(ii) or (iv)-(vi).

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing includes identifying a trapezoidal shape in the imagery.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the analyzing also includes one of acts (i)-(iii) or (v)-(vi).

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing includes identifying an object within the imagery by reference, at least in part, to color.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the analyzing also includes one of acts (i)-(iv) or (vi).

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing includes identifying an object within the imagery by reference, at least in part, to spatial frequency.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the analyzing also includes one of acts (i)-(v).