Media and methods employing steganographic marking

• US 7,778,437 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Hannigan, Brett T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US11/557,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20070177760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/135, 382/232, 380/51, 380/54, 380/55, 713/176, 283/72, 283/74, 283/75, 283/77, 283/85, 283/93, 283/94, 283/107, 283/109, 283/110, 283/111, 283/113, 283/901, 283/902, 428/195, 428/201, 428/203, 428/204, 428/206, 428/207, 428/211, 428/916, 428/919, 428/195.1, 428/211.1, 430/9, 430/10, 430/11, 430/13, 430/14, 430/15, 430/18, 503/227
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1418 the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/10 Watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/0093 Sheet materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/40 Agents facilitating proof of genuineness or preventing fraudulent alteration, e.g. for security paper watermarking B41M3/10, D21F1/44; security printing B41M3/14; securities or banknotes characterised by colour effects B42D25/29, B42D25/30; testing paper currency or valuable papers for genuineness G07D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5029 by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6594 characterised by the format or the thickness, e.g. endless forms
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00451 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 : Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 : Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0061 : Embedding of the watermark in each block of the image, e.g. segmented watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30144 : Printing quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 : using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 : visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 : using holograms
• 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 7/08 : 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: 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 20/0021 : involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00413 : wherein the key is input by a user
• 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: H04B 1/665 : using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 : Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• 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 1/00092 : relating to the original or to the reproducing medium, e.g. imperfections or dirt detecting properties of a sheet H04N1/00681
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00726 : Other properties of the sheet, e.g. curvature or reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2307 : Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device, according to a measured quantity H04N1/27, H04N1/29 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2323 : according to characteristics of the reproducing medium, e.g. type, size or availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2369 : Selecting a particular reproducing mode from amongst a plurality of modes, e.g. paper saving or normal, or simplex or duplex
• 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 1/32219 : involving changing the position of selected pixels, e.g. word shifting, or involving modulating the size of image components, e.g. of characters H04N1/32224 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32261 : in binary data H04N1/32256 takes precedence
• 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 1/32304 : Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32309 : in colour image data
• 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 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 2201/3239 : using a plurality of different authentication information
• 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 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 : Fraud or tamper detecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 : Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

Stationery, or other printable media, is encoded with a digital watermark. The watermark is not conspicuous to a human observer of the media, yet conveys plural bits of auxiliary information when optically scanned and digitally processed. The watermark can be formed by ink-jet printing, or otherwise. The encoded information can be used for various purposes, including authenticating the document as an original, linking to associated on-line resources, and distinguishing seemingly-identical versions of the same document (document serialization).

Claims

1. A substrate useful in forming a printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been marked to encode a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that conveys plural bits of digital information, said marking not being apparent to a human observer of the printed object, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the printed object to yield data from which the plural bits of digital information can be recovered, wherein said plural bits of digital information correspond to the digital watermark pattern in accordance with an algorithmic transformation, and the marking comprises a speckling of ink dots.

2. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said processing locally changes an ink absorption attribute of the substrate.

3. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the digital watermark pattern degrades when photocopied, so that the printed object can be distinguished from a photocopy thereof.

4. The substrate of claim 3 comprising a second digital watermark pattern, the second pattern being robust against photocopying.

5. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said plural bits of digital information comprise an identifier, said identifier serving to convey information indicative of an electronic address.

6. The substrate of claim 5 in which the identifier comprises a pointer into a remote data structure, the remote data structure storing an electronic address corresponding to said substrate.

7. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises blank printing stock.

8. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the marking comprises a speckling of ink dots in a regular array.

9. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the marking comprises a speckling of opaque ink dots in a regular array.

10. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the marking comprises a speckling of ink dots in an apparently random array.

11. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the marking comprises a speckling of opaque ink dots in a regular array.

12. The substrate of claim 1, formed into a printed package.

13. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said plural bits of digital information serve as a pointer into a remote data structure.

14. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the substrate is blank except for the speckling of ink dots.

15. The substrate of claim 1 wherein at least certain of said ink dots are on a vacant region of substrate to which no other printing pattern is applied.

16. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the steganographic digital watermark pattern is repeated in tiled fashion across at least a part of the substrate.

17. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said plural bits of digital information correspond to the digital watermark pattern in accordance with an algorithmic transformation and a cryptographic key.

18. The substrate of claim 1 wherein each of the dots decreases local luminance of the substrate.

19. The substrate of claim 1 formed into a printed package, wherein:

said plural bits of digital information correspond to the digital watermark pattern in accordance with an algorithmic transformation and a cryptographic key; and

at least certain of the ink dots are on a region of the package to which no other printing pattern is applied.

20. A method of processing a blank substrate prior to formation of a printed object, the method comprising encoding the substrate with a steganographic digital watermark pattern that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural-bit digital information, said pattern not being apparent to a human observer of the printed object, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the printed object to yield data from which the plural bit digital information can be recovered, wherein said plural bits of digital information correspond to the digital watermark pattern in accordance with an algorithmic transformation.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the digital watermark pattern is designed to degrade when photocopied, so that the original printed object can be distinguished from a photocopy thereof.

22. A method comprising:

applying an algorithmic transformation to plural bits of digital information to generate pattern data corresponding thereto;

marking a substrate with dots of ink to encode a steganographic pattern thereon corresponding to said pattern data;

wherein said marking is not apparent to a human observer of the marked substrate, but the plural bits of digital information are decodable from visible light scan data captured from the marked substrate.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the substrate includes a visible printing design, and the method includes overprinting the dots of ink thereon.