Digitally marked objects and promotional methods

• US 8,103,542 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Bruce L., Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US09/697,009
• Time in Patent Office: 4,108 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/14.1, 705/4, 705/14.57
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/00 Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators see also B65D5/4212, B65D33/004
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3876 insulating sleeves or jackets for cans, bottles, barrels, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles

Abstract

Digitally marked objects and promotional methods include presenting a digitally watermarked object to a reader device at a first location, decoding information from the watermark, and triggering a first response thereto. The method also includes presenting the object to a reader device at a second location, decoding information from the watermark, and triggering a second, different, response thereto.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

decoding, using a first digital watermark reader device at a first location, a watermark from a digitally watermarked object, wherein the decoding the watermark from the digitally watermark object triggers a first response thereby;

decoding, using a second digital watermark reader device at a second location, the watermark from the digitally watermarked object, wherein the decoding the watermark from the digitally watermark object triggers a second, different, response thereby, wherein at least one of the responses comprises an issuance of a coupon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitally watermarked object comprises a coffee cup or a jacket for a coffee cup.

3. A method comprising:

decoding, using a first reader device at a first location, a watermark from a digitally watermarked object;

decoding information from the watermark;

triggering a first response based in part on the decoding of the watermark;

decoding, using a second reader device at a second location, the watermark from the digitally watermarked object

decoding the information from the watermark; and

triggering a second, different, response based in part on the decoding of the watermark.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the responses comprises an issuance of a coupon.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the digitally watermarked object comprises a coffee cup or a jacket for a coffee cup.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to decode a watermark from a digitally watermarked object;

instructions to decode information from the watermark;

instructions to send the information to a database;

instructions to trigger a first response based on data received from the database, wherein the response is based in part on the watermark being previously decoded at a separate location, wherein a triggered response at the separate location is different than the first response, and wherein at least one of the responses comprises the issuance of a coupon.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the digitally watermarked object comprises a coffee cup or a jacket for a coffee cup.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to decode a watermark from a digitally watermarked object;

instructions to decode information from the watermark;

instructions to send the information to a database;

instructions to trigger a first response based on data received from the database, wherein the response is based in part on the watermark being previously decoded at a separate location, and wherein a triggered response at the separate location is different than the first response.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first response comprises the issuance of a coupon.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the triggered response comprises the issuance of a coupon.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the digitally watermarked object comprises a coffee cup or a jacket for a coffee cup.