User identifiable watermarking

• US 8,243,984 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Brown, Robert K., De Pape, Neal B., Reasoner, Jason D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Azarian, Seyed
• Application Number:
  US12/615,788
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382106-107, 382/155, 382/162, 382/168, 382/173, 382/181, 382/199, 382/219, 382/224, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/276, 382/291, 382/305, 382/312, 386/224, 709/231, 348/143, 348/150, 348/231.99, 725/136
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

In one embodiment, video from a security camera is overlaid with small but visible indicators in each corner of the frame. The indicators may comprise an encoded value that can be decoded upon visual inspection by a user without the use of a computer. The encoded value may identify the camera such that a user knowledgeable about the format and sequence of the indicators can view the images and readily understand the identity of the security camera. In some embodiments, the indicators identify other information associated with the video such as the persons, objects, locations, conditions, times, or other data that is associated with the video.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adding visually decodable watermarks to electronic images, comprising:

capturing, at an image capture device, an image of a scene;

converting, with a first computer, the image into an electronic image data file;

associating the image with identifier data;

determining, with a second computer, a plurality of indicia to represent the identifier data wherein each indicium of the plurality of indicia comprises an encoded datum that can be decoded upon visual inspection by a user;

modifying, with the second computer, the electronic image data file to include the plurality of indicia in various locations according to a placement order such that each indicium of the plurality of indicia appears overlaid within a quadrant of the electronic image when the data file is decoded and displayed; and

displaying, at a display device, the modified data file such that the user knowledgeable about the placement order of the plurality of indicia is able to visually decode the plurality of indicia to determine the identifier data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each indicium of the plurality of indicia comprises a matrix of subregions, wherein each of the subregions is individually visually distinguishable from the other subregions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the subregions is displayed with a partial opacity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier data identifies a location associated with the image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each indicium of the plurality of indicia is located in a different corner of the image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each indicium of the plurality of indicia is dynamically overlaid onto the image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier data identifies the image capture device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same computer.

9. A system for adding a visually decodable watermark to an electronic image, wherein the watermark is visually decodable to convey an identity associated with the image, the system comprising:

an image capture device positioned to capture a plurality of images of a scene, wherein each of the plurality of images is associated with image data;

an image encoding device to convert the plurality of images into a plurality of electronic image data files, to determine a plurality of visually decodable indicia to represent the image data, and to modify the plurality of electronic image data files to overlay the plurality of visually decodable indicia such that each of the plurality of visually decodable indicia are visible in a separate quadrant of each image when the plurality of electronic image data files are decoded and displayed;

an archive system to store the electronic image data files overlaid with the visually decodable indicia; and

a display device to retrieve and decode the electronic image data files overlaid with the visually decodable indicia, and to display the plurality of images and the plurality of visually decodable indicia included therein to a user knowledgeable about the format and placement of the plurality of the visually decodable indicia such that the user can visually decode the plurality of visually decodable indicia to determine the image data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of visually decodable indicia comprises a plurality of subregions, wherein each of the plurality of subregions is individually capable of being made visually distinguishable from the other subregions in the plurality of subregions.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of images comprises a video sequence.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of visually decodable indicia has a partial opacity and is located at a separate corner of the plurality of images.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of visually decodable indicia is dynamically located within the plurality of images.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the visually decodable indicia are located at predetermined positions relative to boundaries of each image.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the image data identifies the image capture device.

16. A computer-readable medium having recorded therein instructions for adding humanly decodable watermarks to digital images by causing one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

capturing, with a camera, an image of a subject of interest;

converting, with an image processor, the image into a digital image;

dynamically associating the digital image with an identification code having a plurality of characters in a first sequence;

determining, with an encoding processor, a plurality of humanly decodable watermarks wherein the plurality of humanly decodable watermarks represent the plurality of characters in the first sequence;

modifying, with the encoding processor, the digital image to include the humanly decodable watermarks in each of a plurality of quadrants of the digital image in a second sequence such that the plurality of humanly decodable watermarks is visible when the digital image is displayed; and

decoding and displaying, with a display computer, the digital image such that a user knowledgeable about the format and the second sequence of the humanly decodable watermarks can visually decode the humanly decodable watermarks to determine the plurality of characters and the first sequence to determine the identification code.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of humanly decodable watermarks comprises a plurality of subregions, wherein some of the plurality of subregions are visually rendered differently than the other subregions in the plurality of subregions.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the digital image is a frame of a video sequence.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of humanly decodable watermarks is located proximate a separate corner of the digital image.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of humanly decodable watermarks is located at a predetermined position relative to a boundary of the digital image.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the identification code identifies the camera.