Visual identifier for images on an electronic display

• US 8,441,574 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Inventors: Dunn, William, De Laet, Rick, Schuch, John, Wasinger, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US12/763,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20110096246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 348/189, 348/192, 348/180, 348/181, 348/175, 348/177, 348/552, 348/553, 348460-461, 348/465, 348/467, 705/50
• US Class Current: 348/460
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467

Abstract

A system and method for displaying images or video on an electronic display. A unique identifier may be embedded within the frames of images or video and detected by a light sensor. The data from the light sensor is analyzed to determine if the proper image or video was actually shown at the display. Some embodiments analyze the data from the light sensor in real time and may stop displaying the image or video if the data is not in the format of a unique identifier. Using this embodiment, the system can prevent unintended images or video from being shown on the display.

Claims

1. A method for creating a verifiable image comprising the steps of:

presenting an image frame;

creating a unique identifier for the image frame;

encoding the unique identifier; and

embedding the encoded unique identifier within the image frame by removing a portion of the image elements for the image frame and replacing them with image elements corresponding with the encoded unique identifier so that the encoded unique identifier and image frame are capable of being displayed simultaneously on a display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of creating a unique identifier for the image frame is performed by manually selecting a numeral identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of creating a unique identifier for the image frame is performed by sampling various elements of the image frame.

4. A method for verifying the display of an image comprising the steps of:

presenting an image frame;

creating a unique identifier for the image frame;

encoding the unique identifier;

embedding the encoded unique identifier within the image frame by removing a portion of the image elements for the image frame and replacing them with image elements corresponding with the encoded unique identifier so that the encoded unique identifier and image frame are capable of being

displayed simultaneously on a display;

displaying the encoded unique identifier and image frame;

sensing the encoded unique identifier with a light sensor to produce light sensor data;

decoding the light sensor data; and

storing the decoded light sensor data.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

comparing the decoded light sensor data to the unique identifier.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the encoded unique identifier is displayed by a series of solid-colored shapes.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

providing access to the decoded light sensor data through a network connection.

8. A method for securely transmitting and displaying video data having a plurality of frames where a series of frames have a unique identifier embedded within an information block portion of each frame, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting the video data to an electronic display;

receiving the video data at the electronic display;

displaying the video data;

measuring the information block portion of each frame with a light sensor to produce light sensor data;

analyzing the light sensor data; and

stop displaying the video data if the light sensor data does not contain a unique identifier in the proper format.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

storing the light sensor data if the data contains a unique identifier in the proper format.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the unique identifier is displayed as a series of solid-colored shapes within the frame.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

providing access to the stored light sensor data through a network connection.

12. A system for securely transmitting video or images having an embedded unique identifier to an electronic display, the system comprising:

a player which transmits the video or image data;

a display assembly which receives and displays the video or image data;

an information block within the display assembly which displays the unique identifier;

a light sensor in front of the information block which senses the information block and produces light sensor data;

a central processing unit (CPU) in electrical communication with the light sensor and display assembly which receives the light sensor data and stores the light sensor data if the data contains a unique identifier or directs the display assembly to stop displaying the video or image if the data does not contain a unique identifier.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a network connection in electrical communication with the CPU.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the display assembly displays the unique identifier as a series of solid-colored shapes within video or image.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the display assembly is a liquid crystal display.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the display assembly is an OLED display.