Content containing a steganographically encoded process identifier

• US 8,521,850 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US13/188,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20110274270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/250, 380/239
• US Class Current: 709/219
• 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 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• 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 20/341 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: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0081 whereby both original and watermarked images are required at decoder, e.g. destination-based, non-blind, non-oblivious
• 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: 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: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 : based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• 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 1/32251 : 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 method includes receiving graphic data and steganographically encoding machine-readable data in the graphic data. The machine-readable data identifies a computer implemented process that is to be invoked when the steganographic encoding is decoded and acted upon by a computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving graphic data; and

steganographically encoding machine-readable data in the graphic data, wherein the steganographic encoding is adapted in strength in accordance with local characteristics of the graphic data, wherein the adaptation comprises more than two different strengths, and wherein the machine-readable data identifies a computer implemented process that is to be invoked when the steganographic encoding is decoded and acted upon by a computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic data comprises artwork having text and a background.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing the graphic data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer implemented process comprises communicating with a remote computing device, and wherein the machine-readable data comprises information indicative of an address associated with the remote computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic encoding is manifested as extra pseudo-random noise in the received graphic data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer implemented process comprises communicating with a remote computing device, and controlling information presented in accordance with data received from the remote computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer implemented process comprises communicating with a remote computing device, receiving data from the remote computing device, and controlling an aspect of operation of the computing device in accordance with the received data.

8. A physical object comprising:

a printing on a substrate, wherein the printing comprises text and background, wherein at least the background includes continuous tone and comprises a plural-bit code steganographically embedded therein, wherein the plural-bit code is steganographically embedded using more than two different strengths in accordance with local characteristics of the continuous tone, and wherein the code comprises an index to a data structure that specifies address information of a computer resource that is to be associated with the object.

9. The object of claim 8, wherein the data structure is maintained on a computing device separate from the computing device whose address information is to be associated with the object.

10. The object of claim 8, wherein the steganographically embedded plural-bit code is embedded as extra pseudo-random noise in the continuous tone.

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

instructions to receive graphic data; and

instructions to steganographically encode machine-readable data in the graphic data, wherein the steganographic encoding is adapted in strength in accordance with local characteristics of the graphic data, wherein the adaptation comprises more than two different strengths, and wherein the machine-readable data identifies a computer implemented process that is to be invoked when the steganographic encoding is decoded and acted upon by a computing device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the graphic data comprises artwork having text and a background.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to print the graphic data.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer implemented process comprises communicating with a remote computing device, and wherein the machine-readable data comprises information indicative of an address associated with the remote computing device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the steganographic encoding is manifested as extra pseudo-random noise in the received graphic data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer implemented process comprises communicating with a remote computing device, and controlling information presented in accordance with data received from the remote computing device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer implemented process comprises communicating with a remote computing device, receiving data from the remote computing device, and controlling an aspect of operation of the computing device in accordance with the received data.