Narrowcasting from public displays, and related methods

• US 9,460,560 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Tony F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US13/193,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20110280437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.49, 705/14.64, 705/14.67, 705/14.58, 705/50, 713/176, 358/3.28, 382/100, 382/106, 251/463, 300/478
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• 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 21/8358 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 user with a cell phone interacts, in a personalized session, with an electronic sign system. In some embodiments, the user'"'"'s location relative to the sign is discerned from camera imagery—either imagery captured by the cell phone (i.e., of the sign), or captured by the sign system (i.e., of the user). Demographic information about the user can be estimated from imagery captured acquired by the sign system, or can be accessed from stored profile data associated with the user. The sign system can transmit payoffs (e.g., digital coupons or other response data) to viewers—customized per user demographics. In some arrangements, the payoff data is represented by digital watermark data encoded in the signage content. The encoding can take into account the user'"'"'s location relative to the sign—allowing geometrical targeting of different payoffs to differently-located viewers. Other embodiments allow a user to engage an electronic sign system for interactive game play, using the cell phone as a controller.

Claims

1. A method implemented by an electronic sign system, viewed by a first observer, comprising the acts:

establishing a logical association between a camera-equipped apparatus conveyed by the observer, and the electronic sign system, using geometric analysis or feature recognition performed on imagery of the electronic sign system captured by the camera-equipped apparatus;

presenting depictions of plural game items on the electronic sign;

receiving data from the apparatus, wherein the received data depends—

at least in part—

on image data captured by the camera, and on motion-related data from a motion sensor in the apparatus, said received data indicating that the observer has viewed using the camera—

and selected—

a particular one of said game item depictions presented on the screen, said selection proceeding by use of feature recognition applied to imagery captured by the camera-equipped apparatus;

receiving, at the electronic sign system, signals from the apparatus indicating a position, and orientation, at which a game item is to be deposited, wherein said signals depend, at least in part, on image data captured by the camera; and

controlling, using a processor of the electronic sign system, an operation of the electronic sign system, at least in part, based on the received data, said controlling including presenting a depiction of game play on the electronic sign, wherein the game play reflects the observer'"'"'s selection of the particular game item.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the depicted game items comprise puzzle pieces.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic sign is also viewed by a second observer, and the method includes:

establishing a logical association between a camera-equipped second apparatus conveyed by the second observer, and the electronic sign;

receiving data from the second apparatus, wherein said received data depends—

at least in part—

on image data captured by the second apparatus, said received data indicating that the second observer has viewed using the camera of the second apparatus—

and selected—

a particular different one of said depicted game items; and

receiving signals from the second apparatus indicating a position, and orientation, at which the different one of said depicted game items is to be deposited, wherein said signals depend, at least in part, on image data captured by the camera of the second apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the feature recognition comprises digital watermark-based identification.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the use of feature recognition to select a particular one of said game item depictions further comprises barcode-based identification.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the feature recognition comprises fingerprint-based identification.

7. An electronic sign system comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a memory;

the memory containing software instructions causing the sign system to perform acts including;

establishing a logical association between a camera-equipped apparatus conveyed by the observer, and the electronic sign system, using geometric analysis or feature recognition performed on imagery of the electronic sign system captured by the camera-equipped apparatus;

presenting depictions of plural game items on the electronic sign;

receiving data from the apparatus, wherein the received data depends—

at least in part—

on image data captured by the camera, and on motion-related data from a motion sensor in the apparatus, said received data indicating that the observer has viewed using the camera—

and selected—

a particular one of said game item depictions presented on the screen, said selection having proceeded by use of feature recognition applied to imagery captured by the camera-equipped apparatus;

receiving, at the electronic sign system, signals from the apparatus indicating a position, and orientation, at which a game item is to be deposited, wherein said signals depend, at least in part, on image data captured by the camera; and

controlling an operation of the electronic sign system, at least in part, based on the received data, said controlling including presenting a depiction of game play on the electronic sign, wherein the game play reflects the observer'"'"'s selection of the particular game item.

8. The electronic sign system of claim 7 wherein the depicted game items comprise puzzle pieces.

9. The sign system of claim 7 in which said instructions further cause the sign system to perform acts including:

establishing a logical association between a camera-equipped second apparatus conveyed by a second observer, and the electronic sign;

receiving data from the second apparatus, wherein said received data is dependent—

at least in part—

on image data captured by the second apparatus, said received data indicating that the second observer has viewed using the camera of the second apparatus—

and selected—

a particular different one of said depicted game items;

receiving signals from the second apparatus indicating a position, and orientation, at which the different one of said depicted game items is to be deposited, wherein said signals depend, at least in part, on image data captured by the camera of the second apparatus; and

controlling an operation of the electronic sign system, at least in part, based on the received signals.

10. A mobile apparatus comprising:

a camera;

a motion sensor;

a processor; and

a memory, the memory containing programming instructions that configure the apparatus to perform acts including;

establishing a logical association between the apparatus and an electronic sign system, using geometric analysis or feature recognition performed on imagery of the electronic sign system captured by the camera-equipped apparatus; and

sending data from the apparatus to the sign system, said sent data including data indicating that a user of the apparatus has viewed using the apparatus—

and selected—

a particular one of plural game item depictions presented by the electronic sign system, said selection proceeding by use of feature recognition applied to imagery captured by the camera-equipped apparatus;

wherein the sent data depends—

at least in part—

on image data captured by the camera, and on motion-related data from the motion sensor, and the sent data serves to control—

at least in part—

operation of the electronic sign; and

wherein the depicted game items comprise game items, and the instructions configure the apparatus to send signals to the electronic sign system indicating a position, and orientation, at which a game items is to be deposited, wherein said signals depend, at least in part, on image data captured by the camera.

11. The mobile apparatus of claim 10 wherein the feature recognition comprises digital watermark-based identification.

12. The mobile apparatus of claim 10 wherein the use of feature recognition to select a particular one of said qame item depictions further comprises barcode-based identification.

13. The mobile apparatus of claim 10 wherein the feature recognition comprises fingerprint-based identification.