Printer driver separately applying watermark and information

• US 9,630,443 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2004
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• 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): Vo, Quang N
• Application Number:
  US10/792,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20050111047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,802 Days
• Field of Search: 358 328, 358 19, 358 115, 283 72, 355 18
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1418 the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure
• 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 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/333 Watermarks
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• 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: H04N 1/00005 : relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 : Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 : from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• 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 1/32219 : involving changing the position of selected pixels, e.g. word shifting, or involving modulating the size of image components, e.g. of characters H04N1/32224 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32229 : with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32261 : in binary data H04N1/32256 takes precedence
• 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 1/32304 : Embedding different sets of additional information
• 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 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• 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 2201/3239 : using a plurality of different authentication information
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information

Abstract

The present invention provides a printer responsive to commands from printer driver software. The printer driver software is characterized by being responsive to two types of input data. One of the types includes text data, and the other of the types includes watermark data. The two types of data are separately applied to printer driver software, rather than integrated together prior to application to the printer driver software.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processor, text data;

receiving plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data are separate;

generating, using the processor, printer commands for a printer based on the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the printer commands configure the printer to control printing of text associated with the text data and a watermark associated with the plural-bit digital watermark data such that the watermark is imperceptible to a human viewer, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a first density based upon printing the text, wherein the first density comprises a first density of ink droplets, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a second finer density based upon printing the watermark, wherein the second print density comprises a second density of ink droplets that is finer than the first density of ink droplets, and wherein the watermark comprises a component that is machine-detectable in a frequency domain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark appears as a subtle background tint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark comprises a modulation of the text data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising modulating the text data based on the plural-bit digital watermark data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark is adapted to remain imperceptible to the human viewer in a copy of a document comprising the text and the watermark.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer comprises an inkjet printer.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive text data;

receive plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data are separate;

generate printer commands for a printer based on the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the printer commands are adapted to configure the printer to control printing of text associated with the text data and a watermark associated with the plural-bit digital watermark data such that the watermark is imperceptible to a human viewer, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a first density based upon printing the text, wherein the first density comprises a first density of ink droplets, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a second finer density based upon printing the watermark, wherein the second print density comprises a second density of ink droplets that is finer than the first density of ink droplets, and wherein the watermark comprises a component that is machine-detectable in a frequency domain.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the watermark appears as a subtle background tint.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the watermark comprises a modulation of the text data.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to modulate the text data based on the plural-bit digital watermark data.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the watermark is adapted to remain imperceptible to the human viewer in a copy of a document comprising the text and the watermark.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the printer comprises an inkjet printer.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving text data;

receiving plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data are separate;

generating printer commands for a printer based on the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the printer commands configure the printer to control printing of text associated with the text data and a watermark associated with the plural-bit digital watermark data such that the watermark is imperceptible to a human viewer, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a first density based upon printing the text, wherein the first density comprises a first density of ink droplets, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a second finer density based upon printing the watermark, wherein the second print density comprises a second density of ink droplets that is finer than the first density of ink droplets, and wherein the watermark comprises a component that is machine-detectable in a frequency domain.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the watermark appears as a subtle background tint.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the watermark comprises a modulation of the text data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise modulating the text data based on the plural-bit digital watermark data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the watermark is adapted to remain imperceptible to the human viewer in a copy of a document comprising the text and the watermark.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the printer comprises an inkjet printer.