Printing media and methods employing digital watermarking

• US 6,985,600 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Kumar, Aruna B., Brundage, Trent J., Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Hannigan, Brett T., Rodriguez, Tony F., Carr, J. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US09/811,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 380/51, 380/54, 380/55, 713/176, 358/3.28, 283/72, 283/75, 283/77, 283/85, 283/93, 283/113, 283/901, 283/902
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1418 the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/10 Watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/0093 Sheet materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/40 Agents facilitating proof of genuineness or preventing fraudulent alteration, e.g. for security paper watermarking B41M3/10, D21F1/44; security printing B41M3/14; securities or banknotes characterised by colour effects B42D25/29, B42D25/30; testing paper currency or valuable papers for genuineness G07D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5029 by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6594 characterised by the format or the thickness, e.g. endless forms
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00451 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 : Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0061 : Embedding of the watermark in each block of the image, e.g. segmented watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30144 : Printing quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 : using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 : visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 : using holograms
• 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 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• 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: G07F 7/1016 : Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• 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 20/00094 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 : involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00413 : wherein the key is input by a user
• 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: H04B 1/665 : using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 : Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• 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 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00092 : relating to the original or to the reproducing medium, e.g. imperfections or dirt detecting properties of a sheet H04N1/00681
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00726 : Other properties of the sheet, e.g. curvature or reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2307 : Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device, according to a measured quantity H04N1/27, H04N1/29 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2323 : according to characteristics of the reproducing medium, e.g. type, size or availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2369 : Selecting a particular reproducing mode from amongst a plurality of modes, e.g. paper saving or normal, or simplex or duplex
• 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 1/32208 : 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 1/32251 : 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 1/32309 : in colour image data
• 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 2005/91321 : the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 : the copy protection signal being a watermark
• 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 2201/3226 : 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 2201/3249 : 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 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

Stationery, or other printable media, is encoded with a digital watermark. The watermark is not conspicuous to a human observer of the media, yet conveys plural bits of auxiliary information when optically scanned and digitally processed. The watermark can be formed by ink-jet printing, or otherwise. The encoded information can be used for various purposes, including authenticating the document as an original, linking to associated on-line resources, and distinguishing seemingly-identical versions of the same document (document serialization).

Claims

1. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet encodes multi-bit binary data, the presence of said multi-bit binary data not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the multi-bit binary data can be recovered.

2. The substrate of claim 1 in which the substrate has been processed with ink to form the steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon.

3. The substrate of claim 2 in which the ink is clear ink.

4. The substrate of claim 2 in which the ink is speckled across at least a part of the substrate.

5. The substrate of claim 1 in which the substrate has been textured to form the steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon.

6. The substrate of claim 1 in which the digital watermark pattern extends across an entire face of the substrate.

7. The substrate of claim 1 in which the digital watermark pattern is restricted to certain areas of said substrate.

8. The substrate of claim 1 in which the substrate has first and second sides, and only the first side has a watermark pattern.

9. The substrate of claim 1 in which the substrate has first and second sides, and both sides have watermark patterns.

10. The substrate of claim 1 in which the digital watermark pattern is manifested in a laminate layer.

11. The substrate of claim 1 in which said multi-bit binary data comprise an identifier, said identifier serving to convey information indicative of an electronic address.

12. The substrate of claim 11 in which the identifier comprises a pointer into a remote data structure, the remote data structure storing an electronic address corresponding to said substrate.

13. The substrate of claim 1 in which the watermark pattern conveys a steganographic orientation signal.

14. The substrate of claim 1 in which the multi-bit binary data comprise serialization information, permitting the printed object to be uniquely identified from other, seemingly identical, printed objects.

15. The substrate of claim 1 in which the watermark pattern is formed on a side of said substrate opposite a side to which final end-user printing is later applied.

16. The substrate of claim 1 comprising printing stock for a security document such as a banknote.

17. The substrate of claim 1 comprising a printed check.

18. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said multi-bit binary data correspond to said pattern in accordance with an algorithmic transformation.

19. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the substrate has been processed with ink to form the steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon, and the ink forms a mesh of thin lines.

20. The substrate of claim 19 in which the mesh of thin lines comprise a single pattern that is tiled across the substrate, the pattern being arranged so that lines located at adjoining tile edges meet without discontinuity.

21. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the substrate has been processed with ink to form the steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon, and the ink serves to impart a colored tint to the substrate.

22. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein said processing locally changes an ink absorption attribute of the substrate.

23. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the digital watermark pattern degrades when photocopied, so that the printed object can be distinguished from a photocopy thereof.

24. The substrate of claim 23 comprising a second digital watermark pattern, the second pattern being robust against photocopying.

25. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein a first region of the substrate conveys a first watermark payload, and a second, different region of the substrate conveys a second, different watermark payload.

26. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the plural bits of digital information serve to identify the type of substrate to a printer, so that the printer can tailor print parameters accordingly.

27. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the plural bits of digital information can be decoded from said substrate only by a user having secret knowledge, wherein a first end user cannot decode information encoded on a substrate of a second end user, and vice versa.

28. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, vet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the substrate comprises an envelope.

29. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, vet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the substrate comprises stationery.

30. A substrate to which final user printing can be later applied to yield a final printed object, characterized in that the substrate has been processed prior to final user printing to yield a steganographic digital watermark pattern thereon that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, vet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the substrate comprises blank magazine or newspaper printing stock.

31. A method of processing a blank substrate prior to final printing by an end-user, the method comprising forming a steganographic digital watermark pattern on the substrate that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet encodes multi-bit binary data, the presence of said multi-bit binary data not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the multi-bit binary data can be recovered.

32. The method of claim 31 that includes forming said pattern by applying ink to the substrate.

33. The method of claim 32 that includes forming said pattern by ink-jet printing.

34. The method of claim 31 that includes forming said pattern by texturing the substrate.

35. The method of claim 34 in which the texture is applied by force of pressure.

36. The method of claim 34 in which the texture is formed by embossing.

37. The method of claim 34 in which the texture is formed by an intaglio plate.

38. The method of claim 31 in which the watermark pattern conveys a steganographic orientation signal.

39. The method of claim 31 in which the pattern is formed on the substrate after delivery of the substrate to the end-user, rather than previously—

as by a producer or supplier of said substrate.

40. The method of claim 31 in which the pattern is formed on the substrate prior to delivery of the substrate to the end user—

as by a producer or supplier of said substrate, rather than after.

41. The method of claim 31 in which the pattern is formed of ink, and the ink is chosen to optimize watermark detection in the presence of expected illumination spectra.

42. The method of claim 31 in which the watermark pattern is formed on a side of said substrate opposite a side to which final end-user printing is later applied.

43. A blank substrate produced according to the method of claim 31.

44. The method of claim 31 wherein said multi-bit binary data correspond to said pattern in accordance with an algorithmic transformation.

45. A method of processing a blank substrate prior to final printing by an end-user, the method comprising forming a steganographic digital watermark pattern on the substrate that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the digital watermark pattern is designed to degrade when photocopied, so that the original printed substrate can be distinguished from a photocopy thereof.

46. A method of processing a blank substrate prior to final printing by an end-user, the method comprising forming a steganographic digital watermark pattern on the substrate that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, vet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the method further includes passing the processed substrate through a printer for end-user printing, recognizing the pattern thereon, and tailoring a printing parameter accordingly.

47. A method of processing a blank substrate prior to final printing by an end-user, the method comprising forming a steganographic digital watermark pattern on the substrate that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered, wherein:

the substrate has a photographic emulsion thereon;

the pattern is formed by exposing the emulsion with a noise-like pattern; and

the pattern is detectable after developing of the substrate.

48. A method of processing a blank substrate prior to final printing by an end-user, the method comprising forming a steganographic digital watermark pattern on the substrate that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the pattern is defined by generating a tile specifying one of N luminance values for each of plural different areas, consolidating the N values down to M, where M is less than N, and then forming lines between said areas in response to said consolidated luminance values.

49. The method of claim 48 that further includes allowing a user to specify line criteria, including whether the lines are straight or curved, and if curved, the criteria therefore.

50. A method of processing a blank substrate prior to final printing by an end-user, the method comprising forming a steganographic digital watermark pattern on the substrate that does not impair subsequent use of the substrate, yet conveys plural bits of digital information, the presence of said information not being apparent to a human observer of the substrate, said steganographic pattern being detectable by visible-light scanning of the substrate to yield data from which the plural bit information can be recovered;

wherein the plural bits of digital information can be decoded from said substrate only by a user having secret knowledge, wherein a first end user cannot decode information encoded on a substrate of a second end user, and vice versa.