Methods for using wireless phones having optical capabilities

• US 7,174,031 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Rodriguez, Tony F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US11/132,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/107, 715/863, 345/156, 345/157, 455/556.1, 348/14.02, 348/14.04, 348/14.05, 348/207.11, 348/552, 348/699
• US Class Current: 382/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• 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: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• 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

Abstract

A wireless phone is equipped with a 2D optical sensor, enabling a variety of applications. For example, such a phone may also be provided with a digital watermark decoder, permitting decoding of steganographic data on imaged objects. Movement of a phone may be inferred by sensing movement of an imaged pattern across the optical sensor'"'"'s field of view, allowing use of the phone as a gestural input device through which a user can signal instructions to a computer-based process. A variety of other arrangements by which electronic devices can interact with the physical world are also detailed, e.g., involving sensing and responding to digital watermarks, bar codes, RFIDs, etc.

Claims

1. A method of using a phone that includes a microphone, a 2D optical sensor, and a wireless interface, the wireless interface being capable of transmitting an RF signal conveying information corresponding to audio sensed by said microphone, the method comprising:

sensing a pattern in first image data produced by the phone'"'"'s 2D sensor;

sensing said pattern in second image data subsequently produced by said 2D sensor; and

determining a movement parameter by reference to the sensed pattern in the first and second image data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said pattern comprises a machine-readable symbology that conveys plural bits of digital data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said pattern comprises a digital watermark pattern.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said pattern comprises a barcode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern is sensed from a card.

6. The method of claim 1 that further includes controlling a computer-based process in accordance with said movement parameter.

7. A method of employing a cameraphone as a gestural user interface to a computer-based process, the phone including a microphone, a 2D optical sensor, and a wireless interface, the wireless interface being capable of transmitting an RF signal conveying information corresponding to audio sensed by said microphone, the method comprising:

positioning the phone so that the camerphone'"'"'s 2D sensor captures an image of a pattern;

moving the phone so that said pattern moves within a field of view of said 2D sensor; and

through said movement of the phone, signaling user instructions to a computer-based process.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said pattern is a machine-readable symbology that conveys plural bits of digital data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said pattern comprises a digital watermark pattern.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said pattern comprises a barcode.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the pattern is sensed from a card.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the pattern is sensed from a playing card.

13. A method comprising:

moving a wireless 2D imaging device that is physically coupled to a user'"'"'s body;

during said movement, using said device to capture plural frames of image data of a subject; and

processing said captured image data to characterize a movement parameter.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the wireless 2D imaging device comprises a cameraphone held in the user'"'"'s hand;

the subject conveys an indicia that optically encodes plural-symbol information; and

the method further includes providing said movement parameter to a related system whose response is at least partially dependent thereon.

15. A method of interacting with an automated system to produce a desired response, the method employing a physical article that conveys machine-readable data, the system including cell phone equipped with an imaging sensor useful in sensing said machine readable data, the method characterized in that a user must cause relative movement between the physical article and the sensor as part of said interaction, in order for said system to produce said desired response.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the article comprises an identification document.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the method further includes:

capturing a first image of said article at a first time, and sensing a pattern in said first image;

capturing a second image of said article at a second time, and sensing a pattern in said second image; and

determining a movement parameter by reference to the sensed patterns in the first and second images.

18. The method of claim 17 that further includes controlling a computer-based process in accordance with said movement parameter.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said pattern comprises a machine-readable symbology that conveys plural bits of digital data.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said movement is caused by said user moving the physical article.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said movement is caused by said user moving the sensor.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein a first relative movement between the article and the sensor causes the system to produce a first desired response, and a second relative movement between the article and the sensor causes the system to produce a second, different, desired response.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein said relative movement requires tilting the article, so that one part of the article is closer to the sensor at one phase of said movement than at another phase of said movement.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein said desired response depends, at least in part, on said machine-readable data.

25. A method of interacting with an automated system to produce a desired response, through use of a wireless 2D imaging device, the method characterized by:

a user moving said wireless device;

during said movement, capturing plural frames of image data of a subject using said wireless device;

processing said captured image data to characterize a movement parameter; and

providing said movement parameter as an input to said automated system;

wherein response of said automated system depends, at least in part, on said movement parameter.