Steganographic encoding

• US 8,059,860 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Brundage, Trent J., Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai; Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US12/840,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20100284564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/240, 713/176, 713/179, 380/51, 380/54, 380/210, 380/252, 380/287, 370522-529, 283/72, 283 74- 81, 283/85, 283/93, 283/113, 283/901, 283/902, 358/3.28, 358/502, 348/461, 348/463
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14713 decorations in contact with injected material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14737 decorations printed on the insert by a digital imaging technique
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1418 the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14688 Coating articles provided with a decoration
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/24 Reliefs or indentations
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• 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: 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 1/32261 in binary data H04N1/32256 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• 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 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to steganographic encoding. One claim recites a consumer product including: a metallic or shinny surface including a machine-readable pattern, the machine-readable pattern including plural-bit auxiliary data hidden in a steganographic manner, and the pattern provides at least diffuse or Lambertian reflection. Another claim recites a consumer product including: a shiny or metallic surface including a pattern, the pattern including or representing the auxiliary data in a steganographic manner, and in which the pattern is provided with an ink or dye and in which at least one of a coloration or finish of the ink or dye is selected to hide the ink or dye with respect to at least one of a first coloration or the first finish. The auxiliary data comprises or links to information regarding the physical object. Of course, other claims and combinations are also provided.

Claims

1. A consumer product comprising:

a metallic or shiny surface comprising a machine-readable pattern, wherein the machine-readable pattern includes plural-bit auxiliary data hidden in a steganographic manner, and wherein the pattern provides at least diffuse or Lambertian reflection.

2. The consumer product of claim 1, wherein the pattern is provided on the metallic surface with an ink or dye.

3. The consumer product of claim 2, wherein the metallic or shiny surface comprises a first color and the ink or dye comprises a second color, wherein the second color is chosen to help hide or conceal the ink or dye when provided over the first color.

4. The consumer product of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary data is provided with digital watermarking.

5. The consumer product of claim 4, wherein the digital watermarking comprises a component to help resolve distortion introduced during image capture.

6. The consumer product of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary data is redundantly provided on the metallic or shinny surface.

7. The consumer product of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable pattern is provided in the metallic or shiny surface with small indentations in the surface.

8. The consumer product of claim 1, wherein the pattern comprises a dull finish.

9. A consumer product comprising:

a shiny or metallic surface comprising a pattern, wherein the pattern includes or represents auxiliary data in a steganographic manner, wherein the pattern is provided with an ink or dye, wherein at least one of a coloration or finish of the ink or dye is selected to hide the ink or dye with respect to at least one of a coloration or finish of the surface, and wherein the auxiliary data comprises or links to information regarding the physical object.