Abstract:
An image is encoded to define one or more spatial regions that can be sensed by a suitably-equipped mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), but are imperceptible to humans. When such a mobile device senses one of these regions, it takes an action in response (e.g., rendering an associated tone, playing linked video, etc.). One form of encoding employs modification of the color content of the image at higher spatial frequencies. In one embodiment, the encoding comprises altering a transform domain representation of the image by adding signal energy in a first chrominance channel, where the added signal energy falls primarily within a segmented arc region in a transform domain space. In another arrangement, a smartphone display presents both image data captured from a scene, and a transform representation of the image data.
Abstract:
A digital watermark embedding system generates a watermarked image by providing one or more specific regions in an image, each specific region including two or more base regions symmetric with respect to the centroid, and by embedding a watermark in the image while avoiding the specific region. Further, a digital watermark detecting system detects a watermark in a region other than the specific region, by detecting the shape of the specific region in which no watermark is embedded, calculating the centroid position of the specific region as a centroid, and correcting geometric transformation of the image based on the location in the image that corresponds to one or more calculated centroids.
Abstract:
Sparse signal modulation schemes encode a data channel on a host image in a manner that is robust, flexible to achieve perceptual quality constraints, and provides improved data capacity. The host image is printed by any of a variety of means to apply the image, with sparse signal, to an object. After image capture of the object, a decoder processes the captured image to detect and extract data modulated into the sparse signal. The sparse signal may incorporate implicit or explicit synchronization components, which are either formed from the data signal or are complementary to it.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to toys (20) and game applications that are enhanced with digital watermarks. In one embodiment, a character card includes a unique identifier in the form of a digital watermark. The identifier is used to link to a database record (26), which can be updated to reflect changes in game attributes. Some such game attributes include life, character type and name, health, strength, and power levels. The data record can be updated or modified to reflect changes in attributes due to activity or events during a computer software game. The database record can be used by the computer software game to alter or enhance the game. In another embodiment, a toy interacts with toy components or cards via digital watermarks. Digital watermarks enhance games, toys and books in still other embodiments.
Abstract:
Digital watermarking is adapted for the variable data printing. A reference signal serves as a proxy for optimizing the embedding a watermark in a host image to be printed. Using the reference signal, embedding parameters are generated, which are a function of constraints such as visual quality and robustness of the machine readable data. Adjustments needed to embed a unique payload in each printed piece are generated using the embedding parameters. These adjustments are stored in a manner that enables them to be efficiently obtained and applied within the RIP or press during operation of the press. Various other methods, system configurations and applications are also detailed.