公开(公告)号：US20220055071A1

公开(公告)日：2022-02-24

申请号：US17470674

申请日：2021-09-09

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Ravi K. Sharma ,  Tomas Filler ,  Vojtech Holub ,  Osama M. Alattar ,  Hugh L. Brunk ,  John D. Lord ,  Geoffrey B. Rhoads ,  William Y. Conwell ,  Ajith M. Kamath

IPC: B07C5/34 ,  B07C5/342

Abstract: A plastic item, such as a beverage bottle, can convey two distinct digital watermarks, encoded using two distinct signaling protocols. A first, printed label watermark conveys a retailing payload, including a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) used by a point-of-sale scanner in a retail store to identify and price the item when presented for checkout. A second, plastic texture watermark may convey a recycling payload, including data identifying the composition of the plastic. The use of two different signaling protocols assures that a point-of-sale scanner will not spend its limited time and computational resources working to decode the recycling watermark, which may lack data needed for retail checkout. In some embodiments, a recycling apparatus makes advantageous use of both types of watermarks to identify the plastic composition of the item (e.g., relating GTIN to plastic type using an associated database), thereby increasing the fraction of items that are correctly identified for sorting and recycling. In other embodiments the plastic item (or a label thereon) bears only a single watermark. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

公开(公告)号：US20210352192A1

公开(公告)日：2021-11-11

申请号：US17371964

申请日：2021-07-09

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Ravi K. Sharma ,  Tomas Filler ,  Vojtech Holub ,  Osama M. Alattar ,  Hugh L. Brunk ,  John D. Lord ,  William Y. Conwell

IPC: H04N5/225 ,  G06F21/16 ,  H04N21/44 ,  H04N21/2389 ,  H04N21/8358 ,  G09C5/00

Abstract: A plastic item, such as a beverage bottle, conveys two distinct digital watermarks, encoded using two distinct signaling protocols. A first, printed label watermark conveys a retailing payload, including a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) used by a point-of-sale scanner in a retail store to identify and price the item when presented for checkout. A second, plastic texture watermark conveys a recycling payload, including data identifying the composition of the plastic. The use of two different signaling protocols assures that a point-of-sale scanner will not spend its limited time and computational resources working to decode the recycling watermark, which lacks the data needed for retail checkout. In some embodiments, a recycling apparatus makes advantageous use of both types of watermarks to identify the plastic composition of the item (e.g., relating GTIN to plastic type using an associated database), thereby increasing the fraction of items that are correctly identified for sorting and recycling. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

公开(公告)号：US20210157998A1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-27

申请号：US17150801

申请日：2021-01-15

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Tony F. Rodriguez ,  Bruce L. Davis ,  Geoffrey B. Rhoads ,  John D. Lord ,  Alastair M. Reed ,  Eric D. Evans ,  Rebecca L. Gerlach ,  Yang Bai ,  John F. Stach ,  Tomas Filler ,  Marc G. Footen ,  Sean Calhoon ,  William Y. Conwell ,  Brian T. MacIntosh

IPC: G06K7/10 ,  G06K7/14 ,  G06K9/18 ,  G06K9/20 ,  G06K9/78 ,  G06Q30/00 ,  G07G1/00 ,  G06Q20/20 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06Q10/08

Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

公开(公告)号：US20200380226A1

公开(公告)日：2020-12-03

申请号：US16893856

申请日：2020-06-05

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Tony F. Rodriguez ,  Bruce L. Davis ,  Geoffrey B. Rhoads ,  John D. Lord ,  Alastair M. Reed ,  Eric D. Evans ,  Rebecca L. Gerlach ,  Yang Bai ,  John F. Stach ,  Tomas Filler ,  Marc G. Footen ,  Sean Calhoon ,  William Y. Conwell ,  Brian T. MacIntosh

IPC: G06K7/10 ,  G06K7/14 ,  G06K9/18 ,  G06K9/20 ,  G06K9/78 ,  G06Q30/00 ,  G07G1/00 ,  G06Q20/20 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06Q10/08

Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

公开(公告)号：US20200372228A1

公开(公告)日：2020-11-26

申请号：US16893834

申请日：2020-06-05

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Tony F. Rodriguez ,  Bruce L. Davis ,  Geoffrey B. Rhoads ,  John D. Lord ,  Alastair M. Reed ,  Eric D. Evans ,  Rebecca L. Gerlach ,  Yang Bai ,  John F. Stach ,  Tomas Filler ,  Marc G. Footen ,  Sean Calhoon ,  William Y. Conwell ,  Brian T. MacIntosh

IPC: G06K7/10 ,  G06K7/14 ,  G06K9/18 ,  G06K9/20 ,  G06K9/78 ,  G06Q30/00 ,  G07G1/00 ,  G06Q20/20 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06Q10/08

Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

公开(公告)号：US10764230B2

公开(公告)日：2020-09-01

申请号：US15985421

申请日：2018-05-21

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： John D. Lord

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  H04L12/58 ,  H04N21/422 ,  H04N21/218 ,  H04N21/2187 ,  H04N21/233 ,  H04N21/234 ,  H04N21/2665 ,  H04N21/2668 ,  H04N21/2743 ,  H04N21/4223 ,  G10L19/018 ,  H04N21/8358 ,  G06T1/00 ,  H04N21/462 ,  H04N21/658 ,  H04N21/4788

Abstract: A method for low latency audio watermark embedding buffers samples of an audio stream in a buffer, including previous blocks of audio samples in the audio stream. It computes a perceptual mask from the audio samples in the buffer, generates a watermark signal; and applies the perceptual mask to the watermark signal for the first block to produce a mask-applied watermark signal. It inserts the mask-applied watermark signal into the audio samples of the first block without waiting for a subsequent audio block of samples in the audio stream and outputs watermarked audio of the first block.

公开(公告)号：US20200065933A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-27

申请号：US16557929

申请日：2019-08-30

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Ravi K. Sharma ,  John D. Lord ,  Robert G. Lyons

IPC: G06T1/00 ,  G06T3/00 ,  G06K9/62 ,  G06F1/02

Abstract: Signal processing devices and methods estimate transforms between signals using a least squares technique. From a seed set of transform candidates, a direct least squares method applies a seed transform candidate to a reference signal and then measures correlation between the transformed reference signal and a suspect signal. For each candidate, update coordinates of reference signal features are identified in the suspect signal and provided as input to a least squares method to compute an update to the transform candidate. The method iterates so long as the update of the transform provides a better correlation. At the end of the process, the method identifies a transform or set of top transforms based on a further analysis of correlation, as well as other results.

公开(公告)号：US20190302222A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-03

申请号：US16377700

申请日：2019-04-08

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Brett A. Bradley ,  Ravi K. Sharma ,  Shankar Thagadur Shivappa ,  John D. Lord

IPC: G01S5/18 ,  G01S5/02

Abstract: Mobile device positioning employs various forms of audio signal structures and detection methodologies. In one method, detection of an audio signal from a first source enables construction of a signal to facilitate detection of an audio signal from another source. Signals detected from these sources enable positioning of the mobile device receiving those signals. Another method forms audio signals transmitted from audio sources so that they have parts that add constructively and parts that differentiate the sources to enable positioning. Another audio signal based positioning method adaptively switches among positioning methods so that positioning remains operative as a mobile device moves toward and away from the sources. Another method tracks positioning history, evaluates it for errors and performs error mitigation to improve accuracy. Various other positioning technologies are detailed as well.

公开(公告)号：US20190171856A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-06

申请号：US16002989

申请日：2018-06-07

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Ravi K. Sharma ,  Tomas Denemark ,  Brett A. Bradley ,  Geoffrey B. Rhoads ,  Eoin C. Sinclair ,  Vojtech Holub ,  Hugh L. Brunk ,  Trent J. Brundage ,  John F. Stach ,  John D. Lord ,  Joel R. Meyer

IPC: G06K7/14 ,  G06K19/06

Abstract: The parameters of an optical code are optimized to achieve improved signal robustness, reliability, capacity and/or visual quality. An optimization program can determine spatial density, dot distance, dot size and signal component priority to optimize robustness. An optical code generator employs these parameters to produce an optical code at the desired spatial density and robustness. The optical code is merged into a host image, such as imagery, text and graphics of a package or label, or it may be printed by itself, e.g., on an otherwise blank label or carton. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

公开(公告)号：US20180330464A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-15

申请号：US15967214

申请日：2018-04-30

Applicant: Digimarc Corporation

Inventor： Ravi K. Sharma ,  John D. Lord ,  Robert G. Lyons ,  Osama M. Alattar ,  Jacob L. Boles

IPC: G06T1/00 ,  G06T3/00 ,  G06K9/62

CPC classification number: G06T1/0064 ,  G06K9/6206 ,  G06T3/0006 ,  G06T3/0056 ,  G06T2201/0052 ,  G06T2201/0065 ,  G06T2201/0081

Abstract: Signal processing devices and methods estimate a geometric transform of an image signal. From a seed set of transform candidates, a direct least squares method applies a seed transform candidate to a reference signal and then measures correlation between the transformed reference signal and an image signal in which the reference signal is encoded. Geometric transform candidates encompass differential scale and shear, which are useful in approximating a perspective transform. For each candidate, update coordinates of reference signal features are identified in the image signal and provided as input to a least squares method to compute an update to the transform candidate. The method iterates so long as the update of the transform provides a better correlation. At the end of the process, the method identifies a geometric transform or set of top transforms based on a further analysis of correlation, as well as other results. Phase characteristics are exploited in the process of updating coordinates and measuring correlation. The geometric transform is used as an approximation of the geometric distortion of an image after digital data is encoded in it, and is used to compensate for this distortion to facilitate extracting embedded digital messages from the image. Due to the errors in the approximation, a signal confidence metric is determined and used to weight message symbol estimates extracted from the image.