US6522769B1 — Reconfiguring a watermark detector

Claim 1

Independent Claim 88 words

A method for reconfiguring a watermark detector comprising: decoding a watermark embedded in a signal of a media type, where the watermark includes a command signal used to trigger a change in operation of the watermark detector; based on the command signal, changing operation of the watermark detector, including changing how the watermark detector decodes or interprets a watermark in a signal of the media type; wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 88 words

A method for reconfiguring a watermark detector comprising: decoding a watermark embedded in a signal of a media type, where the watermark includes a command signal used to trigger a change in operation of the watermark detector; based on the command signal, changing operation of the watermark detector, including changing how the watermark detector decodes or interprets a watermark in a signal of the media type; wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 1 wherein the command signal is represented as one or more bits in a payload of the watermark.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 1 wherein changing operation of the watermark detector comprises re-programming the watermark detector.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 3 wherein changing operation of the watermark detector includes transferring instructions from a remote location to the detector to replace instructions stored earlier in the detector.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 1 wherein changing operation of the watermark detector includes changing the watermark detector in accordance with a preprogrammed rule in the watermark detector.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 5 wherein the preprogrammed rule defines a change in a watermark key.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 1 wherein changing operation of the watermark detector includes changing a watermark key used to decode a watermark.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 7 wherein the watermark key comprises pseudo-random key data.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 1 wherein changing the operation of the watermark detector includes changing how the detector interprets one or more bits of a watermark payload.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 1 wherein changing the operation of the watermark detector includes changing a response of a device to a watermark signal.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 1 wherein the command signal comprises a combination of bits of a watermark payload.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 1 including: changing the operation of the watermark detector with data provided in a watermark payload.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 12 wherein the command signal comprises a one or more bit trigger in the watermark payload.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 12 wherein the data comprises a watermark key in the watermark payload.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 14 wherein the watermark key comprises pseudo-random key data.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 12 wherein successively-presented watermark payloads in the signal provide the data used to change the operation of the watermark detector.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 64 words

A method for reconfiguring a watermark detector comprising: receiving a media object and a command associated with the media object signaling that the watermark detector requires an upgrade to decode a watermark from the media object; in response to the command, updating the watermark detector to create an updated watermark detector; and decoding the watermark from the media object with the updated watermark detector.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 64 words

A method for reconfiguring a watermark detector comprising: receiving a media object and a command associated with the media object signaling that the watermark detector requires an upgrade to decode a watermark from the media object; in response to the command, updating the watermark detector to create an updated watermark detector; and decoding the watermark from the media object with the updated watermark detector.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method of claim 17 wherein the command is embedded into the media object in a watermark, wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of claim 17 wherein the command is conveyed in channel different than a watermark channel in the media object, and the channel conveying the command is transmitted along with the media object.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 19 wherein the command is conveyed in a header of a file including the media object.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 67 words

A re-programmable watermark detector comprising: a watermark decoder for detecting a command to upgrade the detector; and detector instructions that are replaceable in response to detecting the command to upgrade the detector; wherein the detector instructions control decoding of watermarks embedded in media signals and are replaceable with a different set of instructions for controlling decoding of watermarks in response to the command to upgrade the detector.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 67 words

A re-programmable watermark detector comprising: a watermark decoder for detecting a command to upgrade the detector; and detector instructions that are replaceable in response to detecting the command to upgrade the detector; wherein the detector instructions control decoding of watermarks embedded in media signals and are replaceable with a different set of instructions for controlling decoding of watermarks in response to the command to upgrade the detector.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 41 words

The detector of claim 21 wherein new instructions are conveyed to the watermark detector along with a media object, wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 21 words

The detector of claim 22 wherein the new instructions are conveyed in a watermark payload to the watermark decoder for decoding.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 50 words

The detector of claim 22 wherein the detector decodes watermarks embedded in media objects of a media type, and the new instructions are conveyed along with at least one media object of the media type in a channel different than a watermark embedded in the at least one media object.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 25 words

The detector of claim 24 wherein the new instructions are provided in a media object file that includes a media object of the media type.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 13 words

The detector of claim 25 wherein the media object comprises an image signal.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 13 words

The detector of claim 25 wherein the media object comprises an audio signal.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 89 words

A method of encoding an upgrade trigger in a watermark comprising: receiving a media object of a given media type; encoding a watermark into the media object, where the watermark includes a command signal used to trigger a change in operation of a watermark detector, the change being operable to change how the watermark detector decodes or interprets a watermark in a signal of the media type, wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 89 words

A method of encoding an upgrade trigger in a watermark comprising: receiving a media object of a given media type; encoding a watermark into the media object, where the watermark includes a command signal used to trigger a change in operation of a watermark detector, the change being operable to change how the watermark detector decodes or interprets a watermark in a signal of the media type, wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 28 including encoding the command in a payload of the watermark.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 28 including encoding one or more instructions in the payload of the watermark.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 28 including: transmitting the encoded media object to one or more watermark detectors from a location remote to the one or more watermark detectors.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2006-02-17	2006-08-19	2007-02-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2010-02-17	2010-08-19	2011-02-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2014-02-17	2014-08-19	2015-02-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Reconfiguring a watermark detector

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