US7058697B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Internet linking from image content
Assignee: Digimarc Corp
•
Filing: 2001-08-28
•
Granted: 2006-06-06
•
Expires: 2021-08-28
Abstract
Abstract Address information is steganographically encoded into audio or graphic data, and thereafter decoded to permit linking to the internet. The address information can be a literal URL, or may be an index to a database from which a corresponding URL can be obtained.
Inventors
- 👤 Geoffrey B. Rhoads
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:28
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/02; B; B42; B42D; B42D25/00; B42D25/30; B42D25/328; G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/955; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/06009; G06K19/06037; G06K19/06046; G06K19/08; G06K19/10; G06K19/14; G06K19/18; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/14; G06K7/1404; G06K7/1408; G06K7/1417; G06K7/1439; G06K7/1447; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/34; G06Q20/341; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/40; G06Q20/401; G06Q20/4014; G06Q20/40145; G06T; G06T1/00; G06T1/0021; G06T1/005; G06T1/0064; G07; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/20; G07C9/22; G07C9/25; G07C9/253; G07D; G07D7/00; G07D7/003; G07D7/0034; G07D7/004; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/16; G07F17/26; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G07F7/086; G07F7/10; G07F7/1008; G11; G11B; G11B20/00; G11B20/00086; G11B20/00884; G11B20/00891; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00838; H04N1/0084; H04N1/00843; H04N1/00846; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32144; H04N1/32149; H04N1/32154; H04N1/3216; H04N1/32203; H04N1/32208; H04N1/32251; H04N1/32288; H04N1/32352; G06K2019/06215; G06K2019/06253; G06T2201/00; G06T2201/005; G06T2201/0065; G06T2201/0081; H04N1/32106; H04N1/32122; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/3226; H04N2201/3233; H04N2201/3249; H04N2201/3269; H04N2201/327; H04N2201/3271; H04N2201/3274
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving plural bit address information; processing an input set of pixel values in accordance with the plural bit address information to yield an output set of pixel values having said address information steganographically encoded therein, each of said sets comprising pixels of at least three different values, said output set of pixel values representing an encoded graphic; and distributing a version of the encoded graphic to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
94 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving plural bit address information; processing an input set of pixel values in accordance with the plural bit address information to yield an output set of pixel values having said address information steganographically encoded therein, each of said sets comprising pixels of at least three different values, said output set of pixel values representing an encoded graphic; and distributing a version of the encoded graphic to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 in which the encoded graphic conveys said plural-bit address information notwithstanding transformation into or out of digital form.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 in which the address information is not recognizable as such to human viewers of a rendered version of the encoded graphic.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 in which the address information comprises a URL.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 in which the address information comprises an index to a remote data structure, the remote data structure having a corresponding URL address stored therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 in which the encoded graphic comprises a photographic image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon an encoded graphic encoded according to claim 1 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 in which the encoded graphic comprises a color image, rather than a grayscale image.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
81 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving digital data corresponding to a graphic image; steganographically encoding the graphic image to hide plural bit address information therein; and distributing the encoded graphic image data to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet; wherein the steganographic encoding is adapted in strength in accordance with local characteristics of the graphic image, said adaptation comprising more than two different strengths.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
81 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving digital data corresponding to a graphic image; steganographically encoding the graphic image to hide plural bit address information therein; and distributing the encoded graphic image data to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet; wherein the steganographic encoding is adapted in strength in accordance with local characteristics of the graphic image, said adaptation comprising more than two different strengths.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
72 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving digital data corresponding to a graphic image; steganographically encoding the graphic image to hide plural bit address information therein; and distributing the encoded graphic image data to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet; wherein said distributing comprises distributing the encoded graphic image data in digital, rather than hardcopy, form.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
72 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving digital data corresponding to a graphic image; steganographically encoding the graphic image to hide plural bit address information therein; and distributing the encoded graphic image data to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet; wherein said distributing comprises distributing the encoded graphic image data in digital, rather than hardcopy, form.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
87 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving digital data corresponding to a graphic image; steganographically encoding the graphic image to hide plural bit address information therein; and distributing the encoded graphic image data to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet; wherein the plural-bit address information is encoded redundantly through the graphic image, wherein all of said plural bits can be recovered both from first and second non-overlapping excerpts of said image.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
87 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving digital data corresponding to a graphic image; steganographically encoding the graphic image to hide plural bit address information therein; and distributing the encoded graphic image data to users, who can decode the address information therefrom and use same in establishing a link to the internet; wherein the plural-bit address information is encoded redundantly through the graphic image, wherein all of said plural bits can be recovered both from first and second non-overlapping excerpts of said image.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for graphic-based linking to a computer address, comprising: receiving digital data at a user's computer, the data corresponding to a graphic image; using plural-bit index data steganographically decoded from said graphic image digital data to index a database; obtaining from said database a URL address corresponding to said plural-bit index data; establishing a link to said URL address; and presenting a screen display on the user's computer in accordance with information obtained from said URL address.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for graphic-based linking to a computer address, comprising: receiving digital data at a user's computer, the data corresponding to a graphic image; using plural-bit index data steganographically decoded from said graphic image digital data to index a database; obtaining from said database a URL address corresponding to said plural-bit index data; establishing a link to said URL address; and presenting a screen display on the user's computer in accordance with information obtained from said URL address.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
84 words
A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising: providing first data indicative of an address associated with the computer; steganographically embedding the first data in a second object comprising visual data, said embedding occurring in-band within said visual data, rather than in a part of said second object not intended for presentation to a user; decoding from the second object the steganographically embedded first data; and initiating a link to the computer using the first data.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
84 words
A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising: providing first data indicative of an address associated with the computer; steganographically embedding the first data in a second object comprising visual data, said embedding occurring in-band within said visual data, rather than in a part of said second object not intended for presentation to a user; decoding from the second object the steganographically embedded first data; and initiating a link to the computer using the first data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the first data comprises a URL address.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the first data comprises an index number for use in accessing a data base.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 13 that includes performing said decoding and initiating in the same device.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 13 in which the second object is in digital form, and is not rendered into human-perceptible form between said embedding and decoding.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 13 that includes distributing the second object to at least certain members of the public between said embedding and decoding.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
80 words
A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising: providing first data indicative of an address associated with the computer; steganographically embedding the first data in an object comprising visual data, said embedding extending generally throughout a sampled representation of said object, rather than localized in a particular portion thereof, wherein the complete first data can be recovered from an excerpt of said object and used to initiate a link to the computer.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
80 words
A method of initiating access to a computer via a data communications medium, the method comprising: providing first data indicative of an address associated with the computer; steganographically embedding the first data in an object comprising visual data, said embedding extending generally throughout a sampled representation of said object, rather than localized in a particular portion thereof, wherein the complete first data can be recovered from an excerpt of said object and used to initiate a link to the computer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 19 in which the object is represented by plural samples, and said embedding changes a majority of said samples.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 19 in which the object is represented by plural samples, and the embedding is relatively weaker in regions where it might more readily be perceived.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises combining overlay data with said input set of pixel values.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said processing changes pixel values, and the magnitudes of said changes approximate magnitudes of naturally-occurring digital image noise.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the encoded graphic comprises continuous tones.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises changing values of at least certain of the pixels in the input set of pixel values.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises changing values of at least certain of the pixels of the input set of pixels values based, in part, on initial values thereof.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving plural bit address information; processing input graphic information in accordance with the plural bit address information to yield encoded graphic information having the address information steganographically encoded therein; and distributing a version of the encoded graphic information to users, said version representing the encoded graphic in continuous tone form.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for enabling graphic-based linking to the internet, comprising: receiving plural bit address information; processing input graphic information in accordance with the plural bit address information to yield encoded graphic information having the address information steganographically encoded therein; and distributing a version of the encoded graphic information to users, said version representing the encoded graphic in continuous tone form.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2009-06-05 | 2009-12-05 | 2010-06-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2013-06-05 | 2013-12-05 | 2014-06-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-06-05 | 2017-12-05 | 2018-06-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |