US7095871B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital asset management and linking media signals with related data using watermarks
Assignee: Digimarc Corp
•
Filing: 2002-04-05
•
Granted: 2006-08-22
•
Expires: 2022-04-05
Abstract
Abstract A method of performing digital asset management of media content. In this method, a watermark reader device reads a watermark embedded into media content. The watermark conveys watermark information, such as a content identifier and creator identifier. The reader forwards the watermark information to a router. The router then uses the watermark information to find a metadata database identifier. It then sends a request for metadata along with the watermark information to the metadata database identified by the metadata database identifier. The metadata database uses the watermark information to find related metadata for the media content and sends the related metadata to the reader device.
Inventors
- 👤 Kevin C. Jones
- 👤 Cynthia K. Aggson
- 👤 Tony F. Rodriguez
- 👤 Brian Mosher
- 👤 Kenneth L. Levy
- 👤 R. Stephen Hiatt
- 👤 Geoffrey B. Rhoads
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:13
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/14; G06K7/1404; G06K7/1408; G06K7/1417; B; B42; B42D; B42D25/00; B42D25/30; B42D25/333; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/955; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/06009; G06K19/06037; G06K19/06046; G06K19/08; G06K19/10; G06K19/14; G06K19/18; G06K7/1439; G06K7/1447; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/08; G06Q10/087; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/34; G06Q20/341; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/40; G06Q20/401; G06Q20/4014; G06Q20/40145; G06T; G06T1/00; G06T1/0021; G06V; G06V30/00; G06V30/40; G07; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/20; G07C9/22; G07C9/25; G07C9/253; G07D; G07D7/00; G07D7/003; G07D7/0034; G07D7/004; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/26; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G07F7/086; G07F7/10; G07F7/1008; G10; G10L; G10L19/00; G10L19/018; G11; G11B; G11B20/00; G11B20/00086; G11B20/00884; G11B20/00891; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00002; H04N1/00005; H04N1/00026; H04N1/00037; H04N1/00071; H04N1/00074; H04N1/00079; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32144; H04N1/32149; H04N1/32154; H04N1/3216; H04N1/32203; H04N1/32208; H04N1/32251; H04N1/32288; H04N1/32352; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N21/238; H04N21/2389; H04N21/23892; H04N21/80; H04N21/83; H04N21/835; H04N21/8358; G06K2019/06215; G06K2019/06253; H04N1/32106; H04N1/32122; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3204; H04N2201/3205; H04N2201/3207; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/3226; H04N2201/3233; H04N2201/3269; H04N2201/327; H04N2201/3271; H04N2201/3274; H04N2201/328
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of performing digital asset management of media content comprising: in a reader device, reading a watermark embedded into media content, the watermark conveying watermark information; forwarding the watermark information to a router; in the router, using the watermark information to find a metadata database identifier; sending a request for metadata along with the watermark information to the metadata database identified by the metadata database identifier; from the metadata database, using the watermark information to find related metadata for the media content and sending the related metadata to the reader device.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of performing digital asset management of media content comprising: in a reader device, reading a watermark embedded into media content, the watermark conveying watermark information; forwarding the watermark information to a router; in the router, using the watermark information to find a metadata database identifier; sending a request for metadata along with the watermark information to the metadata database identified by the metadata database identifier; from the metadata database, using the watermark information to find related metadata for the media content and sending the related metadata to the reader device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the reader device has a user interface that enables a user to input a media content file for watermark reading, and in response to input of the media content file, the reader device requests and displays related metadata returned from the metadata database in the user interface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the user interface enables the user to input the media content file by dragging and dropping a representation of the media content file into the user interface with a cursor control device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information about an object depicted in a watermarked image signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information about how to purchase or license the media content to which it is related.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the router routes requests for metadata to different metadata databases based on watermark information decoded from watermarked media content.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the reader is operable to fetch metadata relating to a media object file from two or more different metadata databases.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the reader device comprises an Internet browser program including a watermark reader executing on a computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the reader device comprises a watermark reader program executing on a computer, and the reader application includes a user interface for displaying the metadata returned from the metadata database.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the reader device fetches metadata from two or more different metadata databases linked to the media content by the watermark and integrates the metadata from the different databases into a user interface display.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 including: using the watermark information to find related media content to the media content from which the watermark is read, and returning information about the related media content to the reader device.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of controlling unauthorized distribution of content media, the content media being contained in a physical package, said method comprising: digitally watermarking the content media with a first digital watermark; associating the first digital watermark with a second digital watermark; and digitally watermarking the physical package with the second digital watermark, wherein access to the content media is intended only when a comparison of the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark confirms that the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark correspond.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of controlling unauthorized distribution of content media, the content media being contained in a physical package, said method comprising: digitally watermarking the content media with a first digital watermark; associating the first digital watermark with a second digital watermark; and digitally watermarking the physical package with the second digital watermark, wherein access to the content media is intended only when a comparison of the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark confirms that the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark correspond.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 12 further comprising a step of permitting access to a data storage resource comprising enhanced content that is related to the content media only when the comparison of the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark confirms that the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark correspond.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein the physical package comprises at least one of a video cassette tape, a DVD, a CD, paper, label, covering, packaging, plastic and a jewel case.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein said first digital watermark comprises a first identifier and said second digital watermark comprises a second identifier.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 15 , wherein the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark are confirmed to correspond if the second identifier provides a key to the first digital watermark.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the key is at least one of an encryption key, a decoding key, and a watermark location key.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 15 , wherein said associating step ensures that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are associated via at least one of a data record and index.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
66 words
A media package comprising physical packaging and media content, said media content comprising a first digital watermark, and said physical packaging comprising at least a second digital watermark, wherein said first digital watermark and said second digital watermark reduce the unauthorized distribution of the media content by requiring cooperation between the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark to permit access to the media content.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
66 words
A media package comprising physical packaging and media content, said media content comprising a first digital watermark, and said physical packaging comprising at least a second digital watermark, wherein said first digital watermark and said second digital watermark reduce the unauthorized distribution of the media content by requiring cooperation between the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark to permit access to the media content.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
The media package of claim 20 wherein said first digital watermark comprises a first identifier and said second digital watermark comprises a second identifier, and wherein said second identifier comprises a key to unscramble or decode the first identifier.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The media package of claim 21 , wherein the first identifier comprises a decryption key to decrypt the media content.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
105 words
A content searching system comprising: a plurality of search agent programs, each operable to search corresponding computer systems and to report descriptive metadata and storage locations of content files found on the corresponding computer systems to a database; the database being operable to store the descriptive metadata and being searchable by keywords to find content files with descriptive metadata data relating to the keywords; wherein at least one of the search agents is in communication with a digital watermark detector operable to extract content identifiers embedded in selected content files, the content identifiers providing a reference to the descriptive metadata for the selected content files.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
105 words
A content searching system comprising: a plurality of search agent programs, each operable to search corresponding computer systems and to report descriptive metadata and storage locations of content files found on the corresponding computer systems to a database; the database being operable to store the descriptive metadata and being searchable by keywords to find content files with descriptive metadata data relating to the keywords; wherein at least one of the search agents is in communication with a digital watermark detector operable to extract content identifiers embedded in selected content files, the content identifiers providing a reference to the descriptive metadata for the selected content files.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 23 wherein content files include digital watermarks that provide content type information used to index the content files in the database.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
80 words
In a metadata management system in which media content is persistently linked to related metadata via a digital watermark embedded in the media content, a method of formatting metadata for display comprising: receiving metadata from a metadata source that has been identified via a digital watermark; receiving information about a client device on which the metadata is to be rendered for output; and reformatting the metadata for rendering on the client device based on the information about the client device.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
80 words
In a metadata management system in which media content is persistently linked to related metadata via a digital watermark embedded in the media content, a method of formatting metadata for display comprising: receiving metadata from a metadata source that has been identified via a digital watermark; receiving information about a client device on which the metadata is to be rendered for output; and reformatting the metadata for rendering on the client device based on the information about the client device.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of managing media content comprising: in a reader, reading a watermark embedded into media content, the watermark conveying watermark information; using the watermark information to find a metadata database; sending a request for metadata along with at least a portion of the watermark information to the metadata database; receiving related metadata from the metadata database, wherein at least a portion of the watermark information is used in the metadata database to find the related metadata for the media content.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of managing media content comprising: in a reader, reading a watermark embedded into media content, the watermark conveying watermark information; using the watermark information to find a metadata database; sending a request for metadata along with at least a portion of the watermark information to the metadata database; receiving related metadata from the metadata database, wherein at least a portion of the watermark information is used in the metadata database to find the related metadata for the media content.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of managing media content comprising: receiving watermark information that has been obtained from a digital watermark extracted from media content; using the watermark information to find a metadata database; sending a request for metadata along with at least a portion of the watermark information to the metadata database; receiving related metadata from the metadata database, wherein at least a portion of the watermark information is used in the metadata database to find the related metadata for the media content.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of managing media content comprising: receiving watermark information that has been obtained from a digital watermark extracted from media content; using the watermark information to find a metadata database; sending a request for metadata along with at least a portion of the watermark information to the metadata database; receiving related metadata from the metadata database, wherein at least a portion of the watermark information is used in the metadata database to find the related metadata for the media content.
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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) | 2009-08-21 | 2010-02-20 | 2010-08-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2013-08-21 | 2014-02-20 | 2014-08-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-08-21 | 2018-02-20 | 2018-08-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |