Abstract: The present invention relates generally to digital watermarking holographic structures. One method recites: creating a computer model; executing a transform domain iterative method to convert the computer model into a holographic structure; combining a digital watermark with the holographic structure; and conveying the combined digital watermark and holographic structure to a surface. Other combinations are provided and claimed as well.

Abstract: The disclosure describes pattern recognition detectors and software used to detect patterns in image streams. The detectors operate on streams of image data, making them suitable for detecting certain types of patterns in documents and images passed between processes and devices. For instance, the streaming mode detectors operate in printer drivers on streams of image data being passed to a printer. Also, the streaming mode detectors operate in scanner drivers on streams of image data being passed from a scanner. The disclosure describes pattern detectors for shapes with complex features as well as objects comprised of many smaller shapes. The disclosure also describes novel raster line and edge tracing pattern techniques.

Abstract: A method for detecting possible fraud in a document includes receiving an electronic image of the document and extracting data from the image that includes a plurality of printed characters. Next, one or more properties of the characters are measured, the properties are compared to at least one corresponding normative property to determine whether anomalies are present, and a determination is made as to whether to provide a fraud alert based on the anomalies, if any. Preferably, the method includes reporting the one or more anomalies, if any, to a classifier engine, wherein the classifier engine determines whether to provide the alert. Also, methods for determining character spacing ands/or acuity are provided.

Abstract: Driver's licenses and other security documents include one or more machine-readable features, each conveying plural bits of information. These features are used in a variety of ways to increase security, and/or to enhance functionality. In one embodiment, data encoded on a driver's license is used at airport check-in, to link to a state DMV database and obtain information by which the document, and its custodian, can be authenticated. In like fashion, a license can be used to authenticate a bearer and/or his/her age prior to the sale of alcohol or tobacco products. In other embodiments, different elements of a driver's license (e.g., the substrate, photo, text data, and machine-readable data) are logically bound together (e.g., interlinked through payloads conveyed by different machine-readable features) as a deterrent against counterfeiting. Driver's licenses can be similarly logically bound to personal checks and other documents. Many other arrangements are also disclosed.

Abstract: A reversible watermarking method embeds auxiliary data into a data set, such as an image, audio, video or other data, in a manner that enables full recovery of the original, un-modified data set. This method may be used to determine whether the data set has been tampered. To improve embedding capacity without the need for compression of the auxiliary data, the method uses an expansion technique. One particular approach exploits the correlation or redundancy within the data set to convert the data to a set of small, expandable values, such as difference values. These small values are then expanded by inserting auxiliary data as one or more additional bits, increasing the number of bits without causing an underflow or overflow. This approach also uses a property of the data set that is invariant to the embedding operation to identify embedding locations, obviating the need for separate data to identify where data is embedded in a data set.

Abstract: The present invention relates to toys 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, 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: The disclosure describes pattern recognition detectors and software used to detect objects in image streams. The detectors operate on streams of image data, making them suitable for detecting certain types of objects in documents and images passed between processes and devices. For instance, the streaming mode detectors operate in printer drivers on streams of image data being passed to a printer. Also, the streaming mode detectors operate in scanner drivers on streams of image data being passed from a scanner. The disclosure describes pattern detectors for shapes with complex features as well as objects comprised of many smaller shapes. The disclosure also describes novel raster line and edge tracing pattern techniques.

Abstract: The disclosure describes an authentication system and related methods for authenticating printed objects. The system uses an information-based metric along with one or more print quality metrics to provide accurate detection or classification of a counterfeit printed object. The print quality metric evaluates attributes of a subject image associated with the original printer, ink or paper to detect degradation of those operations due to copying operations like an image scanning and halftone printing subsequent to the original printing of the object. The information-based metric measures message symbol errors in an optically readable code, such as a digital watermark.

Abstract: Processes and apparatus for improving the state of the art for watermarking and data protection. The disclosure includes feature-based watermarks, auto- and cross-correlation techniques for determining scaling and rotation, transitions in time based watermarking, autocorrelation watermarks for images, and dynamic content scrambling of static files.

Abstract: The present invention relates to digital watermarks integrated into holograms, watermarked hologram structures, and related applications as an authentication technique. One method creates a watermark image, and then embeds the watermark image into a holographic structure. The holographic structure is carried by a smart card. The smart card includes additional information. In one embodiment, the digital watermark includes information bits, and these information bits are used to authenticate the hologram, or the smart card. In another embodiment, the watermark's information bits are compared with the additional information carried by the smart card. The result of the comparison is used to authenticate the smart card or the hologram.

Abstract: Methods for integrating digital watermarks into holograms, watermarked hologram structures, and related applications. One method creates a watermark image, and then embeds the watermark image into a holographic structure. The holographic structure is created using computer generated holography to create a digital representation of the holographic structure. This digital representation is recorded on a physical substrate using optical techniques or microlithography. As an alterative, a watermark signal is embedded in a physical holographic structure by embedding the signal into an image that is optically merged with the holographic structure as it is optically recorded, or by embedding the signal into an image or physical model from which the holographic structure is formed. Another approach the creates a halftone watermarked image, and forms the halftone watermarked image in the hologram by creating hologram dots corresponding to the dots in the halftone watermarked image.

Abstract: A watermark embedder decomposes a media signal from its perceptual domain to subbands and embeds a message signal in the edge information of neighboring coefficients of those subbands. A compatible watermark decoder decomposes the watermarked signal into subbands and demodulates the message signal from the edge information of neighboring coefficients. In addition to the message signal, the embedder may also encode an orientation signal to synchronize the decoder with the embedded signal in a distorted version of the watermarked signal. The watermark system may be used in a variety of applications, including robustly carrying metadata or links to metadata, and to detect alterations of the watermarked signal, such as alterations due to printing, scanning, compression, etc.

Abstract: Driver's licenses and other security documents include one or more machine-readable features, each conveying plural bits of information. These features are used in a variety of ways to increase security, and/or to enhance functionality. In one embodiment, data encoded on a driver's license is used at airport check-in, to link to a state DMV database and obtain information by which the document, and its custodian, can be authenticated. In like fashion, a license can be used to authenticate a bearer and/or his/her age prior to the sale of alcohol or tobacco products. In other embodiments, different elements of a driver's license (e.g., the substrate, photo, text data, and machine-readable data) are logically bound together (e.g., interlinked through payloads conveyed by different machine-readable features) as a deterrent against counterfeiting. Driver's licenses can be similarly logically bound to personal checks and other documents. Many other arrangements are also disclosed.

Abstract: A watermark embedder transforms a media signal from its perceptual domain to frequency domain regions and embeds a hash of data from one frequency domain region into a watermark in another frequency domain region. Alternatively, it encodes instances of the same message into the frequency domain regions. To detect alteration of the media signal, a watermark decoder transforms a suspect signal into the frequency domain regions, extracts the watermark message from a first frequency domain region and compares it with a reference derived from another frequency domain region. The reference signal is either a hash computed from the other frequency domain region of the watermarked signal, or another instance of the same message embedded into the other frequency domain region. The decoder can be used to detect alteration of the signal, such as alteration that occurs with reproduction (printing, scanning, copying, D/A-A/D conversion, etc.), compression, cropping or swapping of media signal content, etc.

Abstract: The present invention relates to digital watermarks integrated into holograms, watermarked hologram structures, and related applications as an authentication technique. One method creates a watermark image, and then embeds the watermark image into a holographic structure. The holographic structure is carried by a smart card. The smart card includes additional information. In one embodiment, the digital watermark includes information bits, and these information bits are used to authenticate the hologram, or the smart card. In another embodiment, the watermark's information bits are compared with the additional information carried by the smart card. The result of the comparison is used to authenticate the smart card or the hologram.

Abstract: The disclosure describes an authentication system and related methods for authenticating printed objects. The system uses an information-based metric along with one or more print quality metrics to provide accurate detection or classification of a counterfeit printed object. The print quality metric evaluates attributes of a subject image associated with the original printer, ink or paper to detect degradation of those operations due to copying operations like an image scanning and halftone printing subsequent to the original printing of the object. The information-based metric measures message symbol errors in an optically readable code, such as a digital watermark.

Abstract: The present invention relates to digital watermarks integrated into holograms, watermarked hologram structures, and related applications as an authentication technique. One method creates a watermark image, and then embeds the watermark image into a holographic structure. The holographic structure is carried by a smart card. The smart card includes additional information. In one embodiment, the digital watermark includes information bits, and these information bits are used to authenticate the hologram, or the smart card. In another embodiment, the watermark's information bits are compared with the additional information carried by the smart card. The result of the comparison is used to authenticate the smart card or the hologram.

Abstract: A reversible watermarking method embeds auxiliary data into a data set, such as an image, audio, video or other data, in a manner that enables full recovery of the original, un-modified data set. This method may be used to determine whether the data set has been tampered. To improve embedding capacity without the need for compression of the auxiliary data, the method uses an expansion technique. One particular approach exploits the correlation or redundancy within the data set to convert the data to a set of small, expandable values, such as difference values. These small values are then expanded by inserting auxiliary data as one or more additional bits, increasing the number of bits without causing an underflow or overflow. This approach also uses a property of the data set that is invariant to the embedding operation to identify embedding locations, obviating the need for separate data to identify where data is embedded in a data set.

Abstract: Methods for integrating digital watermarks into holograms, watermarked hologram structures, and related applications. One method creates a watermark image, and then embeds the watermark image into a holographic structure. The holographic structure is created using computer generated holography to create a digital representation of the holographic structure. This digital representation is recorded on a physical substrate using optical techniques or microlithography. As an alterative, a watermark signal is embedded in a physical holographic structure by embedding the signal into an image that is optically merged with the holographic structure as it is optically recorded, or by embedding the signal into an image or physical model from which the holographic structure is formed. Another approach the creates a halftone watermarked image, and forms the halftone watermarked image in the hologram by creating hologram dots corresponding to the dots in the halftone watermarked image.

Abstract: The disclosure describes pattern recognition detectors and software used to detect objects in image streams. The detectors operate on streams of image data, making them suitable for detecting certain types of objects in documents and images passed between processes and devices. For instance, the streaming mode detectors operate in printer drivers on streams of image data being passed to a printer. Also, the streaming mode detectors operate in scanner drivers on streams of image data being passed from a scanner. The disclosure describes pattern detectors for shapes with complex features as well as objects comprised of many smaller shapes. The disclosure also describes novel raster line and edge tracing pattern techniques.