Abstract: The present invention relates generally to processing audio and video data. One claim recites a method of accessing content stored in a remote database. The method includes: receiving video or audio data; decoding an auxiliary machine-readable code from the video or audio data; deriving a fingerprint, which fingerprint is separate from the machine-readable code, from the video or audio data itself; providing user characteristics or an index to user characteristics; and by using the machine-readable code, fingerprint and user characteristics or information obtained with the index to user characteristics, accessing the content stored in the remote database. Of course, additional combinations and claims are provided as well.

Abstract: Content is encoded with a watermark that associates it with a particular consumer. When presented for playback, the rendering equipment examines the watermark to confirm that the consumer with whom the content is associated, is also the consumer with whom the equipment is associated. If there is no watermark—or if the watermark is associated with a different consumer, then playback is refused. The equipment also desirably checks whether the content has a second watermark (or even a very feeble remnant thereof), indicating that the content has been derived from content earlier provided to a different consumer. If so, playback is again refused. Thus, this embodiment will refuse to play if there is no watermark; if there is one watermark not associated with the proprietor of the equipment; or if there are two or more watermarks.

Abstract: Directional albedo of a particular article, such as an identity card, is measured and stored. When the article is later presented, it can be confirmed to be the same particular article by re-measuring the albedo function, and checking for correspondence against the earlier-stored data. The re-measuring can be performed through us of a handheld optical device, such as a camera-equipped cell phone. The albedo function can serve as random key data in a variety of cryptographic applications. The function can be changed during the life of the article through use of a variety of different card constructions (e.g., involving quantum dots, phase change materials, MEMS structures, etc.). A variety of other arrangements and features are also detailed.

Abstract: An object (e.g., a driver's license) is tested for authenticity using imagery captured by a consumer device (e.g., a mobile phone camera). Corresponding data is sent from the consumer device to a remote system, which has secret knowledge about features indicating object authenticity. The phone, or the remote system, discerns the pose of the object relative to the camera from the captured imagery. The remote system tests the received data for the authentication features, and issues an output signal indicating whether the object is authentic. This testing involves modeling the image data that would be captured by the consumer device from an authentic object—based on the object's discerned pose (and optionally based on information about the camera optics), and then comparing this modeled data with the data sent from the consumer device. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: A method of performing digital asset management of content is provided. The content is identified with an identifier. The identifier can be identified with a digital watermark, header file, or both. The identifier is linked to usage rules to regulate usage and protect the content. The usage rules can be maintained on a remote or local database or server. Once extracted, an identifier is used to index the database to locate a corresponding usage rule, and can be used to override copy control information with proper purchase and subsequent protection. Content can be managed from such. In another embodiment, an identifier is used to track usage, such as amount of content viewed, time played, and copies made. In yet another embodiment, a content identifier is used to regulate content throughout a distribution chain, and a distributed set of databases with information relevant only to the owner of the database act as one database due to a central router.

Abstract: The location of one or more mobile nodes in a wireless local area network (WLAN) is determined. Nodes in the WLAN include respective ping drivers to generate ping event values related to transmit count stamps and receive count stamps for wireless messages exchanged between the nodes. Each wireless message is associated with a transmit offset corresponding to an expected transmit time. A sorting module groups the ping event values and produces a difference between the respective receive count stamps and the transmit count stamps for each wireless message. Based on the sorted ping event values, the sorting module generates transmit offset values relating to the transmit offsets. A space-time calibration unit generates, from the sorted differences and the transmit offset values, a clock rate solution and a location solution for at least one of the nodes in the WLAN.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to digital watermarking and steganographic data hiding. In one embodiment a method of rendering content to a user is provided. The rendered content includes a digital watermark embedded therein. In another embodiment, digital watermarking is utilized to facilitate purchase or lease of audio or video content over a network or with a remote computer. In still another embodiment, a compression characteristic is determined, and subsequent steganographic embedding is influenced based on the characteristic. Other embodiments are provided as well.

Abstract: Methods for enhancing content objects within web pages use persistent content identification to identify content signals and associate behaviors with the content signals, such as controlling rendering of the content signals along with other information, such as advertising. One method executes within a user device and automatically inserts code within the web page to fetch remote information used in connection with rendering the content signal in a web page. Another method operates on a server and enhances a content object so that it will have certain behaviors when downloaded and presented with a web page.

Abstract: An object (e.g., a driver's license) is tested for authenticity using imagery captured by a consumer device (e.g., a mobile phone camera). Corresponding data is sent from the consumer device to a remote system, which has secret knowledge about features indicating object authenticity. The phone, or the remote system, discerns the pose of the object relative to the camera from the captured imagery. The remote system tests the received data for the authentication features, and issues an output signal indicating whether the object is authentic. This testing involves modeling the image data that would be captured by the consumer device from an authentic object—based on the object's discerned pose (and optionally based on information about the camera optics), and then comparing this modeled data with the data sent from the consumer device. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: A location aware intelligent transportation system determines ranges between a plurality of communication devices, including at least one mobile communication device. A method includes receiving receive messages transmitted from a plurality of other communication devices. Each receive message includes a transmit count stamp corresponding to a remote counter value. The mobile communication device generates a receive count stamp for each receive message. The method includes dynamically associating and disassociating the mobile communication device with a plurality of sub-groups of the plurality of other communication devices. The associating and disassociating are based at least in part on receiving receive messages from a predetermined number of other communication devices for each sub-group.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for processing data. One claim recites a camera-equipped portable computer system, comprising: a camera; one or more processors programed for: i) controlling the camera to capture image data, the captured image data corresponding to the camera's field of view; ii) defining a sub-region comprising image data within the field of view, the sub-region comprising less image data than does the full field of view; and iii) searching image data within the field of view for hidden keys, but limiting a response to detected keys to those only found within the sub-region. Of course other claims and combinations are provided too.

Abstract: A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: A smartphone is adapted for use as an imaging spectrometer, by synchronized pulsing of different LED light sources as different image frames are captured by the phone's CMOS image sensor. A particular implementation employs the CIE color matching functions, and/or their orthogonally transformed functions, to enable direct chromaticity capture. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: Cell phones and other portable devices are equipped with a variety of technologies by which existing functionality is improved, and new functionality is provided. Some aspects relate to imaging architectures, in which a cell phone's image sensor is one in a chain of stages that successively act on instructions/data, to capture and later process imagery. Other aspects relate to distribution of processing tasks between the device and remote resources (“the cloud”). Elemental image processing, such as filtering and edge detection—and even some simpler template matching operations—may be performed on the cell phone. Other operations are referred out to remote service providers. The remote service providers can be identified using techniques such as a reverse auction, though which they compete for processing tasks. Other aspects of the disclosed technologies relate to visual search capabilities, and determining appropriate actions responsive to different image inputs.

Abstract: A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: A device, such as a cell phone, uses an image sensor to capture image data. The phone can respond to detection of particular imagery feature (e.g., watermarked imagery, barcodes, image fingerprints, etc.) by presenting distinctive graphics on a display screen. Such graphics may be positioned within the display, and affine-warped, in registered relationship with the position of the detected feature, and its affine distortion, as depicted in the image data. Related approaches can be implemented without use of an image sensor, e.g., relying on data sensed from an RFID device. Auditory output, rather than visual, can also be employed. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to processing audio and video data. One claim recites a method of accessing content stored in a remote database. The method includes: receiving video or audio data; decoding an auxiliary machine-readable code from the video or audio data; deriving a fingerprint, which fingerprint is separate from the machine-readable code, from the video or audio data itself; providing user characteristics or an index to user characteristics; and by using the machine-readable code, fingerprint and user characteristics or information obtained with the index to user characteristics, accessing the content stored in the remote database. Of course, additional combinations and claims are provided as well.

Abstract: Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) tend to be specialized and expensive—relegated to only key points in power distribution networks, and are generally reliant on GPS technology. The present disclosure details how any smart meter—using wireless communication—can perform sub-microsecond-grade synchrophasor measurements. Other aspects concern smart meter-based determination of A, B or C phase of the tri-phase power network. This can involve count-stamp enabling message packets sent to and/or from a smart meter, and then associating such count-stamps to local measurements of power phase by a metrology unit. Once a network of such enabled smart meters and other devices is formed, sub-microsecond metropolitan-wide and entire region-wide synchronizing time standard can calibrate local measurements of power phase, where simple A, B and C phase determination is one low hanging fruit application of such.

Abstract: Content identifiers are associated with respective metadata. Through use of the metadata, a user's experience with the content can be enhanced. A variety of other arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: An image can be encoded to define one or more spatial regions that are detectable by a suitably-equipped mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), but are imperceptible to humans. When such a mobile device senses one of these regions, it takes an action in response (e.g., rendering an associated tone, playing linked video, etc.). The mobile device may send an excerpt of captured imagery to a cloud processor, which responds with an estimate of the viewing angle by which the image was captured. The mobile device can perform further operations (e.g., re-sampling, watermark decoding) based on this viewing angle estimate. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.