Digimarc Corporation

John F Stach

Ravi K Sharma

Alastair M Reed

Tony F Rodriguez

Geoffrey B Rhoads

Jun Tian

Bruce L Davis

Ajith Mulki Kamath

Brett Alan Bradley

Neil E Lofgren

Robert G Lyons

Hugh L Brunk

Tomas Filler

John Douglas Lord

Adnan M Alattar

Eric D Evans

Rebecca L Gerlach

Kenneth Lee Levy

Trent J Brundage

Lance Lixin Shen

William Y Conwell

Vojtech Holub

Sean Calhoon

Brett T Hannigan

Yang Bai

Burt W Perry

Matthew M Weaver

Joel R Meyer

Mahmood Sher-Jan

Philip R Patterson

Emma C Sinclair

Robert T Durst

Christopher A Ambiel

Marc G Footen

Tomas Denemark

Hugh L Brunk Brunk

Image processing technology embeds signal (e.g., digital watermarks) within imagery during a raster image process(or). One claim recites: an image processing method of embedding a signal within imagery using a raster image processing (RIP), comprising: obtaining a plurality of elements representing a signal; and modulating a plurality of print structures within the RIP according to the plurality of elements, in which said modulating varies density, and direction or angle, of the plurality of print structures, and in which said modulating introduces the signal within the imagery. Of course, other claims, combinations and technology are described too.

Embedding signals in a raster image processor

Artwork carrying machine readable data is generated by editing artwork according to a data signal or transforming the data signal into artwork. The machine-readable data signal is generated from a digital payload and converted into an image tile. Artwork is edited according to the image tile by moving graphic elements, adapting intersections of lines, or altering line density, among other techniques. Artwork is generated from the data signal by skeletonizing it and applying morphological operators to a skeletal representation, such as a medial axis transform. Artistic effects are introduced by filtering the data signal with directional blurring or shape filters.

Generating artistic designs encoded with robust, machine-readable data

In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views&#x2014;further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used&#x2014;or ignored&#x2014;in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Methods and arrangements for identifying objects

The present disclosure relates generally improving visibility artifacts associated with encoded signals. A visibility change for local image areas associated with an encoded signal can be determined through use of a plurality of channel-specific contrast sensitivity functions. Of course, other features, and related claims and combinations are provided as well.

Weights embedded to minimize visibility change

Differential modulation schemes encode a data channel within host signal or noisy environment in a manner that is robust, flexible to achieve perceptual quality constraints, and provides improved data capacity. Differential arrangements enable a decoder to suppress host signal or other background signal interference when detecting, synchronizing and extracting an encoded data channel. They also enable the incorporation of implicit or explicit synchronization components, which are either formed from the data signal or are complementary to it.

Differential modulation for robust signaling and synchronization

In one aspect, a retail store has multiple sensors, including item sensors in a shopping cart for gathering data from a shopper-selected first item. At least certain of the sensor data is provided to a classifier, which was previously-trained (using data including optical data from known items) to identify possible item matches corresponding to data sensed from the first item. An item identification hypothesis that the shopper-selected first item has a particular identity is evaluated based on (a) information from the classifier, and (b) store layout data indicating items associated with a store location visited by the cart or shopper. The item identification hypothesis has a confidence score. If the score meets a criterion, an item of the hypothesized identity is added to a shopping tally. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Cart-based shopping arrangements employing probabilistic item identification

In one aspect, a retail store includes a multitude of cameras, including a plurality of 3D cameras, and a plurality of other cameras. Certain of the cameras provide imagery from which a shopper's track through the store is monitored, and certain of the cameras are positioned to detect removal of items from store shelves. The store also includes a computer system that provides a database of information about store layout, indicating stock locations of different items. The computer system receives imagery from the cameras (or information derived from such imagery) and uses this data, together with information from the database and information derived from other sensors in the store, to produce a probabilistic tally of items selected by a store shopper. This tally includes an item bearing a barcode, but is produced without reading the barcode. Each item on the tally is associated with a confidence score that meets a computer system-determined threshold. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Retail store with sensor-fusion enhancements

Image processing technology embeds signal (e.g., digital watermarks) within imagery during a raster image process(or). One claim recites: an image processing method of embedding a signal within imagery using raster image processing (RIP), including: obtaining a plurality of elements representing a signal; determining edges within the imagery; using the determined edges as a reference, modulating a plurality of print structures within the RIP according to the plurality of elements to embed the signal within the imagery, in which one determined edge defines the signal to be at a predetermined angle in a set of dimensions comprising color and spatial frequency. Of course, other claims, combinations and technology are described too.

The parameters of an optical code are optimized to achieve improved signal robustness, reliability, capacity and/or visual quality. An optimization program can determine spatial density, dot distance, dot size and signal component priority to optimize robustness. An optical code generator employs these parameters to produce an optical code at the desired spatial density and robustness. The optical code is merged into a host image, such as imagery, text and graphics of a package or label, or it may be printed by itself, e.g., on an otherwise blank label or carton. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Generating and reading optical codes with variable density to adapt for visual quality and reliability

The present disclosure relates generally to digital watermarking and signal encoding. Various colors can be evaluated and modified to carry an encoded or auxiliary signal.

Geometric enumerated watermark embedding for colors and inks

The present disclosure relates generally digital watermarking and data hiding techniques. One claim recites a method comprising: obtaining data representing imagery; using one or more configured processors, transforming the data into a multi-channel color space; obtaining information indicating an impact of adding a color channel encoded signal to a color direction of the data; determining a color space direction for encoded signal detection; obtaining weighting factors based on the information indicating an impact of adding a color channel encoded signal; weighting the color channel encoded signal with weighting factors to yield a modified color channel encoded signal; using one or more configured processors, embedding the modified color channel encoded signal in the data representing imagery. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Closed form non-iterative watermark embedding

Reference imagery of dermatological conditions is compiled in a crowd-sourced database (contributed by clinicians and/or the lay public), together with associated diagnosis information. A user later submits a query image to the system (e.g., captured with a smartphone). Image-based derivatives for the query image are determined (e.g., color histograms, FFT-based metrics, etc.), and are compared against similar derivatives computed from the reference imagery. This comparison identifies diseases that are not consistent with the query image, and such information is reported to the user. Depending on the size of the database, and the specificity of the data, 90% or more of candidate conditions may be effectively ruled-out, possibly sparing the user from expensive and painful biopsy procedures, and granting some peace of mind (e.g., knowledge that an emerging pattern of small lesions on a forearm is probably not caused by shingles, bedbugs, malaria or AIDS). A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Methods and arrangements concerning dermatology

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

John F Stach