Watermark reading kiosks

Abstract

A kiosk for reading a digital watermark from a physical object (e.g., a printed document) can be used in various contexts, including retail systems designed to provide customers with product information; corporate greeting systems used to register or direct a visitor; computer terminals in public environments—such as cyber cafés—which can be used to access the Internet; and registration terminals at service centers, such as a copy center, that are used to request services or provide information. An illustrative kiosk may include a housing with a computer concealed inside. On the outside of the kiosk is an illuminated stage on which the user can place the object to be read. An image sensor (e.g., a webcam) captures an image of the object placed on the stage, and the computer processes the image to decode the watermark payload. The computer than responds to the user (e.g., via a display screen or audio transducer) with responsive information.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.