Digital watermarking and data hiding with narrow-band absorption materials
AssigneeDigimarc Corporation
InventorsKristyn R. Falkenstern, Alastair M. Reed, Vojtech Holub, Tony F. Rodriguez
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to signal processing such as image processing, signal encoding, digital watermarking and data hiding. A sparse or dense digital watermark signal can be conveyed with a narrow-band absorption material corresponding to a center wavelength of a Point of Sale (POS) barcode scanner. The POS barcode scanner typically captures 2D imagery. Since the narrow-band absorption material absorbs over a narrow-band it is relatively imperceptible to the Human Visual System (HVS) but can be seen by the POS scanner.
Claims19
A printed object associated with a retail item comprising a first layer, the first layer comprising a first area and a second area, in which the first area and the second area comprise non-overlapping areas, the first area comprising a first offset ink or a flexography ink printed thereon, the printed object comprising a non-contiguous coating, the coating comprising a narrow-band absorption material with a spectral absorbance peak or maximum in the range of 630 nm-710 nm, the coating applied over portions of both the first area and the second area in a 2D pattern representing an encoded signal, the 2D pattern being redundantly applied on the printed object, in which the printed object comprises more area within the first area and the second area without the coating than area with the coating, and in which one or more instances of the 2D pattern are detectable from machine-analysis of illumination of the printed package, the illumination have an illumination peak or maximum in the range of 630 nm-710 nm.
A method comprising:
- capturing imagery corresponding to a printed object with a red illumination scanner, the red illumination scanner having a wavelength at or around 660 nm, said scanning yielding scan data,
- wherein the printed object includes a process color printed thereon through an offset or flexo printing press, the process color including a narrow-band absorption material that has a peak absorbance at or around 660 nm, the process color printed in a manner to convey an encoded plural-bit message, the encoded plural-bit message corresponding to a GTIN number;
- analyzing the imagery with one or more programmed multi-core processors to decode the encoded plural bit message, said analyzing yielding the GTIN number;
- and
- providing the GTIN number as an output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.