# US 9,438,964 B2 · Capturing video of an image with embedded code to access content > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,964 B2 - Document ID: US9438964B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/900,466 - Filed: 2013-05-22 - Published: 2013-11-21 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-21 - Assignees: Video Expressions LLC - Applicants: Video Expressions LLC - Inventors: Rene Rodriguez Marchant - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438964B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)} - G06F 16/78: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually - G06F 21/16: Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking - G06K 7/1092: {sensing by means of TV-scanning} - G06T 1/0021: {Image watermarking} - G09C 5/00: Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages - H04L 9/32: including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system {or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials} - H04N 1/32208: {involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition (H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence)} - H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures} - H04L 2209/16: Obfuscation or hiding, e.g. involving white box - H04N 1/32251: {in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data} - H04N 1/32293: {Repeating the additional information in a regular pattern} - H04N 1/32309: {in colour image data} - H04N 2201/3247: Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode - H04N 2201/3249: data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink - H04N 2201/3254: Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory - H04N 2201/327: which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes - H04N 2201/3271: Printing or stamping - H04N 2201/3274: Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information - H04N 2201/3281: Encryption; Ciphering - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G09C: CIPHERING OR DECIPHERING APPARATUS FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC OR OTHER PURPOSES INVOLVING THE NEED FOR SECRECY - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An apparatus for communicating content is disclosed. A system and method also perform the functions of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a capturing module that captures a live video of an image and an environment surrounding the image. The image has an embedded cryptographic representation of a code and the code corresponds to a unit of content. The apparatus includes a decoding module that decodes the embedded cryptographic representation of the code, a content retrieval module that retrieves the unit of content corresponding to the code from a storage location, and a display module that displays the unit of content on the live video of the image or the image environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus to communicate content, the apparatus comprising: a capturing module that captures a live video of an image and an environment surrounding the image, the image having an embedded cryptographic representation of at least one character of a code, the code corresponding to a unit of content, the embedded cryptographic representation of the at least one character identifying an orientation of the image, wherein each cryptographic representation of each character of the code comprises a group of a plurality of regularly spaced mark locations, the orientation of the image determined by determining a first distance between mark locations in a first group of regularly spaced mark locations, and determining a second distance between mark locations in a second group of regularly spaced mark locations, and comparing the first distance with the second distance; a decoding module that decodes the embedded cryptographic representation of the code; a content retrieval module that retrieves the unit of content corresponding to the code from a storage location; and a display module that displays the unit of content on at least one of the live video of the image and the image environment as a function of the determined orientation of the image, wherein said modules comprise one or more of a hardware circuit, a programmable hardware device, and executable code executing on a hardware processor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an orientation module that determines an orientation of the image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display module displays the unit of content in an orientation corresponding to the orientation of the image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display module displays the unit of content on the live video of the image, with the unit of content extending from the image in three dimensions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein an orientation of the unit of content changes in response to a change in the orientation of the image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each mark location has a mark selected from one of a nonnative mark and a native mark, wherein a pattern of marks in the group of regularly spaced mark locations is unique to each character in the code. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the nonnative mark comprises a marking added to the image, the marking having a perceptible difference between a native intensity value of a location in the image and an intensity value of the marking added to the image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the perceptible difference between the native intensity value of the location in the image and the intensity value of the marking added to the image comprises a difference that is greater than a predefined threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the marking is added to a particular color channel of the image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the marking is added to a blue color channel of the image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display module changes the displayed orientation of the unit of content in response to the orientation module determining that the orientation of the rendering of at least a portion of the image has changed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capture module captures the live video of the image using one or more of a video camera connected to a computing device, a video camera in a smartphone, a video camera in a tablet computer, and a video camera in a laptop computer. ### Claim 13 A method for communicating content, the method comprising: capturing a live video of an image and an environment surrounding the image, the image having an embedded cryptographic representation of at least one character of a code, the code corresponding to a unit of content, the embedded cryptographic representation of the at least one character identifying an orientation of the image, wherein each cryptographic representation of each character of the code comprises a group of a plurality of regularly spaced mark locations, the orientation of the image determined by determining a first distance between mark locations in a first group of regularly spaced mark locations, and determining a second distance between mark locations in a second group of regularly spaced mark locations, and comparing the first distance with the second distance; decoding the embedded cryptographic representation of the code; retrieving the unit of content corresponding to the code from a storage location; and displaying the unit of content on at least one of the live video of the image and the image environment as a function of the determined orientation of the image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising determining an orientation of the image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the unit of content comprises displaying the unit of content in an orientation corresponding to the orientation of the image. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein each mark location has a mark selected from one of a nonnative mark and a native mark, wherein a pattern of marks in the group of regularly spaced mark locations is unique to each character in the code. ### Claim 17 A system for communicating content, the system comprising: a computing device; a display device in communication with the computing device; a video camera in communication with the computing device, the computing device comprising a capturing module that captures a live video of an image using the video camera and an environment surrounding the image using the video camera, the image having an embedded cryptographic representation of at least one character of a code, the code corresponding to a unit of content the embedded cryptographic representation of the at least one character identifying an orientation of the image, wherein each cryptographic representation of each character of the code comprises a group of a plurality of regularly spaced mark locations, the orientation of the image determined by determining a first distance between mark locations in a first group of regularly spaced mark locations, and determining a second distance between mark locations in a second group of regularly spaced mark locations, and comparing the first distance with the second distance; a decoding module that decodes the embedded cryptographic representation of the code; a content retrieval module that retrieves the unit of content corresponding to the code from a storage location; and a display module that displays, on the display device, the unit of content on at least one of the live video of the image and the image environment as a function of the determined orientation of the image.