A method for transforming an input array of pixel data into an output array of data, to yield enhanced expression of a digital watermark signal in the output array. One such method includes, for each pixel in the input array, generating a first datum that indicates a value difference between said pixel and a neighboring pixel in a first direction, the first data thereby collectively comprising a first directional difference array. Similarly, for each such pixel in the input array, generating a second datum that indicates a value difference between said pixel and a neighboring pixel in a second direction, the second data thereby collectively comprising a second directional difference array. One or more transforms to a spatial frequency domain are then performed, using these first and second directional difference arrays as input data. First and second results from the one or more transformations are then combined to yield an output array. The just detailed process causes the digital watermark signal in the output array to exhibit a greater signal-to-noise ratio than in the digital watermark signal in the input array. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Systems, computer program products, and methods are described herein for implementing steganography based augmented reality platform. The present invention is configured to provide an augmented reality application for installation on a computing device of a user; receive, via the augmented reality application, a real-time visual feed, wherein the real-time visual feed comprises an image, wherein the image comprises a message that is steganographically embedded therein; determine that the computing device of the user is authorized to access the message embedded in the image in the visual feed; and generate an acknowledgement that the computing device of the user is authorized to access the message embedded in the image in the visual feed; and transmit control signals configured to cause the computing device of the user to overlay, via the augmented reality application, the acknowledgement in a vicinity of the image in the real-time visual feed.

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.

This disclosure relates to advanced signal processing technology including signal encoding and digital watermarking. Image areas are selected in an encoded digital design, and corresponding areas from a printed version of the encoded digital design are evaluated to determined signal robustness after printing. One claim recites an image processing method for selecting image areas to test for robustness of encoded signals, the method comprising: obtaining digital artwork comprising a plurality of colors, the digital artwork comprising multiple instances of an encoded signal; selecting a set encoding tiles, and for each encoding tile determining encoding detectability measure associated therewith; creating a bin for each encoding technology used to encode the encoded signal; for each bin, removing any encoding tile having a detectability measure below a predetermined threshold; for each bin, prioritizing remaining encoding tiles; selecting an encoding tile based on the prioritization per bin, and spatially locating the selected encoding tile relative to the digital artwork. Other technology is described in this patent document.

Improvements are disclosed for detecting counterfeit objects, based on comparison to digital fingerprints that describe features found in images of objects known to be counterfeit.

Generation of one dimensional guilloche patterns able to be affixed on a document, each guilloche pattern being able to encode variable alphanumeric data providing a different appearance to each guilloche pattern, by formatting alphanumeric data to be encoded in the form of a predefined number of data blocks with a predefined size, generating a carrier function having a plurality of parameters, the formatted data blocks forming at least one of the parameters, and modulating the carrier function by the formatted data blocks so as to encode the alphanumeric data graphically, each data block defining a guilloche pattern, the number of data blocks defining the number of guilloche patterns, the carrier function associated with a formatted data block is modulated locally, each datum of the block being encoded locally in the guilloche pattern, by interpolation of a predefined point associated with the carrier function.

A method for inserting information into a first image including N1 rows×M1 columns of elements includes: a) obtaining, from the first image, a second image including N0 rows×M0 columns, N0 ≤N1 and M0≤M1, b) generating initial information including N0 rows×M0 columns, c) obtaining intermediate information including N4 rows×M4 columns of elements, so N4≥N1 and M4≥M1, and N4=kx.N0 and M4=ky.M0, kx and ky being integers≥1, the elements organized into blocks, d) obtaining information to be inserted from the intermediate information, including: generating symbols representing noise, including as many symbols as block elements, at least one <>0, so the result of a function applied to the symbols=a chosen value, adding each symbol to the corresponding block element, and e) inserting the obtained information into the first image.

The geometric pose of a patch of watermark data is estimated based on the position of a similar, but non-identical, patch of information within a data structure. The information in the data structure corresponds to a tiled array of calibration patterns that is sampled along at least three non-parallel paths. In a particular embodiment, the calibration patterns are sampled so that edges are globally-curved, yet locally-flat. Use of such information in the data structure enables enhanced pose estimation, e.g., speeding up operation, enabling pose estimation from smaller patches of watermark signals, and/or enabling pose estimation from weaker watermark signals. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A digital watermarking system and method for embedding information in and extracting information from content items, such as video signals, are described. In a method for encoding or embedding information in a content item, a content item including a plurality of frames is accessed in which each of a number of elements within the frames is associated with an inter-frame difference measure representing changes in the element between two frames. Information for embedding in the content item is accessed. Symbols of the information are embedded in the content item by manipulating the inter-frame difference measure of a selected element through a number of frames using an algorithm and the information. The information is used by the algorithm to control the manipulation. The manipulated content item is output as a watermarked content item having the information embedded therein.

A method of light messaging, in which a hidden message is transmitted via coded image emitted from a display device and retrieved using a camera, comprises training a camera-display transfer model that receives images with hidden messages from an embedding model and generates modified coded images based on training data that accounts for properties of displays and cameras, the modified coded images delivered to a recovery model that decodes the hidden messages and outputs hidden message determinations, training both the embedding and recovery models using the CDTF model and training data to minimize differences between the input hidden messages and the hidden message determinations. After training the CDTF model and other models, embedding a hidden message in a carrier image using the embedding model, displaying the coded image using the display device, receiving the coded image at the camera, and retrieving the hidden message using the recovery model.