Printer driver separately applying watermark and information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630443-B2
Application number	US-79240004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2004
Priority date	Jul 27, 1995
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides a printer responsive to commands from printer driver software. The printer driver software is characterized by being responsive to two types of input data. One of the types includes text data, and the other of the types includes watermark data. The two types of data are separately applied to printer driver software, rather than integrated together prior to application to the printer driver software.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a processor, text data;
receiving plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data are separate;
generating, using the processor, printer commands for a printer based on the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the printer commands configure the printer to control printing of text associated with the text data and a watermark associated with the plural-bit digital watermark data such that the watermark is imperceptible to a human viewer, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a first density based upon printing the text, wherein the first density comprises a first density of ink droplets, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a second finer density based upon printing the watermark, wherein the second print density comprises a second density of ink droplets that is finer than the first density of ink droplets, and wherein the watermark comprises a component that is machine-detectable in a frequency domain.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the watermark appears as a subtle background tint.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the watermark comprises a modulation of the text data.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modulating the text data based on the plural-bit digital watermark data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the watermark is adapted to remain imperceptible to the human viewer in a copy of a document comprising the text and the watermark.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printer comprises an inkjet printer.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive text data;
receive plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data are separate;
generate printer commands for a printer based on the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the printer commands are adapted to configure the printer to control printing of text associated with the text data and a watermark associated with the plural-bit digital watermark data such that the watermark is imperceptible to a human viewer, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a first density based upon printing the text, wherein the first density comprises a first density of ink droplets, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a second finer density based upon printing the watermark, wherein the second print density comprises a second density of ink droplets that is finer than the first density of ink droplets, and wherein the watermark comprises a component that is machine-detectable in a frequency domain.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the watermark appears as a subtle background tint.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the watermark comprises a modulation of the text data.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to modulate the text data based on the plural-bit digital watermark data.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the watermark is adapted to remain imperceptible to the human viewer in a copy of a document comprising the text and the watermark.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the printer comprises an inkjet printer.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
receiving text data;
receiving plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data are separate;
generating printer commands for a printer based on the text data and the plural-bit digital watermark data, wherein the printer commands configure the printer to control printing of text associated with the text data and a watermark associated with the plural-bit digital watermark data such that the watermark is imperceptible to a human viewer, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a first density based upon printing the text, wherein the first density comprises a first density of ink droplets, wherein the printer commands adjust the print density to a second finer density based upon printing the watermark, wherein the second print density comprises a second density of ink droplets that is finer than the first density of ink droplets, and wherein the watermark comprises a component that is machine-detectable in a frequency domain.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the watermark appears as a subtle background tint.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the watermark comprises a modulation of the text data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise modulating the text data based on the plural-bit digital watermark data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the watermark is adapted to remain imperceptible to the human viewer in a copy of a document comprising the text and the watermark.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the printer comprises an inkjet printer.

Assignees

• Rhoads Geoffrey B
• Digimarc Corp

Inventors

• Rhoads Geoffrey B

Classifications

• G07C9/253

  visually · CPC title

• G06Q20/341

  Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip · CPC title

• H04N1/00973

  from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal · CPC title

• H04N1/00037

  Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state (H04N1/00031 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G07F7/1008

  Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system · CPC title