United States Patent [19]
`Rhoads
`
`[54] NETWORK LINKING METHOD USING
`STEGANOGRAPHICALLY EMBEDDED DATA
`OBJECTS
`
`[75]
`
`Inventor: Geoffrey B. Rhoads, West Linn, Oreg.
`
`[73] Assignee: Digimarc Corporation, Portland, Oreg.
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 508,083
`
`[22] Filed:
`
`Jul. 27, 1995
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 436,098, May 8, 1995, Pat.
`No. 5,636,292, and a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 436,
`099, May 8, 1995, Pat. No. 5,710,834, Ser. No. 436,134,
`May 8, 1995, Ser. No. 438,159, May 8, 1995, Ser. No.
`215,289, Mar. 17, 1994, abandoned, and Ser. No. 327,426,
`Oct. 21, 1994, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.
`154,866, Nov. 18, 1993, abandoned and a continuation-in-
`part of PCT/US94/13366 Nov. 16, 1994..
`[51] Int. C1.6
` GO6F 13/00; H04L 9/00
`[52] U.S. Cl.
` 395/200.47; 395/187.01;
`395/335; 380/4; 380/28
` 395/200.3, 200.48,
`[58] Field of Search
`395/200.38, 200.47, 200 75, 200.66, 187.01,
`682, 602, 610, 329, 335, 339, 200.49; 380/3,
`4, 5, 6, 54, 28
`
`[56]
`
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`11111111111111111111111111f111j111911,118911111111111111111111111111
`5,841,978
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
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`
`Primary Examiner-Parshotam S. Lall
`Assistant Examiner-Viet Vu
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Marger, Johnson, McCollom &
`Stolowitz, P.C.
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A given data object can effectively contain both a graphical
`representation to a network user and embedded information,
`such as the URL address of another network node, thereby
`to permit the object itself to serve as an automated hot link.
`The underlying development tools and web site browsers
`create and identify such an object for use in a manner similar
`to a hot link, as provided on the World Wide Web.
`
`058 482
`
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`
`13 Claims, 18 Drawing Sheets
`
`1002
`
`f 1006
`
`1012
`
`1008
`
`WEB SITE
`DEVELOPMENT TOOL
`WWW SITE
`
`1004
`
`1006
`
`1010
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 1
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 1
`
`

`

`5,841,978
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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` 395/7.92
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` 375/200
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`
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` 380/23
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` 382/56
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` 370/200
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`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 2
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 2
`
`

`

`5,841,978
`Page 3
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`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 3
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 3
`
`

`

`5,841,978
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`
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`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 4
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 4
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 1 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 1
`
`12
`DIGITAL
`NUMBER 8
`(SIGNAL
`LEVEL) 4
`
`•
`
`•
`
`•
`
`'4-BITS'
`
`0
`
`t 1 • I 1 I
`I
`1 I
`I
`0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
`SAMPLE NUMBER (INDEX)
`
`FIG. 4
`
`104
`
`100
`
`/
`//////////////////
`
`EXPOSE AND STEP
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 5
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 5
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 2 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 2
`
`OBTAIN OR CREATE ORIGINAL
`DIGITAL SIGNAL OR IMAGE
`i
`ESTIMATE ROUGH OFFSET
`AND RMS NOISE
`i
`CHOOSE N OR N-BIT
`IDENTIFICATION WORD, E.G. 32
`i
`GENERATE N-BIT
`IDENTIFICATION WORD
`i
`GENERATE OR SYNTHESIZE N "RANDOM" INDEPENDENT
`SIGNALS WITH ROUGHLY GAUSSIAN DISTRIBUTION
`ABOUT SOME MEAN VALUE, WHERE SIGNALS HAVE
`EQUAL EXTENT AND DIGITAL SPACING OF
`ORIGINAL DIGITAL SIGNAL OR IMAGE
`i
`APPLY DIGITAL FILTER WHICH ATTENUATES
`BOTH LOW AND HIGH FREQUENCIES, LEAVING
`MIDDLE-RANGE FREQUENCIES LARGELY INTACT
`i
`CONDENSE N RANDOM SIGNALS TO A LOWEST
`ACCEPTABLE BIT VALUE IF MEMORY OR
`STORAGE SPACE IS AT A PREMIUM
`i
`ADD ALL RANDOM IMAGES TOGETHER WHICH HAVE
`A CORRESPONDING '1' IN THEIR ASSOCIATED
`BIT-PLACE-VALUE OF THE N-BIT IDENTIFICATION WORD,
`CALL THIS THE BASE COMPOSITE SIGNAL OR IMAGE
`i
`EXPERIMENT VISUALLY WITH GAIN AND GAMMA APPLIED
`TO BASE COMPOSITE SIGNAL OR IMAGE, ADDING THIS TO
`ORIGINAL DIGITAL SIGNAL OR IMAGE, AND DETERMINING
`THE ACCEPTABLE PERCEIVED NOISE LEVEL
`i
`APPLY FOUND GAIN AND GAMMA TO BASE COMPOSITE,
`ADD TO ORIGINAL, THEN CALL THIS
`THE DISTRIBUTABLE SIGNAL OR IMAGE
`i
`STORE AWAY AND SECURE ORIGINAL SIGNAL OR IMAGE,
`ALONG WITH N-BIT IDENTIFICATION WORD AND
`THEN RANDOM SIGNALS
`i
`SELL OR DISTRIBUTE THE DISTRIBUTABLE SIGNAL OR IMAGE
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 6
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 6
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 3 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 3 OBTAIN DIGITAL OR NON-DIGITAL COPY
`OF SUSPECT SIGNAL OR IMAGE
`*
`DIGITIZE IF NOT ALREADY DIGITAL
`
`CUT AND MASK PORTION OF SIGNAL OR IMAGE
`BELIEVED TO BE SUSPECT
`(ONLY IF ENTIRE SIGNAL OR IMAGE IS NOT SUSPECT)
`i
`PROCURE ORIGINAL DIGITAL SIGNAL OR
`IMAGE AND CUT AND MASK TO ROUGHLY
`THE SAME LOCATION OR SEQUENCE
`i
`VISUALLY RESCALE AND REGISTER THE CUT-OUT
`SUSPECT SIGNAL TO THE CUT-OUT ORIGINAL SIGNAL
`i
`RUN THROUGH SEARCH PROGRAM WITH MEAN
`SQUARED ERROR AS CRITERIA AND X OFFSET, Y OFFSET,
`AND SCALE AS THE THREE VARIABLES
`
`APPLY X OFFSET, Y OFFSET, AND SCALE TO CUT-OUT SUSPECT,
`THEN RESAMPLE ONTO EXACT GRID AND CUT-OUT
`OF ORIGINAL SIGNAL
`
`RUN THROUGH SEARCH PROGRAM WITH MEAN
`SQUARED ERROR AS CRITERIA AND DC OFFSET, GAIN, AND
`GAMMA AS THE THREE VARIABLES; APPLY TO SUSPECT
`i
`SUBTRACT ORIGINAL FROM SUSPECT,
`GIVING DIFFERENCE SIGNAL OR IMAGE
`
`STEP THROUGH ALL N RANDOM INDEPENDENT SIGNALS, MASKED
`AS ORIGINAL AND CROSS-CORRELATED WITH DIFFERENCE SIGNAL
`IN IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD OF REGISTRATION POINTS
`
`FIND 0 AND 1 LEVEL BY AVERAGING FIRST FOUR 0101 CODE VALUES
`V
`ASSIGN EITHER A 0 OR A 1 TO EACH CROSS-CORRELATION RESULT
`DEPENDING ON PROXIMITY TO THE AVERAGES OF PREVIOUS STEP
`
`CHECK RESULT AGAINST SECURED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
`i
`PROSECUTE IF IT MATCHES? OR AT LEAST SEND
`A NASTY LETTER DEMANDING RECOMPENSE
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 7
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 7
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 4 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 5
`
`CODE WORD --op.
`(e,g. 01101001)
`
`INPUT ___....
`SIGNAL
`
`FIG. 6
`
`REAL-TIME
`ENCODER
`
`IDENTIFICATION-
`CODED OUTPUT
`SIGNAL
` KEY DATA
`(OPTIONAL)
`
`7
`
`222
`
`, 202
`
`Alk--
`
`ANALOG
`NOISE
`SOURCE
`
`ND
`
`204
`r---
`LOOKUP
`TABLE
`4"---
`220
`
`FIRST
`SCALER
`
`SECOND
`SCALER
`
`208
`210 226
`J
`
`214
`/
`10. MEMORY
`
` OUTPUT
`
`INPUT
`
`
`
`218
`
`L
`
`0 . ADDER
`SUBTRACTER
`
`232 - - - ---11
`
`---
`212
`
`234
`
`J
`
`230Th _
`+
`01011000
`--- 216
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 8
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 8
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 5 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`NOISE
`SOURCE
`
`...1
`
`NOISE
`STORE
`
`206
`
`CODE 1
`
`0
`
`CODE 2-N
`
`242
`
`INPUT>
`
`REAL
`TIME
`ENCODER
`
`<OUTPUT
`
`234
`
`• 0
`• 0
`• 0
`01.0
`• 0
`• 0
`• 0
`0
`0
`
`0 1 0 0 0 0 0
`0 1 0 0 0 0 1
`0 1 0 0 0 1 0
`0 1 0 0 0 1 1
`0
`1 0 0 1
`0
`0
`0
`1 0 0 1
`0
`1
`0 1 0 0 1 1 0
`0 1 0 0_ 1 1 1
`1 0 I r 0 0 0
`
`1ST
`THROUGH
`NTH CODE
`WORDS
`
`REAL
`TIME
`ENCODER
`
`NOISE
`
`202
`
`248
`...,/
`
`H ND -<OUTPUT
`CODE
`
`NOISE
`SOURCE
`A RESET
`
`0 0 0 0
`0 0 1 0
`___•-• Fis 8 1 8
`8 8 7 113
`1 00100011
`00100100
`J
`INCREMENT
`
`FIG. 7
`
`FIG. 8
`
`ND
`
`250
`
`SYNC
`1_
`DETECTOR
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 9
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 9
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 6 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 9A
`400
`TIME
`
`0.0
`SECONDS
`
`FIG. 9B
`NORMALIZE
`402
`—20dB
`FREQUENCY —40dB
`
`FIG. 9C
`BORDER
`CONTINUITY
`404
`
`1.0
`SECONDS
`
`0HZ
`
`50KHZ
`
`DETAIL OF MATCH AT BORDER;
`CONTINUOUS TO mth DERIVITIVE
`
`FIG. 10
`
`ROM; 504
`STANDARD NOISE SIGNATURES
`
`AUDIO
`±.7_1..N
`(
`500
`
`COPYRIGHT
`DETECTION FLAG
`
`----502 IIIP
`FLAG VALID
`
`ow.
`
`--- 508
`
`---- 506
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 10
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 10
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 7 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`STANDARD NOISE
`SIGNATURE
`
`../- 504
`
`FIG. 11
`
`6 /0
`
`0
`
`599N4.
`
`INPUT AUDIO
`SIGNAL
`
`r 602
`
`TIME AVERAGED
`POWER SIGNAL
`P SIG
`
`IP-
`
`READ OUT AT125%ly- 604
`NORMAL RATE
`*
`PITCH CHANG ED h 606
`NOISE SIGNAL
`*
`--0.1 SIGNAL—PITCH CANCELLED
`NOISE SIGNAL
`*
`TIME AVERAGED
`POWER SIGNAL P.C. NOISE
`SIGNAL P S-PCN
`i
`POWER DIFFERENCE SIGNAL
`P S-PCN
`
`PSIG — POUT
`614—)
`L - - - CASE 1.
`
`612
`— 613
`
`616-1
`"—CASE 2:
`
`5s
`
`10s 15s
`
`\AM 1,Nrimn
`
`624---......_
`
`FIG. 12
`600 ------
`
`SIGNAL ONE
`.05s DIGITAL DELAY
`
`H
`
`620
`
`.05s DIGITAL DELAY
`
`.055 DIGITAL DELAY
`
`H
`
`.055 DIGITAL DELAY
`
`H
`
`Os
`w
`I
`10s 15s
`5s
`Os
`-N, 4 SECOND BEATS
`------ 618
`FLAG VALID
`01" SIGNAL--- 508
`----- 622
`DETECTION
`
`AUDIO VALID
`COUNTER
`
`599
`
`H BEAT
`
`599
`
`--r.
`
`H
`
`502 i
`
`DETECTION
`—0' FLAG
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 11
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 11
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 8 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 13
`
`_./-- 700
`
`FRAME#: 12183
`DISTRIBUTION LOT: REGION 14
`
`ENCRYPTION/SCAMBLING
`-7- ROUTINE #28, 702
`
`PSEUDO-RANDOM MASTER SNOWY IMAGE
`(SCALED DOWN AND ADDED TO FRAME 12183)
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 12
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 12
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 9 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 14
`
`7
`
`720
`
`
`
`EMBEDDED
`
`DIFFERENCE
`\
`
`J
`
`-
`
`MEAN-REMOVED HISTOGRAMS OF
`DIFFERENCE SIGNAL AND KNOWN EMBEDDED
`CODE SIGNAL
`
`722
`
`EMBEDDED
`
`DIFFERENCE ) L
`
`-.,
`
`THRESHOLDING
`
`MEAN-REMOVED HISTOGRAMS OF
`FIRST DERIVATIVES (OR SCALER GRADIENTS
`IN CASE OF AN IMAGE)
`
`N
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 13
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 13
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 10 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`STEP Z FRAMES 1--/-- 750
`A
`
`
`
`
`RENDER LOGO FRAME
`
`v 700
`
`
`K 702
`ENCRYPT/SCRAMBLE
`
`FIG. 15
`
`OUTPUT MASTER SNOWY
`IMAGE FRAME
`
`___/-- 704
`
`HIGH BRIGHTNESS MASTER ___/-- 752
`SNOWY MOVIE
`r 758
`
`760
`
`DIFFERENCE
`
`"CHEAP MASTER
`SNOWY MOVIE"
`
`756
`
`754--\_
`MPEG
`'--
`COMPRESSED MASTER
`SNOWY MOVIE
`
`_J-764
`
`SCALE DOWN
`A
`
`ORIGINAL MOVIE
`
`762
`
`76
`
`12
`
`
`
`766
`
`768
`
`ORIGINAL MOVIE
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 14
`
`77
`
`ADD
`
`/
`
`DISTRIBUTABLE
`MOVIE
`
`SIDE-BY-SIDE
`VIEWING
`
`1
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 14
`
`

`

`wawa •sn
`
`8661 ‘17z •AoN
`
`81 JO II lamIS
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`N
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`st off Ed - tool •xa aldm
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`JOE'S IMAGE
`
`DATA STREAM
`
`HEADER
`
`001101011011101001010...
`
`...JOE'S IMAGE...
`
`,802
`
`,800
`
`FIG. 16
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 15
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 12 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 17
`96 BIT LEADER STRING, 820
`/
`i
`64 BIT LENGTH
`32 BIT DATA WORD SIZE
`822 _J
`
`824J
`
`"SHADOW CHANNEL", 828
`
`DATA...
`
`826J
`
`UNIVERSAL EMPIRICAL DATA FORMAT
`
`FIG. 18
`/
`
`
`850
`
`854
`
`\
`
`864
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 16
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 16
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`
`
`4, 1998 2
`
`Sheet 13 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 20
`BRIGHTNESS
`PROFILE, 874
`
`CENTER POINT OF
`
`RING, 8 72
`
`,
`.
`NOMINAL DISTANCE
`TO CENTER OF OUTER
`RING WIDTH, 870
`
`.-
`
`
`
`
`
`NOMINAL DISTANCE
`TO CENTER OF OUTER
`RING WIDTH, 870
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 17
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 17
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 14 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`/
`C 2C C
`
`2C 4C 2C
`
`C 2C C
`
`\
`
`WHERE C = 1/16
`
`FIG. 21A
`
`900-,
`
`FIG. 21B
`
`2
`
`6
`
`2
`
`6
`
`3
`
`7
`
`3
`
`7
`
`4
`
`0
`
`5
`
`1
`
`6
`
`2
`
`C 2C C
`
`4 2C 4C 2C 6
`
`C 2C C
`
`0
`
`1
`
`2
`
`7
`
`3
`
`7
`
`3
`
`0
`
`4
`
`0
`
`4
`
`FIG. 23
`
`CABLE, 964,
`TO DATA LINE,
`966
`
`960
`
`962
`
`,---958
`
`pi
`6
`9
`
`m
`
`4
`7
`
`2
`5
`8
`0
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 18
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 18
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 15 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`940
`
`FIG. 22
`
`z
`
`DIGITAL IMAGE TAKEN
`OF CUSTOMER
`
`942
`
`COMPUTER
`PROCESSES NEW
`ENCODED IMAGE
`
`PRINTS
`952 (
`PROCESSED
`IMAGE ONTO
`PLASTIC CARD
`
`N
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 19
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 19
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 16 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 24
`
`970
`
`972
`/
`
`ORIGINAL DIGITAL IMAGE WITH
`BARCODE AND FIDUCIALS
`ADDED
`
`COMPUTER GENERATES MASTER
`SNOWY IMAGE WHICH IS
`GENERALLY ORTHOGONAL TO
`ORIGINAL IMAGE AT LEFT
`
`4.---- 950
`
`COMBINED TO FORM PERSONAL CASH CARD
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 20
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 20
`
`

`

`wawa •sn
`
`8661 ‘17z •AoN
`
`XI Jo a WIN
`
`10. CENTRAL NETWORK CHECKS RESULTS AGAINST MASTER
`
`12. CENTRAL NETWORK DEBITS MERCHANT ACCOUNT,
`
`CREDITS CARD ACCOUNT
`
`11. CENTRAL NETWORK SENDS FINAL APPROVAL OR DENIAL
`
`DOT PRODUCT RESULTS TO CENTRAL NETWORK
`
`9. READER TRANSMITS THE TWENTY-FOUR
`
`4. READER SENDS ID, (PIN), MERCHANT INFORMATION, AND
`3. READER CALLS CENTRAL ACCOUNT DATA NETWORK, HANDSHAKES
`
`1. READER SCANS IMAGE ON CARD, STORES IN
`
`MEMORY, EXTRACTS PERSON'S ID
`
`2. OPTIONAL: USER KEYS IN PIN NUMBER
`
`TYPICAL TRANSACTION STEPS
`
`FIG. 25
`
`REQUESTED TRANSACTION AMOUNT TO CENTRAL NETWORK
`
`5. CENTRAL NETWORK VERIFIES ID, PIN, MERCHANT INFO,
`
`AND ACCOUNT BALANCE
`
`6. IF OK, CENTRAL NETWORK GENERATES TWENTY-FOUR
`
`TO A SET OF 64K ORTHOGONAL SPATIAL PATTERNS
`WHERE THE RANDOM NUMBERS ARE INDEXES
`SETS OF SIXTEEN DISTINCT RANDOM NUMBERS,
`
`7. CENTRAL NETWORK TRANSMITS FIRST OK, AND THE
`
`8A. READER ADDS TOGETHER SET OF ORTHOGONAL
`8. READER STEPS THROUGH THE TWENTY-FOUR SETS
`
`STORES RESULT
`RESULTANT PATTERN AND CARD SCAN,
`8B. READER PERFORMS DOT PRODUCT OF
`
`PATTERNS
`
`SETS OF RANDOM NUMBERS
`
`1z off Ed - tool •xa aldm
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 21
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 18 of 18
`
`5,841,978
`
`FIG. 26
`
`982
`A/
`
`1002
`
`1012
`
`WEB SITE
`DEVELOPMENT TOOL
`WWW SITE
`
`1008
`J
`
`1004
`
`FIG. 27
`
`..-- 1006
`
`1010
`
`BROWSER
`WWW SITE
`
`NFLE Ex. 1004 - Page 22
`
`NFLE 1004 - Page 22
`
`

`

`5,841,978
`
`1
`NETWORK LINKING METHOD USING
`STEGANOGRAPHICALLY EMBEDDED DATA
`OBJECTS
`
`RELATED APPLICATION DATA
`
`This is a continuation-in-part of copending applications:
`PCT application Ser. No. PCT/US94/13366, filed Nov.
`16, 1994, application Ser. No. 08/436,098, filed May 8,
`1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,292, application Ser. No.
`08/436,099, filed May 8, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,834,
`application Ser. No. 08/436,134, filed May 8, 1995, appli-
`cation Ser. No. 08/438,159, filed May 8, 1995, application
`Ser. No. 08/215,289, filed Mar. 17, 1994, abandoned Mar.
`15, 1996, and application Ser. No. 08/327,426 filed Oct. 21,
`1994, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
`08/154,866, filed Nov. 18, 1993, abandoned May 23, 1995.
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`The present invention relates to the field of computer
`network navigation, such as navigation and routing of
`instructions on the Internet. More particularly, the invention
`presents a new method for automatically linking from one
`computer site to another, also known as a "link" or "hot link"
`method.
`
`5
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`2
`In the case of the Internet, however, and the current World
`Wide Web, there is a huge range of graphical objects that are
`representable, and the ideal of a universal data file format is
`far from being realized. Instead, a multitude of file formats
`are used, and most of them do not have a simple means
`whereby a URL address could become attached in a way that
`would also facilitate, by not conflicting with, the continued
`development of standards to attach URL addresses.
`It is desirable, therefore, to find a linking method whereby
`a given object can effectively comprise both a graphical
`representation to a user and the URL address, thereby to
`serve as a hot link. In such a way, a web site developer need
`only include a pointer to the object (often an object with
`which the developer is accustomed to using), and the under-
`lying tools and web site browsers will recognize the object
`as a hot link. One way to provide such a system would be
`to associate URL addresses directly with a graphical object,
`and, preferably, provide some indication that this object is in
`the hot link class. The steganographic linking method of the
`present invention addresses this goal. The invention pro-
`vides a common sense method whereby all web browsers
`and web tools can easily attach (i.e., embed) URL addresses
`to graphical objects. The method easily integrates into the
`current system in a way that does not require sweeping
`changes to well-entrenched file formats and transmission
`protocols.
`Once steganographic methods of "hot link" navigation
`take hold, then, as new file formats and transmission pro-
`tocols develop, more traditional methods of "header-based"
`information attachment can enhance the basic system built
`by a steganographic-based system. In this way, stegano-
`graphic implementation of the present invention pays due
`heed to the huge installed base of file formats existing today,
`paving the way toward simpler attached information imple-
`mentations. Steganographic methods will retain one differ-
`ential property in that, at least for more robust forms of
`steganography, address and index information can survive
`going into and out of the digital and network domain.
`Another aspect of this invention pertains to unauthorized
`use and outright piracy of proprietary source material which,
`since time immemorial, has been a source of lost revenue,
`confusion, and artistic corruption.
`These historical problems have been compounded by the
`advent of digital technology. With it, the technology of
`copying materials and redistributing them in unauthorized
`manners has reached new heights of sophistication, and
`more importantly, omnipresence. Lacking objective means
`for comparing an alleged copy of material with the original,
`owners and litigation proceedings are left with a subjective
`opinion of whether the alleged copy is stolen, or has been
`used in an unauthorized manner. Furthermore, there is no
`simple means of tracing a path to an original purchaser of the
`material - - - something which can be valuable in tracing
`where a possible "leak" of the material first occurred.
`A variety of methods for protecting commercial material
`have been attempted. One is to scramble signals via an
`encoding method prior to distribution, and descramble prior
`to use. This technique, however, is of little use in mass
`market audio and visual media, where even a few dollars
`extra cost causes a major reduction in market, and where the
`signal must eventually be descrambled to be perceived, and
`thus can be easily recorded.
`Another class of techniques relies on modification of
`source audio or video sig