User control and activation of watermark enabled objects

Abstract

Methods and systems for associating watermark enabled objects with machine behaviors. Machine behaviors refer to actions by devices or systems in response to a triggering event. Examples of these behaviors include fetching a web page, opening an email client to send an email to a specific person, initiating a phone or video conference call, etc. A registration system enables users to associate machine behaviors with objects through a watermark embedded in the objects. The decoding of the watermark initiates a process for triggering the machine behaviors associated with the watermarked object. While the disclosure describes an implementation for stickers as a class of watermark enabled objects, the system and related methods apply to other forms of watermark enabled objects, including both electronic and physical objects.

1 . A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object wherein the object is a sticker, and the watermark is embedded into an image printed on the stocker by altering the image to hide machine readable data in the image.  
     
     
         2 . A watermark enable object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object; wherein the object is a prop in a computer game, and the prop supplies information to the computer game by conveying the information in a message embedded in a watermark on the prop.  
     
     
         3 . A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object; wherein the object has two or more facets, each facet being embedded with a different watermark message used to control a game.  
     
     
         4 . The object of  claim 2  wherein the message includes an index to a database entry where information for controlling the game is stored.  
     
     
         5 . A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object; wherein the machine behavior includes launching an email program and an email directed to a destination associated with the object via the watermark.  
     
     
         6 . A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object; wherein the machine behavior includes launching an Internet chat session.  
     
     
         7 . A watermark enabled object associated with a machine behavior via a watermark embedded in the object, wherein the machine behavior is triggered in response to decoding the watermark in the object, wherein the machine behavior includes placing a telephone call to a destination associated with the object.