Encoding information within features associated with a document

Abstract

A method for encoding information within a feature of a document. The method includes at least one computer processors determining information to encode within a document. The method further includes identifying a feature within the document to encode information within based, at least in part, on metadata of the document corresponding to the feature. The method further includes determining a set of geometric properties of one or more segments of the identified feature. The method further includes encoding, by one or more computer processors, a first bit of information of the determined information within a first segment of the feature within the document by modifying one or more geometric properties respectively associated with the first segment. The method further includes outputting the document with information encoded within the first segment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling documents based on information encoded within a watermark of a document, the method comprising:
 determining, by one or more computer processors, a request to generate one or more reproductions of a document;   determining, by one or more computer processors, that the document includes a watermark;   identifying, by one or more computer processors, one or more security rules associated with the watermark; and   determining, by one or more computer processors, whether one or more reproductions of the document are permitted based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that one or more reproductions of the document are permitted based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark, generating, a number of reproductions of the document based on the request, and further based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more security rules associated with the watermark are selected from the group consisting of an indication that the document is reproduced without constraints, a dictate to reproduce the document based on one or more constraints, an indication not reproduce the document, and an indication to update a network-accessible database based on information related to generating the one or more reproductions of the document. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the dictate to reproduce the document based on one or more constraints includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of an expiration date corresponding to the document, a maximum number of reproductions of the document, prohibit reproducing the document as a digital format, update information encoded within a respective watermark of each reproduction of the document, and access a network-accessible database to identify other security rules related to the document. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the number of reproductions of the document based on the request, and further based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark includes one or more actions selected from the group consisting of creating one or more hardcopies of the document, faxing the document to another device, creating a digital file of the document within a removable electronic storage device, and e-mailing a reproduction of the document to one or more devices. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the number of reproductions of the document based on the request, and further based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark further comprises:
 determining, by one or more computer processors, to modify other information encoded within the watermark included within a respective reproduction of the document based on a set of security rules associated with the document.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein modifying the other information encoded within the watermark included within the respective reproduction of the document includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of a serial number, an ID of the user reproducing the document, a time stamp associated with the request to reproduced the document, and an ID corresponding to each device that reproduces the document. 
     
     
         8 . A method for watermarking of a document, the method comprising:
 determining, by one or more computer processors, that a document lacks watermarking;   identifying, by one or more computer processors, a set of security rules associated with the document;   determining, by one or more computer processors, information to encode within a watermark based on the set of security rules associated with the document; and   generating, by one or more computer processors, the watermark that encodes the determined information associated with the document.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining that the document lacks watermarking further comprises:
 analyzing, by one or more computer processors, the document to identify whether periodically-varying features are included and whether the identified periodically varying features encode information; and   responsive to determining that the analysis of the document indicates that the document includes periodically-varying features and that the periodically-varying features do not encode information, determining, by one or more computer processors, that the document lacks watermarking.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that the analysis of the document indicates that the document lacks periodically-varying features, determining, by one or more computer processors, that the document lacks watermarking.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating the watermark that encodes the determined information associated with the document further comprises:
 identifying, by one or more computer processors, a set of periodically-varying features within the document; and   encoding, by one or more computer processors, the determined information among one or more groups of features within the set of periodically-varying features.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating the watermark that encodes the determined information associated with the document further comprises:
 determining, by one or more computer processors, that the document lacks at least one set of periodically-varying features;   identifying, by one or more computer processors, one or more other features within the document to convert to one or more sets of periodically-varying features;   converting, by one or more computer processors, a first feature of the one or more identified features within the document into a set of periodically-varying features that can store encoded information; and   encoding, by one or more computer processors, the determined information among one or more groups of features within the set of periodically-varying features.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 updating, by one or more computer processors, a network-accessible database that includes information and metadata respectively associated with a plurality of documents with the information included within the generated watermark and other information associated with the document, wherein the database further includes information associated with each reproduction of the respective document and information encoded within the watermark included within the respective document.   
     
     
         15 . An I/O device for controlling documents based on information encoded within a watermark of a document, the I/O device comprising:
 one or more computer processors;   one or more computer readable storage media; and   program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising program instructions to:
 determine, by the I/O device, a request to generate one or more reproductions of a document; 
 determine, by the I/O device, that the document includes a watermark; 
 identify, by the I/O device, one or more security rules associated with the watermark; and 
 determine, by the I/O device, whether one or more reproductions of the document are permitted based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark. 
   
     
     
         16 . The I/O device of  claim 15 , wherein the I/O device further includes one or more output functions, one or more communication ports, and firmware that includes at least a set of security rules and functions. 
     
     
         17 . The I/O device of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that one or more reproductions of the document are permitted based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark, program instructions to generate, by the I/O device, a number of reproductions of the document based on the request, and further based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark.   
     
     
         18 . The I/O device of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more security rules associated with the watermark are selected from the group consisting of an indication that the document is reproduced without constraints, a dictate to reproduce the document based on one or more constraints, an indication not reproduce the document, and an indication to update a network-accessible database based on information related to generating the one or more reproductions of the document. 
     
     
         19 . The I/O device of  claim 18 , wherein the dictate to reproduce the document based on one or more constraints includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of an expiration date corresponding to the document, a maximum number of reproductions of the document, prohibit reproducing the document as a digital format, update information encoded within a respective watermark of each reproduction of the document, and access a network-accessible database to identify other security rules related to the document. 
     
     
         20 . The I/O device of  claim 17 , wherein the program instructions to generate, by the I/O device, the number of reproductions of the document based on the request, and further based on the one or more security rules associated with the watermark, includes one or more actions selected from the group consisting of creating one or more hardcopies of the document, faxing the document to a device, creating a digital file of the document within a removable electronic storage device, and e-mailing a reproduction of the document to one or more devices.