Patent ID: 11962875
Assignee: DIGIMARC CORPORATION
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 9:
10. A recycling method that includes the acts:
receiving imagery depicting items in a material stream;
extracting first digital watermark payload data, comprising plural symbols, from imagery depicting a first item in said material stream;
based on the first digital watermark payload data, determining that the first item is made with a first type of plastic;
extracting second digital watermark payload data, comprising plural symbols, from imagery depicting a second item in said material stream;
based on the second digital watermark payload data, determining that the second item is made with a second type of plastic; and
sorting said first item and said second item from the material stream based on said determined types of plastic;
wherein each of said first item and said second item is marked with two different types of watermark patterns, namely (a) a first type of watermark pattern printed on either the item or on a label applied to the item, said first type of watermark pattern employing a first signaling protocol, and (b) a second type of watermark pattern formed as a 3D texture in a surface of the item, said second type of watermark pattern employing a second signaling protocol different than the first signaling protocol;
wherein the recycling method includes applying a first digital watermark reading algorithm and a second different digital watermark reading algorithm to the received imagery, the first digital watermark reading algorithm being adapted to read watermark patterns employing the first signaling protocol, and the second different digital watermark reading algorithm being adapted to read watermark patterns employing the second signaling protocol;
wherein the recycling method can sort the first item and the second items from the material stream based on either the first type of watermark pattern or the second type of watermark patterns that mark said items, by payload data extracted by said respective first digital watermark reading algorithm or second different digital watermark reading algorithm; and
wherein the first digital watermark reading algorithm performs geometric synchronization using a first reference signal, and the second different digital watermark reading algorithm performs geometric synchronization without using said first reference signal.