Patent ID: 9514504
Filing Date: 2016-12-06
CPC Classification: G06T

Claim Text:
1. A method, comprising: identifying multiple sub-units of an original image file, each of the sub-units comprising multiple pixels; mapping a message onto the original image file by mapping at least one bit of the message onto each of the sub-units; selectively adjusting a distinguishable characteristic of each sub-unit among the multiple sub-units according to the corresponding at least one bit to produce an adjusted image file; and storing the original image file and subsequently retrieving the message by comparing the stored original image file to the adjusted image file, wherein the distinguishable characteristic is average brightness, and wherein said selectively adjusting the distinguishable characteristic comprises increasing or decreasing the average brightness of sub-units in relation to an average brightness of the original image file where the corresponding at least one bit has a first value, and maintaining the average brightness of sub-units at a current level where the corresponding at least one bit has a second value.