Prior art

Analysis of Prior Art for U.S. Patent 5,841,978

This analysis examines the prior art cited during the prosecution of U.S. Patent 5,841,978. Each cited reference is evaluated for its potential to anticipate the claims of the '978 patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102. The core invention of the '978 patent revolves around steganographically embedding a network address (like a URL) into a data object (such as an image) to create a machine-readable link to a network location.

Below is a breakdown of the most relevant prior art and its relationship to the claims of the '978 patent.

U.S. Patent 4,807,031: "Method and apparatus for embedding authentication information in a video signal"

• Full Citation: Cluts, et al., U.S. Patent 4,807,031, issued February 21, 1989.
• Filing Date: February 24, 1987.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method for embedding authentication data into a video signal by modulating the chrominance or luminance of the signal. The embedded data can be used to verify the authenticity of the video signal and to identify the source of unauthorized copies. The system is designed to be imperceptible to the human eye and robust against attempts to remove it.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims:
  • Claim 10 (Method of Encoding): This reference is highly relevant to claim 10. The '031 patent teaches embedding data ("authentication information") imperceptibly into an image (video signal). While it does not explicitly mention embedding a "network address," the fundamental process of steganographically encoding information into a visual data object is disclosed. An argument for anticipation could be made if "authentication information" is considered broad enough to encompass an address or if the substitution of a network address for authentication data would have been obvious.
  • Claim 16 (Physical Object): The '031 patent is primarily focused on electronic signals, but its principles could be applied to physical media derived from those signals (e.g., a photograph printed from a video frame). However, it does not explicitly describe embedding a network address into a tangible object itself.

U.S. Patent 4,972,471: "Method and apparatus for protecting computer software against unauthorized copying"

• Full Citation: Gross, et al., U.S. Patent 4,972,471, issued November 20, 1990.
• Filing Date: October 26, 1987.
• Brief Description: This patent details a method for embedding an "uncopyable" code into software. This is achieved by subtly modifying the software's data or code in a way that is difficult to detect or remove but can be recognized by an authentication process. The focus is on copy protection rather than linking.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims:
  • Claim 10 (Method of Encoding): The '471 patent describes embedding data into a digital object. However, the object is software code, not a media object like an image or audio file as preferred in the '978 patent. More significantly, the embedded information is for copy protection, not for use as a network address. Therefore, it does not directly anticipate the "linking" aspect of the '978 claims.

U.S. Patent 5,245,165: "System and method for connecting a document to a computer-based information handling system"

• Full Citation: De Vitry, et al., U.S. Patent 5,245,165, issued September 14, 1993.
• Filing Date: August 14, 1992.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system where a printed document contains a machine-readable code (like a barcode) that stores an address for information on a computer system. A user can scan this code to retrieve and display the linked information.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims:
  • Claim 5 (Method of Linking from a Printed Object): This patent is highly relevant to claim 5. It explicitly discloses a method where an input device captures data from a printed object, that data contains an address, and that address is used to link to a computer-based resource. The key difference is that the '165 patent uses a visible machine-readable code (like a barcode), whereas the '978 patent claims steganographically embedded, imperceptible information. An examiner would likely find that this reference does not anticipate the '978 claims because the embedded data is not hidden or imperceptible.
  • Claim 16 (Physical Object): For the same reason, this reference does not fully anticipate claim 16, as the machine-readable code is not "secretly" or imperceptibly embedded.

U.S. Patent 5,428,453: "Method and apparatus for locating and decoding information steganographically embedded in a video signal"

• Full Citation: Oomen, et al., U.S. Patent 5,428,453, issued June 27, 1995.
• Filing Date: November 1, 1993.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method for embedding data into a video signal in a way that is robust to transmission and recording processes. It includes techniques for synchronizing the reading of the embedded data, making the system more reliable.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims:
  • Claims 1, 17, and 18 (Method of Linking and Computer Implementation): The '453 patent details the technical underpinnings of decoding steganographically embedded data from a data object (a video signal). It describes the "analyzing the data" and "detecting" steps. However, it does not teach using the decoded information as a network address to initiate a link to a remote site. The purpose of the embedded data is not for network navigation.
  • Claim 10 (Method of Encoding): Similar to the '031 patent, this reference teaches the steganographic embedding of information into a visual data object but does not disclose that the information is a network address for linking purposes.

U.S. Patent 5,428,606: "Method and apparatus for copy protection of digital data"

• Full Citation: Moskowitz, U.S. Patent 5,428,606, issued June 27, 1995.
• Filing Date: November 12, 1993.
• Brief Description: This patent describes embedding copy control information into digital audio data. The embedded information is designed to be imperceptible and is used to prevent unauthorized copying by instructing a recording device not to record the data.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims:
  • Claim 10 (Method of Encoding): The '606 patent discloses steganographically embedding data into a media file (audio). However, the embedded data is for copy protection, not for use as a network address to initiate a link. Thus, it does not anticipate the specific purpose and functionality claimed in the '978 patent.

Summary of Prior Art Analysis

The cited prior art establishes a foundation for the techniques of steganography and the use of machine-readable codes on documents. Patents like '031 and '453 describe methods for imperceptibly embedding data into media signals, which is a core technical element of the '978 patent. However, these references typically use the embedded data for purposes such as authentication, copy protection, or identification, not for network linking.

On the other hand, a patent like '165 discloses the concept of linking from a physical document to a computer resource, but it achieves this using visible, non-steganographic codes like barcodes.

The novelty of US Patent 5,841,978 appears to be the synthesis of these two concepts: using the specific technique of steganography to embed a network address into a data object for the express purpose of creating an automated network link. None of the cited references appear to disclose this specific combination of elements, which is central to all the independent claims of the '978 patent. Therefore, based on the provided citations, it is unlikely that any single reference would have been found to anticipate the claims of US 5,841,978 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.