Digital watermarking methods, systems and apparatus

1. A method of embedding a steganographic component in imagery captured by an image sensor, wherein the image sensor comprises a first plurality of image detectors, with a first steganographic encoder associated with at least a first group of image detectors and a second steganographic encoder associated with at least a second group of image detectors, wherein the first steganographic encoder and the second steganographic encoder are co-located with the image sensor, said method comprising:

embedding steganographic data in imagery captured by the first group of image detectors with the first steganographic encoder;

gathering information associated with at least one of: i) image data captured by the first group of image detectors; ii) operation or characteristics of the first group of image detectors; or iii) the first steganographic encoder;

passing or communicating gathered information to influence encoding of the second steganographic encoder; and

embedding steganographic data in imagery captured by the second group of image detectors with the second steganographic encoder.

2. The method of claim 1 where the gathered information influences encoding by adjusting embedding signal strength of the second steganographic encoder.

3. The method of claim 1 where the gathered information influences encoding by changing an embedding protocol of the second steganographic encoder.

4. The method of claim 1 where the gathered information influences encoding by isolating one or more imagery regions for selective embedding by the second steganographic encoder.

5. The method of claim 1 where said act of passing or communicating gathered information passes or communicates information from the first steganographic encoder to influence encoding of the second steganographic encoder.

6. An image sensor comprising:

a controller;

an image sensor array;

at least one digital watermark detector co-located with the image senor array, wherein the digital watermark detector operates to decode digital watermarks from imagery captured by the image sensor array, where the digital watermarks comprise an orientation component, and the digital watermark detector operates to provide orientation information, relative to an expected watermark orientation, to the controller,

said controller operates at least to adjust video imagery captured by the image sensor array according to the orientation information to stabilize the video imagery captured by the image sensor.

7. A method comprising:

determining one or more operating characteristics of a device;

based at least on the one or more operating characteristics, influencing a steganographic embedding process associated with the device, said act of influencing influences the steganographic embedding process employed by the device to use the one or more operating characteristics as a mask to guide embedding of the plural-bit auxiliary data; and

steganographically embedding plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the influenced steganographic embedding process.

8. A method comprising:

determining one or more operating characteristics of an image or video sensor, the one or more operating characteristics comprise characteristics from a group of characteristics comprising: silicon characteristics, image or video color processing characteristics, sensor characteristics, and a sensor device pattern;

based at least on the one or more operating characteristics, influencing a steganographic embedding process associated with the sensor; and

steganographically embedding plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the image or video sensor according to the influenced steganographic embedding process.

9. A method comprising:

capturing imagery data with a group of image detectors;

obtaining auxiliary data;

embedding—with an embedder co-located with the image detectors—the auxiliary data in captured imagery data, where the auxiliary data is embedded in the captured imagery data with reference to at least how the embedded captured imagery data will be compressed; and

compressing—with an imagery compressor co-located with the image detectors and the embedder—the embedded, captured imagery data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the imagery data represents video.