1. A system for augmenting multimedia playback on a mobile device, comprising:
the mobile device, comprising a telecoil transmitter configured to generate an electromagnetic field carrying an audio signal, the mobile device being configured to be operated in a hearing-aid compatible (HAC) voice call mode and a multimedia mode, wherein an audio processing unit of the mobile device is configured to, in the HAC voice call mode, provide a voice call audio signal to the telecoil transmitter for transmission to a hearing aid device and configured to, in the multimedia mode, provide a multimedia audio signal to the telecoil transmitter for transmission to an auxiliary loudspeaker device, wherein the multimedia audio signal is based on multimedia audio content to be played in part by the mobile device; and
the auxiliary loudspeaker device, comprising a telecoil and a loudspeaker, configured to receive the multimedia audio signal via the telecoil and to play a low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the audio processing unit of the mobile device is further configured to apply a filter to the multimedia audio content to obtain the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content; and
wherein the multimedia audio signal consists of the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia audio signal transmitted to the auxiliary loudspeaker device includes both the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content and a high frequency portion of the multimedia audio content; and
wherein the auxiliary loudspeaker device is configured to apply a filter to the multimedia audio content of the transmitted multimedia audio signal to obtain the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein in the multimedia mode, the audio processing unit of the mobile device is configured to apply a filter to the multimedia audio content to obtain a high frequency portion of the multimedia content; and
wherein the mobile device further comprises a loudspeaker and the mobile device is configured to utilize the loudspeaker to play the high frequency portion of the multimedia audio content.
5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the mobile device comprises two loudspeakers and the mobile device is configured to utilize both loudspeakers to play the high frequency portion of the content of the audio source.
6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the high frequency portion of the multimedia content consists of audio having frequencies higher than approximately 1 kHz.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the low frequency portion of the multimedia content consists of audio having frequencies lower than approximately 1 kHz.
8. An apparatus for operating in a hearing-aid compatible (HAC) voice call mode and a multimedia mode, comprising:
a telecoil transmitter; and
an audio processing unit configured to, in the HAC voice call mode, provide a voice call audio signal to the telecoil transmitter for transmission to a hearing aid device and configured to, in the multimedia mode, provide a multimedia audio signal to the telecoil transmitter for transmission to an auxiliary loudspeaker device, wherein the multimedia audio signal is based on multimedia audio content to be played.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the audio processing unit is further configured to filter the multimedia audio content to obtain a low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content; and
wherein the multimedia audio signal consists of the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the low frequency portion of the multimedia content consists of audio having frequencies lower than approximately 1 kHz.
11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the audio processing unit is configured to filter the multimedia audio content to obtain a high frequency portion of the multimedia content.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus further comprises a loudspeaker to play the high frequency portion of the multimedia content.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the high frequency portion of the multimedia content consists of audio having frequencies higher than approximately 1 kHz.
14. An apparatus for operating in a multimedia mode, comprising:
an audio processing unit configured to apply filters to obtain a low frequency portion and a high frequency portion of multimedia audio content to be played;
a loudspeaker configured to play the high frequency portion of the multimedia audio content; and
an audio signal transmission interface configured to transmit the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content to an auxiliary loudspeaker device having an audio signal reception interface corresponding to the audio signal transmission interface.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the audio signal transmission interface and the audio signal reception interface of the auxiliary loudspeaker device communicate using a radiofrequency-based short-range wireless communication protocol.
16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the audio signal transmission interface is a telecoil transmitter.
17. A system for augmenting multimedia playback on a mobile device, comprising:
the mobile device, comprising an audio signal transmission interface and an audio processing unit, wherein the audio processing unit is configured to apply filters to obtain a low frequency portion and a high frequency portion of multimedia audio content to be played in part by the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to play the high frequency portion of the multimedia audio content via a loudspeaker of the mobile device and to transmit the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content via the audio signal transmission interface to an auxiliary loudspeaker device; and
the auxiliary loudspeaker device, comprising an audio signal reception interface and a loudspeaker, the auxiliary loudspeaker device being configured to receive the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content via the audio signal reception interface and to play the low frequency portion of the multimedia audio content via the loudspeaker of the of the auxiliary loudspeaker device.
18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the audio signal transmission interface of the mobile device and the audio signal reception interface of the auxiliary loudspeaker device communicate using a radiofrequency-based short-range wireless communication protocol.
19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the audio signal transmission interface of the mobile device is a telecoil transmitter and the audio signal reception interface of the auxiliary loudspeaker device is a telecoil.
20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the high frequency portion of the multimedia content consists of audio having frequencies higher than approximately 1 kHz; and
wherein the low frequency portion of the multimedia content consists of audio having frequencies lower than approximately 1 kHz.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of marking product packaging, comprising:
printing on the packaging using a first, visible ink;
printing over at least some of said first ink using a second ink, said second ink fluorescing when exposed to ultraviolet light;
wherein said second ink is printed in a pattern encoding first digital data.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second ink is printed in a pattern encoding a digital watermark.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first, visible, ink forms artwork having second digital data steganographically encoded therein.
4. The method of claim 2 in which the second digital data is different than the first digital data.
5. The method of claim 1 in which the printing with the first ink includes depositing a flood of black ink.
6-12. (canceled)
13. A method of interacting with a multi-function portable device conveyed by an individual user, the device including a screen displaying a pattern, the method comprising the acts:
using a camera-equipped system to sense said displayed pattern and to produce output data corresponding thereto;
decoding plural-bit information from said output data; and
taking an action based at least in part on said decoded plural-bit information, wherein said action is personalized in accordance with said individual user.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said action is personalized in accordance with personalization data introduced by said system.
15. The method of claim 13 that comprises:
transmitting said decoded information to a data structure, together with data associated with said user that is provided by said system;
obtaining corresponding information from said data structure; and
taking an action based at least in part on said corresponding information, wherein said action is personalized in accordance with said individual user through use of said data provided by said system.
16. The method of claim 13 that comprises:
obtaining corresponding information related to said decoded information from a data structure; and
taking an action based at least in part on said corresponding information.
17. The method of claim 16 that includes:
obtaining corresponding information related to said decoded information from a remote data structure; and
transmitting said corresponding information to said system.
18. The method of claim 16 that includes using said corresponding information to link to a web address, and taking an action using information from said web address.
19. The method of claim 13 in which said system comprises a camera-equipped cell phone, said cell phone sensing said displayed pattern.
20. The method of claim 13 in which said decoding comprises decoding digital watermark information from said pattern.
21. The method of claim 13 in which said decoding comprises decoding barcode information from said pattern.
22. A method of interacting with an optical sensor-equipped system that senses a pattern presented thereto, and takes an action based thereon, the method comprising the acts:
generating a pattern having a particular relation to an individual user;
displaying said pattern on a screen associated with a multi-function portable device, said device being conveyed by said individual user; and
presenting said displayed pattern to the system;
wherein the action taken by said system is personalized in accordance with said user.
23. The method of claim 22 that includes generating a pattern that encodes information associated with said individual user.
24. The method of claim 22 that includes generating a pattern that includes a picture of said individual.
25. The method of claim 22 that includes generating a pattern that includes information identifying said individual.
26. The method of claim 22 that includes, at a first time, generating and displaying a first pattern on said screen of said user-conveyed multi-function portable device and presenting same to said system, and at a second time, generating and displaying a different, second pattern on said screen and presenting same to said system, wherein at least one of said patterns has a particular relation to said individual user.
27. The method of claim 26 that includes changing between said first and second patterns responsive to user control.
28. The method of claim 22 that includes displaying said pattern on a display screen associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA) conveyed by said individual user.
29. The method of claim 22 that includes displaying said pattern on a screen associated with a multi-function portable device worn on a wrist of an individual user.
30. A method comprising the acts:
displaying a pattern on a screen associated with a multi-function portable device, said device being conveyed by an individual user;
using a camera-equipped system to sense said displayed pattern from the user-conveyed portable device, and to produce output data corresponding thereto;
decoding plural-bit information from said output data; and
taking an action based at least in part on said decoded plural-bit information, wherein said action is personalized in accordance with said individual user.