Digital content processing method

• US 20010024510A1
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwamura, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32299 using more than one embedding method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3239 using a plurality of different authentication information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

An increasing number of people are employing a variety of methods of editing and processing digital content in an effort to illegally copy the content. It is difficult to develop digital watermark technology that is able to withstand all types of editing and processing. The present invention addresses the foregoing problems by providing a digital content processing method comprising performing a plurality of copyright protection processes on digital content, each copyright protection process differing in difficulty of being analyzing, and distributing the processed digital content.

Claims

1. A digital content processing method comprising the steps of:

performing a plurality of copyright protection processes on digital content; and

distributing the processed digital content,

wherein each of the plurality of copyright protection processes differs in difficulty of being analyzed.

2. A digital content processing method according to

claim 1

, wherein each of the plurality of copyright protection processes embeds a digital watermark in the digital content, each digital watermark differing in method of embedment and robustness against attack.

3. A digital content processing method comprising the steps of:

performing a plurality of copyright protection processes on digital content;

distributing a first extracting unit for part of the plurality of copyright protection processes; and

extracting information from the digital content using the first extracting unit for part of the plurality of copyright protection processes and a second extracting unit for the remaining copyright protection processes.

4. A digital content processing method according to

claim 3

, wherein each of the plurality of copyright protection processes embeds a digital watermark in the digital content, each digital watermark differing in method of embedment and robustness against attack.

5. A digital content processing method according to

claim 3

, wherein the information extracted by the second extracting unit is more robust than the information extracted by the first extracting unit.

6. A digital content processing method according to

claim 3

, wherein the first extracting unit differs from the second the extracting unit.

7. A digital content processing method according to

claim 3

, wherein the first extracting unit is software distributed through a network.

8. A digital content processing method according to

claim 3

, wherein the first extracting unit is software stored on a storage medium, wherein the storage medium containing the first extracting unit is distributed.

9. A valuable paper processing method comprising the steps of:

performing a plurality of counterfeit prevention processes in printing valuable paper; and

circulating the processed valuable paper,

wherein each of the plurality of counterfeit prevention processes differs in difficulty of being analyzed.

10. A valuable paper processing method according to

claim 9

, wherein each of the plurality of counterfeit prevention processes embeds a digital watermark in the valuable paper, each digital watermark differing in method of embedment and robustness against attack.

11. A valuable paper processing method comprising the steps of:

performing a plurality of counterfeit prevention processes in printing valuable paper;

distributing a first extracting unit for part of the plurality of counterfeit prevention processes; and

extracting information from the valuable paper using the first extracting unit for part of the counterfeit prevention processes and a second extracting unit for the remaining counterfeit prevention processes.

12. A valuable paper processing method according to

claim 11

, wherein each of the plurality of counterfeit prevention processes embeds a digital watermark in the valuable paper, each digital watermark differing in method of embedment and robustness against attack.

13. A valuable paper processing method according to

claim 11

, wherein the first extracting unit is a robust digital watermark extracting unit, and the second extracting unit is kept confidential.

14. A valuable paper processing method according to

claim 11

, wherein the first extracting unit is software distributed through a network.

15. A valuable paper processing method according to

claim 11

, wherein the first extracting unit is software stored on a storage medium, wherein the storage medium containing the first extracting unit is distributed.

16. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having computer program codes, for processing digital content, said product including:

performing procedure codes for performing a plurality of copyright protection processes on digital content; and

distribution procedure codes for distributing the processed digital content,

wherein each of the plurality of copyright protection processes differs in difficulty of being analyzed.

17. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having computer program codes, for processing digital content said product including:

performing code for performing a plurality of copyright protection processes on digital content;

distribution code for distributing a first extracting unit for part of the plurality of copyright protection processes; and

extraction code for extracting information from the digital content using the first extracting unit for part of the copyright protection processes and a second extracting unit for the remaining copyright protection processes.

18. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having computer program codes, for processing valuable paper, said product including:

performing code for performing a plurality of counterfeit prevention processes in printing valuable paper; and

circulation code for circulating the processed valuable paper,

wherein each of the plurality of counterfeit prevention processes differs in difficulty of being analyzed.

19. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having computer program codes, for processing valuable paper, said product including:

performing codes for performing a plurality of counterfeit prevention processes in printing valuable paper;

distribution code for distributing a first extracting unit for part of the counterfeit prevention processes; and

extraction code for extracting information from the valuable paper using the first extracting unit for part of the counterfeit prevention processes and a second extracting unit for the remaining counterfeit prevention processes.

20. A processing method comprising the steps of:

embedding a first digital watermark in digital content;

embedding a second digital watermark in the digital content; and

distributing the digital content embedded with both the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark.

21. A processing method according to

claim 20

, wherein the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark differ in tolerance for processing.

22. A processing method according to

claim 21

, wherein the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark are embedded in order of tolerance for processing when the digital watermark and the second digital watermark are embedded in the same position of the digital content.

23. A processing method according to

claim 20

, further comprising the step of distributing a first extracting software for extracting the first digital watermark, wherein a second extracting software for extracting the second digital watermark is kept confidential.

24. A processing method according to

claim 20

, further comprising the steps of:

extracting the first digital watermark using the first extracting software; and

extracting the second digital watermark using the second extracting software,

wherein if the first digital watermark is unable to be extracted using the first extracting software and the second digital watermark is able to be extracted using the second extracting software, the first digital watermark is considered to have been removed from the digital content.

25. A processing method according to

claim 20

, wherein the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark are embedded in the digital content using one of a method embedding information in a spatial area and a method embedding information in a frequency area.

26. A processing method according to

claim 20

, wherein the second digital watermark contains personal information of a buyer of the digital content.

27. A processing method comprising the steps of:

embedding a first digital watermark in valuable paper;

embedding a second digital watermark in the valuable paper; and

circulating the valuable paper embedded with both the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark.

28. A processing method according to

claim 27

, wherein the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark differ in tolerance for processing.

29. A processing method according to

claim 27

, further comprising the step of disclosing a first extracting method for extracting the first digital watermark, wherein a second extracting method for extracting the second digital watermark is kept confidential.

30. A processing method according to

claim 29

, wherein the first extracting method for extracting the first digital watermark is disclosed to an image processing product maker.

31. A processing method according to

claim 30

, further comprising the step of installing the first extracting method in image processing products made by the image processing product maker.

32. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having computer program codes, for distributing digital content, said product including:

first embedding procedure code for embedding a first digital watermark in digital content;

second embedding procedure code for embedding a second digital watermark in the digital content; and

distribution procedure code for distributing the digital content embedded with both the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark.

33. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having computer program codes, for circulating valuable paper, said product including:

first embedding procedure code for embedding a first digital watermark in valuable paper;

second embedding procedure code for embedding a second digital watermark in the valuable paper; and

circulation procedure code for circulating the valuable paper embedded with both the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark.

34. A processing system comprising:

first embedding means for embedding a first digital watermark in digital content;

second embedding means for embedding a second digital watermark in the digital content; and

distributing means for distributing the digital content embedded with both the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark.

35. A processing system comprising:

first embedding means for embedding a first digital watermark in valuable paper;

second embedding means for embedding a second digital watermark in the valuable paper; and

circulation means for circulating the valuable paper embedded with both the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark.