Watermarked material processing

• US 20020124173A1
• Filed: 12/04/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Stone, Jonathan James
• Granted Patent: US 7,073,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467

Abstract

A material (e.g. video, audio or data) processing system (648) processes material including a watermark. The system comprises a remover (640) for removing the watermark, a processor (646) for processing the material from which the watermark has been removed, and an inserter (642) for inserting a watermark into the processed material.

Claims

1. A material processing system for processing material including a watermark, the system comprising a remover for removing the watermark, a processor for processing the material from which the watermark has been removed, and an inserter for inserting a watermark into the processed material.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor has a user interface for controlling the processes performed thereby.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the remover and the inserter are arranged to operate automatically and independently of the user.

4. A system according to claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising a database processor linked to the remover, the database processor containing data enabling the removal of the watermark from the material to be processed.

5. A system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a database processor linked to the inserter, the database processor containing data enabling insertion of the watermark into the processed material.

6. A system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the said enabling data includes an encryption key.

7. A system according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the inserter and the remover are linked to the database processor by a communications link.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the communications link includes the internet.

9. A system according to any preceding claims arranged to check the authenticity of the said material including the reversible watermark.

10. A system according to claim 9, arranged to disable the said processor if the material fails the authenticity check.

26. Apparatus or method according to any preceding claim, wherein the material is one or more of video material, audio material and data material.

11. A method of processing material including a watermark, comprising the steps of:

removing the watermark;

processing the material from which the watermark has been removed using a processor; and

inserting a watermark into the processed material.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the steps of removing and inserting are automatic and independent of a user of the processor.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the removal and insertion are hidden from the user.

14. A method according to claim 11, 12 or 13, further comprising retrieving from a database data enabling the removal of the watermark included in the material to be processed.

15. A method according to claim 11, 12 or 13, further comprising retrieving from a database data enabling the insertion of a watermark into the processed material.

16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the said enabling data includes an encryption key.

17. A method according to claim 14, 15 or 16, wherein the enabling data is retrieved via a communications link.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the communications link includes the internet.

19. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, comprising the steps of checking the authenticity of the said material including the reversible watermark.

20. A method according to claim 19, comprising the steps of disabling the processing of the material if the material fails the authenticity check.

27. A computer program product arranged to carry out the method of any one of claims 11 to 22 when run on a programmable digital signal processor.

21. A method of removing data embedded in material comprising the steps of:

receiving material in which data is embedded;

accessing an information store storing information enabling the data to be removed; and

removing the said data using the enabling data accessed from the store.

22. A method comprising the steps of:

embedding data in material; and

storing, in an information store, information for enabling the data to be removed from the material.

25. Apparatus according to claim 23 further comprising a generator for generating the enabling information.

28. A storage medium storing a computer program product according to claim 27.

23. Apparatus for removing data embedded in material comprising:

an input for receiving material in which data is embedded;

an information store for storing information enabling the data to be removed; and

a remover arranged to remove the said data using the enabling data accessed from the store.

24. Apparatus comprising:

an embedder for embedding data in material;

a store for storing information for enabling the data to be removed from the material.

29. A method of processing material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIG. 1 optionally as modified by:

FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 4, FIG. 5; and

/or FIGS. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

30. Apparatus for processing material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIG. 1 optionally as modified by:

FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 4, FIG. 5; and

/or FIGS. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.