Enhancing embedding of out-of-phase signals
First Claim
1. A method of steganographically hiding a first image in a second image, the second image comprising a plurality of color channels, wherein the hiding of the first image in the second image comprises at least hiding a first image component in a first of the plurality of color channels, and, at the same second image location, hiding the component in a second of the plurality of channels, the second channel component being inverted with respect to the first channel component, said method comprising the steps of:
- analyzing an attribute of at least one of the plurality of color channels; and
based on the analysis, altering the first image component prior to embedding in the first and second color channels.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to steganographically hiding images and information. In a preferred embodiment, an image is hidden within a media signal. The media preferably includes a cyan (C) color plane, a magenta (M) color plane, a yellow (Y) color plane and a black (K) color plane. In an alternative embodiment, the media includes a spot color. The image is converted into a black color channel image and is then applied to the media'"'"'s K channel. The black channel image is inverted and the inverted image is applied to the media'"'"'s CMY (or spot) color planes. The C, M and/or Y channels can be investigated to determine whether the image'"'"'s signal level should be modified. In a related embodiment, the media signal is segmented into a plurality of blocks and the detection level of a first embedded block is determined to be sufficient before the embedding continues to a second block. In still another embodiment, visible spectrum detection of our out-of-phase digital watermark provides a clue as to whether a printing process needs calibration or is misaligned.
129 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of steganographically hiding a first image in a second image, the second image comprising a plurality of color channels, wherein the hiding of the first image in the second image comprises at least hiding a first image component in a first of the plurality of color channels, and, at the same second image location, hiding the component in a second of the plurality of channels, the second channel component being inverted with respect to the first channel component, said method comprising the steps of:
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analyzing an attribute of at least one of the plurality of color channels; and
based on the analysis, altering the first image component prior to embedding in the first and second color channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20)
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13. A method of steganographically hiding a digital watermark in an image, the image comprising a plurality of color channels including a black channel and a first color channel, said method comprising the steps of:
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segmenting the image into a plurality of blocks;
hiding a first digital watermark component in the black channel of a first of the plurality of blocks;
hiding the component in the first color channel of the first block, the first channel component being inverted with respect to the black channel component;
detecting the digital watermark component; and
based on the digital watermark detection, reembedding the first block if the detection is below a predetermined threshold, and embedding a second of the plurality of blocks if the detection is above a predetermined threshold.
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18. A method of monitoring a printing process, the printing process providing a print having at least a first color plane and a second color plane, wherein a digital watermark is steganographically embedded in the print by embedding at least one digital watermark component in the first color plane and, at the same print location, embedding the component in the second plane, the second plane component being inverted with respect to the first plane component, said method comprising the steps of:
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capturing a visible spectrum image of the print to provide corresponding scan data;
analyzing scan data to detect the digital watermark component; and
signaling at least a printing misalignment when the digital watermark component is detected.
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Specification