Electronic watermark embedding apparatus, electronic watermark embedding method, record medium having electronic watermark and manufacturing method of record medium

• US 20040022412A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Iwamura, Hiroshi, Moriyama, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0202 whereby the quality of watermarked images is measured; Measuring quality or performance of watermarking methods; Balancing between quality and robustness
• 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 1/32208 involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32229 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32245 Random or pseudorandom selection of pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic watermark embedding apparatus, an electronic watermark embedding method, a record medium having an electronic watermark capable of securely detecting the watermark in the case of performing the noise reduction process or data compression process to the information on the contents and a manufacturing method of record medium. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus is provided with an embedding device for embedding an electronic watermark comprised of a signal generated based on a predetermined rule into contents comprised of digital information; a variation device for varying intensity of the electronic watermark to be embedded into the contents; and a controlling device for controlling the variation device so as to change the intensity of the electronic watermark, and wherein the controlling device for controlling the variation means so as to increase the intensity of the electronic watermark at intervals are provided.

Claims

1. An electronic watermark embedding apparatus comprising:

an embedding device for embedding an electronic watermark comprised of a signal generated based on a predetermined rule into contents comprised of digital information;

a variation device for varying intensity of the electronic watermark to be embedded into the contents; and

a controlling device for controlling the variation device so as to change the intensity of the electronic watermark.

2. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling device for controlling the variation device so as to increase the intensity of the electronic watermark at intervals is provided.

3. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the variation device comprising:

a setup device for setting up the intensity of the electronic watermark based on an information signal of the contents; and

a changing device for changing the intensity of the electronic watermark set up by the setup device so as to increase it at intervals.

4. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controlling device exerts control to increase the intensity of the electronic watermark at random intervals or unfixed intervals according to a predetermined rule.

5. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controlling device controls the variation device so as to increase the intensity of the electronic watermark in a portion in which change in the information signal is abrupt.

6. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the contents are image contents; and

the portion in which the change is abrupt in the contents is a scene changing portion of the image, a portion of the image having strong edges or a portion of the image of fierce move.

7. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 2, comprising;

a detection device for detecting whether or not a first electronic watermark is embedded in the contents, and if it is embedded, detecting a type thereof, and wherein;

the controlling device exerts control so as to embed a new second electronic watermark based on detection results from the detection device.

8. An electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a detection device for detecting a first electronic watermark embedded in the contents, and

an embedding device for embedding a second electronic watermark into the contents according to detection results of the detection device, and wherein;

the detection device is placed more frontward than the embedding device.

9. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising

a noise reduction device for reducing noise of a signal is placed between the detection device and the embedding device.

10. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising

a compression device for compression-encoding the signal is placed between the detection device and the embedding device.

11. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising

a decoding device for decoding the signal is placed between the detection device and the embedding device.

12. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a noise reduction device for performing a noise reduction process to the information of the contents;

and wherein

the controlling device controls the variation device so as to change the intensity of the electronic watermark in conjunction with the intensity of the noise reduction process by the noise reduction device.

13. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controlling device controls the variation device so as to increase the intensity of the electronic watermark when the intensity of the noise reduction process by the noise reduction device is high.

14. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the variation device comprises:

a setup device for setting up the intensity of the electronic watermark based on an information signal of the contents; and

a changing device for changing the intensity of the electronic watermark set up by the setup device in conjunction with the intensity of the noise reduction process by the noise reduction device.

15. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controlling device controls the variation device so as to increase the intensity of the electronic watermark by having a spacing.

16. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 12, comprising

a detection device for detecting whether or not a first electronic watermark is embedded in the contents in advance and, in the case where the first electronic watermark is embedded, detecting a type thereof, and wherein:

the controlling device exerts control so as to embed a new second electronic watermark based on detection results from the detection device.

17. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a compression device for compression-encoding the information of the contents;

and wherein

the controlling device for controlling the variation device so as to change the intensity of the electronic watermark in conjunction with compression ratio of the compression process by the compression device.

18. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the controlling device controls the variation device so as to increase the intensity of the electronic watermark when the compression ratio of the compression process by the compression device is high.

19. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the variation device comprises:

a setup device for setting up the intensity of the electronic watermark based on an information signal of the contents; and

a changing device for changing the intensity of the electronic watermark set up by the setup device in conjunction with the compression ratio of the compression process by the compression device.

20. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the controlling device controls the variation device so as to increase the intensity of the electronic watermark by having a spacing.

21. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 17, comprising

a detection device for detecting whether or not a first electronic watermark is embedded in the contents in advance and, in the case where the first electronic watermark is embedded, detecting a type thereof, and wherein:

the controlling device exerts control so as to embed a new second electronic watermark based on detection results from the detection device.

22. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

the embedding device further for adding to the signal of the contents the electronic watermark having its intensity varied by the variation device and thereby generating a first signal; and

a detection device for detecting the electronic watermark embedded in the first signal by the embedding device;

and wherein

the controlling device for controlling the variation device so as to vary the intensity of the electronic watermark according to detection results of the detection device.

23. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, in the case where the intensity of the electronic watermark detected by the detection device is low, the controlling device controls the variation device to have the intensity increased thereby.

24. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, in the case where the intensity of the electronic watermark detected by the detection device is high, the controlling device controls the variation device to have the intensity decreased thereby.

25. The electronic watermark embedding apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising

a signal processing device for processing the first signal and generating a second signal, and wherein:

the detection device detects the electronic watermark embedded in the first signal by the embedding device based on the second signal.

26. A record medium comprising:

an image having an electronic watermark comprised of a signal generated based on a predetermined rule embedded into contents comprised of digital information;

wherein

an intensity of the electronic watermark embedded in the contents changes according to predetermined rules.

27. The record medium according to 26,

wherein the intensity of the electronic watermark embedded in the contents is increased at intervals.

28. The record medium according to 26,

wherein the information of the contents undergoes a noise reduction process;

and

the intensity of the electronic watermark changes in conjunction with the intensity of the noise reduction process.

29. The record medium according to 26,

wherein the information of the contents undergoes a data compression process by compression-encoding;

and

the intensity of the electronic watermark changes in conjunction with compression ratio of the data compression process.