Centralized detector of dynamic, robust, embedded-signals

• US 20050071604A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tanner, Theodore C. Jr., Puryear, Martin G., Swenson, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• 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

Described herein is a technology for dynamic and robust detection of one or more embedded-signals (e.g., watermark, copyright notice, encoded data, etc.) in an input signal (e.g., multimedia stream, video stream, audio stream, data, radio, etc.) within a multi-signal environment. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having a program module with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs a method comprising:

obtaining an omnibus signal comprising multiple input signals mixed together, wherein the one or more the multiple input signals potentially may have an embedded signal therein;

testing the omnibus signal to determine if the omnibus signal includes an embedded signal therein.

2. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein.

3. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple signals are passed through and consumed by one or more computer-executable program modules, the method further comprises locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein, the locating occurring within about thirty seconds or less of consumption of the located signal.

4. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

indicating the located signal.

5. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

generating a notification based upon the locating.

6. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

impairing the located signal.

7. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

muting the located signal when that signal is an audio signal.

8. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

impairing one or more of the multiple input signals during the locating;

when the one of the multiple input signals with an embedded signal therein is located by the locating, impairing only the located signal.

9. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the multiple input signals of the omnibus signal may potentially have an embedded signal therein, the multiple signals being mixed together into the omnibus signal and in a tree-like organizational structure with each of the multiple input signals is a “

leaf”

in the tree-like organizational structure and each “

leaf”

represents one of the multiple input signals that is unmixed with other signals.

10. A medium as recited in claim 1, if the testing finds an embedded signal in the omnibus signal, then the method further comprises performing a tree-search of the tree-like organizational structure to locate which one of the multiple input signals has an embedded signal therein.

11. A medium as recited in claim 1, if the testing finds an embedded signal in the omnibus signal, then the method further comprises progressively “

walking”

up the tree-like organizational structure and testing the signal at each “

branch”

or “

leaf”

encountered in the walk up the tree-like organizational structure to determine if the signal at that branch or leaf includes an embedded signal therein.

12. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the type of the one or more the multiple input signals is selected from a group consisting of image, audio, video, multimedia, software, metadata, and data.

13. An operating system comprising a medium as recited in claim 1.

14. A computing device comprising:

an input device for receiving one or more input signals;

a medium as recited in claim 1.

15. A method for dynamic detecting of robust embedded-signals in a multiple-signal environment, the method comprising:

obtaining an omnibus signal comprising multiple input signals mixed together, wherein one or more the multiple input signals potentially may have an embedded signal therein;

testing the omnibus signal to determine if the omnibus signal includes an embedded signal therein,

wherein each of the multiple input signals of the omnibus signal may potentially have an embedded signal therein, the multiple signals being mixed together into the omnibus signal and in a tree-like organizational structure with each of the multiple input signals is a “

leaf”

in the tree-like organizational structure and each “

leaf”

represents one of the multiple input signals that is unmixed with other signals.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprises locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the multiple signals are passed through and consumed, the method further comprising locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein, the locating occurring within about thirty seconds or less of consumption of the located signal.

18. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

indicating the located signal.

19. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

generating a notification based upon the locating.

20. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

impairing the located signal.

21. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

muting the located signal when that signal is an audio signal.

22. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

locating one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein;

impairing one or more of the multiple input signals during the locating;

when the one of the multiple input signals with an embedded signal therein is located by the locating, impairing only the located signal.

23. A method as recited in claim, 15, if the testing finds an embedded signal in the omnibus signal, then further comprising performing a tree-search of the tree-like organizational structure to locate which one of the multiple input signals has an embedded signal therein.

24. A method as recited in claim 15, if the testing finds an embedded signal in the omnibus signal, then the method further comprises progressively “

walking”

up the tree-like organizational structure and testing the signal at each “

branch”

or “

leaf”

encountered in the walk up the tree-like organizational structure to determine if the signal at that branch or leaf includes an embedded signal therein.

25. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the type of the one or more the multiple input signals is selected from a group consisting of image, audio, video, multimedia, software, metadata, and data.

26. A computer comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer, perform the method as recited in claim 15.

27. An embedded-signal detection system comprising a single embedded-signal detector configured to concurrently receive multiple input signals, each input signal potentially having an embedded-signal therein, wherein the detector is further configured to concurrently test the multiple input signals to determine if at least one of the multiple input signals has an embedded signal therein.

28. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the detector being further configured to locate one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein.

29. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the multiple signals are passed through to a signal consumer, the detector being further configured to locate one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein, the locating occurring within about thirty seconds or less of consumption of the located signal.

30. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the detector being further configured to locate one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein and indicate the located signal.

31. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the detector being further configured to locate one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein and generate a notification based upon the locating.

32. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the detector being further configured to locate one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein and impair the located signal.

33. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the detector being further configured to locate one of the multiple input signals that has an embedded signal therein, impair one or more of the multiple input signals while it locates the one signal with an embedded signal therein, and when the one of the multiple input signals with an embedded signal therein is located, impair only the located signal.

34. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein each of the multiple input signals of the omnibus signal may potentially have an embedded signal therein, the multiple signals being mixed together into the omnibus signal and in a tree-like organizational structure with each of the multiple input signals is a “

leaf”

in the tree-like organizational structure and each “

leaf”

represents one of the multiple input signals that is unmixed with other signals.

35. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the detector is further configured to perform a tree-search of the tree-like organizational structure, if the detector finds an embedded signal in the omnibus signal, to locate which one of the multiple input signals has an embedded signal therein.

36. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the detector is further configured to progressively “

walk”

up the tree-like organizational structure if the detector finds an embedded signal in the omnibus signal and is further configured to test the signal at each “

branch”

or “

leaf”

encountered in the walk up the tree-like organizational structure to determine if the signal at that branch or leaf includes an embedded signal therein.

37. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the type of the one or more the multiple input signals is selected from a group consisting of image, audio, video, multimedia, software, metadata, and data.