Method and apparatus for content protection

• US 20050091498A1
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rio Brands Incorporated
• Inventors: Diamond, Michael B., Williams, Ian M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00826 wherein a spoiler signal is added to degrade the signal quality
• 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 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91357 by modifying the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91385 the video frame number being modulated
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91392 using means for preventing making copies of projected video images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42653 for processing graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440254 by altering signal-to-noise parameters, e.g. requantization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8453 by locking or enabling a set of features, e.g. optional functionalities in an executable program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

Method and apparatus for protecting image content. In an embodiment, tags are used to identify how to alter image content. A graphics processor is configured to process the tags and to alter the image responsive to the tags. In another embodiment, a graphics processor is configured to alter image content unless a key is provided to the graphics processor.

Claims

1. A method for protecting digital content, comprising:

providing digital content organized by frames to a rendering unit; and

altering a portion of the frames of the digital content within the rendering unit in response to tags in a data stream provided thereto, wherein the alterations of the digital content are not visually perceptible for real-time display but are visually perceptible in a recorded version thereof.

2. The method, according to claim 1, wherein the step of altering comprises randomly selecting frames for alteration.

3. The method, according to claim 1, wherein altering comprises removing at least one object from a frame.

4. The method, according to claim 1, wherein altering comprises relocating at least one object in a frame.

5. The method, according to claim 1, wherein altering comprises adding at least one object to a frame.

6. The method, according to claim 5, wherein the rendering unit is a graphics processing unit.

7. A device for protecting digital content, comprising:

a rendering unit configured to detect tags in a data stream and to associate the detected tags with commands for altering image content.

8. The device, according to claim 7, wherein the rendering unit includes a table for storing symbols used when associating the detected tags with the commands.

9. The device, according to claim 8, wherein the rendering unit comprises memory for storing overlays for alteration of the image content.

10. The device, according to claim 8, wherein the rendering unit comprises a random number generator for randomly selecting when to apply the commands.

11. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the random number generator randomly selects when to apply overlays.

12. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the rendering unit comprises a decryptor.

13. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the rendering unit is configured to detect watermarks and to alter image frames in response to detected watermarks.

14. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the rendering unit detects watermarks and provides a graphical user interface in response to at least one detected watermark.

15. The device, according to claim 14, wherein the graphical user interface is provide after detecting a threshold number of watermarks.

16. The device, according to claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface provides a data entry block for entry of a key.

17. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the rendering unit is configured to down sample in response to a failure to enter an acceptable key.

18. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the rendering unit is configured to disable recording in response to a failure to enter an acceptable key.

19. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the rendering unit is configured to randomly alter the selected frames in response to a failure to enter an acceptable key.

20. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a digital video camera.

21. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a digital video disc recorder.

22. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a compact disc recorder.

23. The recording device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a hard disk drive recorder.

24. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a digital tape drive recorder.

25. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a floppy disk drive recorder.

26. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a solid state memory recorder.

27. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a computer.

28. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a monitor.

29. The device, according to claim 10, wherein the device is a television.

30. Digital video content, comprising:

tags for altering image frames by a rendering unit.

31. The digital video content, according to claim 30, wherein the tags are for removal of at least one object in a frame.

32. The digital video content, according to claim 30, wherein the tags are for relocation of at least one object in a frame.

33. The digital video content, according to claim 30, wherein the tags are for addition of at least one object to a frame.