Method and apparatus for enhanced audio/video services with two watermarks
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for controlling copying (recording) of an audio or video signal transmitted over a cable television or direct satellite broadcast system or the internet. Copyrighted (or other) audio or video material is protected from unwanted copying (recording) by the combination of a watermark embedded in the audio or video signal at the cable television head end together with additional copy protection data inserted in the audio or video signal, the data being a second watermark. The watermarks are audio or video watermarks embedded in active portions of the audio or video signal. The watermarks are, e.g., predetermined function s of the active video or audio. Only if the consumer is willing to pay a fee is the video or audio signal with both the watermarks transmitted to his recording device which then compares the watermarks, and only if they match is the recording permitted.
64 Citations
46 Claims
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29. A method of marking a video or audio signal to prevent unauthorized copying of the video or audio signal, comprising the acts of:
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supplying the video or audio signal;
embedding a first watermark in the video or audio signal;
transmitting the video or audio signal with the embedded first watermark to a user; and
embedding a second watermark in the transmitted video or audio signal in response to an action by the user. - View Dependent Claims (30, 41)
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31. A method of marking a video or audio signal having an embedded first watermark to prevent unauthorized copying of the signal, comprising the acts of:
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determining in response to user input if further recording of the video or audio signal is to be prevented;
if further recording is to be prevented, embedding a second watermark into the video or audio signal; and
transmitting the video or audio signal with the embedded first and second watermarks. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 42)
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34. A set top video or audio box for connection to an associated receiver, the set top box comprising:
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an input terminal adapted to receive a video or audio signal;
a conditional access control having a control terminal for receiving a selection for enabling the recording of the received video or audio signal; and
a watermark embedder for embedding a second watermark and having a control terminal coupled to an output terminal of the conditional access control and coupled for receiving the video or audio signal from the input terminal, and having an output terminal, wherein the received video or audio signal includes a first watermark;
wherein the watermark embedder outputs the video or audio signal with the first and second watermarks embedded therein in response to the conditional access control. - View Dependent Claims (35, 43)
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36. A method of operating a video or audio recorder, comprising the acts of:
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receiving at the recorder an input video or audio signal having a first watermark and a second watermark;
detecting the first and second watermarks; and
preventing recording by the recorder of the received video or audio signal if both the first and second watermarks are detected. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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37. A video or audio recorder, comprising:
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an interface for recording on a recording medium;
an input port coupled to the interface for receiving a video or audio signal to be recorded on the medium;
a watermark detector coupled to the input port; and
a processor coupled to receive from the watermark detector an indication of detected watermarks, and to prevent recording by the interface of the video or audio signal onto the medium if two predetermined watermarks are detected in the video or audio signal by the detector. - View Dependent Claims (38, 45)
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39. A method of controlling playing of a video or audio signal recorded on a medium, comprising the acts of:
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playing at least a portion of the video or audio signal from the medium;
detecting watermarks in the played video or audio signal; and
preventing further playing of the video or audio signal from the medium if at least two of the detected watermarks match respectively two predetermined watermarks. - View Dependent Claims (40, 46)
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Specification