Imagery having technical exposure data steganographically encoded therein

• US 20050196013A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 : Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• 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 20/00094 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 : involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• 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: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/665 : using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• 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 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• 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 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• 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 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 : the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 : the copy protection signal being a watermark
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

Technical exposure information (which may include film speed) is steganographically encoded into image data. The information may be encoded in accordance with pseudo-random noise data, and may be dispersed across the image, rather than being localized in a limited portion. In some embodiments, the encoding is such that the value of a single image pixel is changed in accordance with the values of several bits of information.

Claims

1. A method of associating technical exposure information within an image, characterized in that the image is steganographically encoded with plural bit information, the plural bit information representing the exposure information, so that when the image is represented in the pixel domain, the steganographic encoding takes the form of slight changes in the values of the image pixels.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the technical exposure information comprises data indicating film speed.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the plural bit information is dispersed across the image, rather than being localized in a limited portion.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the plural bit information is encoded in accordance with pseudo-random noise data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a change to a single image pixel is a function of the values of several of said plural bits of information.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the encoding changes the luminance of a majority of the image pixels.

7. A printed image formed by printing the encoded image of claim 1 onto a substrate.

8. A method of associating technical exposure information within an image, characterized in that the image is steganographically encoded with plural bit information, the plural bit information representing information used in linking to a data repository containing the exposure information, so that when the image is represented in the pixel domain, the steganographic encoding takes the form of slight changes in the values of the image pixels.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the technical exposure information comprises data indicating film speed.

10. The method of claim 8 in which the plural bit information is dispersed across the image, rather than being localized in a limited portion.

11. The method of claim 8 in which the plural bit information is encoded in accordance with pseudo-random noise data.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein a change to a single image pixel is a function of the values of several of said plural bits of information.

13. The method of claim 8 in which the encoding changes the luminance of a majority of the image pixels.

14. A printed image formed by printing the encoded image of claim 8 onto a substrate.

15. A method of determining technical exposure information associated with an image, characterized by steganographically decoding plural bit information from the image, said plural bit information taking the form of slight changes to pixel values when the image is represented in the pixel domain, the method further including determining the technical exposure information by reference to said plural bit information.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the determining includes using the plural bit information in linking to a data repository containing the technical exposure information.

17. The method of claim 15 that includes scanning a printed image to obtain image data on which the method is practiced.

18. The method of claim 15 in which the technical exposure information comprises data indicating film speed.

19. The method of claim 15 in which the plural bit information is encoded dispersed across the image, rather than being localized in a limited portion.

20. The method of claim 15 that includes steganographically decoding the plural bit information employing pseudo-random noise data.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein a change to a single image pixel is a function of the values of several of said plural bits of information.

22. The method of claim 15 in which the luminance of a majority of pixels comprising the image have been changed by encoding of the plural bit information.

23. Apparatus for embedding information in a digital image in response to an image capture property and information to be embedded into the digital image, comprising

a) an image capture device for capturing the image to produce the digital image;

b) memory for storing the image capture property;

c) an input device for storing information associated with the image and to be embedded in the digital image; and

d) an encoder responsive to the stored image capture property and the associated information for modifying a predetermined number of pixel values with the associated information in the digital image so that the associated information is embedded in the digital image, wherein the embedded information can subsequently be extracted.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the modified pixels in the digital image do not substantially alter the quality of the digital image.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further including means responsive to the modified digital image for printing a human visible image wherein the embedded information is invisible.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 further including means for storing the modified digital image on a medium which can be used for subsequent printing of the modified digital image.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the embedded information includes authentication information.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the embedded information includes user input information.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the embedded information includes compressed information.

30. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the image capture property includes one or more of the following:

film speed, film type, dimensional format of film, and exposure conditions.

31. Apparatus for producing an image on a receiver which includes invisible embedded information, comprising

a) an image capture device for capturing the image to produce the digital image;

b) memory for storing an image capture property;

c) a user input device for providing and storing information associated with the image and to be embedded in the digital image;

d) an encoder responsive to the stored image capture property and the associated information for modifying a predetermined number of pixel values with the associated information in the digital image so that the associated information is embedded in the digital image; and

e) a printer responsive to the modified digital image for printing a human visible image on the receiver wherein the embedded information is invisible and can subsequently be extracted.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the modified pixels in the digital image do not substantially alter the quality of the image on the receiver.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the embedded information includes authentication information.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the embedded information includes compressed information.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the image capture property includes one or more of the following:

film speed, film type, dimensional format of film, and exposure conditions.