Multi-stage watermarking process and system

• US 20050283611A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Xin, Okamoto, Steve Atsushi, Ishigo, Nancy Lynn, Lear, Russell Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,609,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32315 Selecting a particular method from amongst a plurality of methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation

Abstract

A multi-stage watermarking system and process that creates a watermark specification which describes how to generate a watermark, generates a template specification which describes how to merge the watermark into a target document, generates the watermark based on the watermark specification, and merges the watermark into the target document based on the template specification to provide a watermarked document.

Claims

1-94. -94. (canceled)

95. A method for binding dynamic information in a multi-stage watermark comprising the steps of:

creating a dynamic content specification that describes how to specify, generate, embed, render, or merge a dynamic watermark in a target document at a stage of the life cycle of the target document;

generating the watermark based on the dynamic content specification; and

merging the watermark into the target document based on the dynamic content specification to provide a watermarked document.

96. The method of claim 95, wherein the dynamic content specification created is described using a watermark specification language including grammar elements that identify the watermark specification, identify a specific watermarking technology to be used, and identify a target object in which the watermark is generated.

97. The method of claim 95, further comprising generating a template specification that describes how to merge the dynamic watermark into a target document.

98. The method of claim 97, wherein the template specification generated is described using a watermark specification language including grammar elements that identify a version of the watermark specification language, provide a list of a plurality of watermark specifications to be used, and provide a mapped list of how a plurality of watermarks associated with the plurality of watermarks is to be merged with the target document.

99. The method of claim 95, wherein the dynamic content information includes multiple content information.

100. The method of claim 99, wherein the multiple content information includes content information that changes during the life cycle of the target document.

101. The method of claim 100, wherein the dynamic content information changes in accordance with the passage of time.

102. The method of claim 100, wherein the dynamic content information changes in accordance with users that access the target document.

103. The method of claim 100, wherein the dynamic content information changes in accordance with rights granted related to the target document.

104. The method of claim 100, wherein the dynamic content information changes in accordance with the application used to generate the watermark.

105. The method of claim 95, further comprising the step of recovering the watermark, including recouping the dynamic content information from the watermarked document.

106. The method of claim 95, wherein the watermarked document provided by merging the watermark into the target document is at least one of correspondence, books, magazines, journals, newspapers, forms, software, photographs, images, audio clips, video clips, multimedia presentations, and multimedia products.

107. The method of claim 95, wherein the dynamic content information describes content to be included in the watermark.

108. The method of claim 107, wherein the dynamic watermark has a plurality of content information associated therewith.

109. The method of claim 107, wherein the content to be included in the watermark is application-specific.

110. The method of claim 95, wherein the step of generating the watermark based on the dynamic content specification further includes checking the size of content information in the watermark specification against the data capacity of the watermark.

111. The method of claim 110, wherein the checking the size of content further includes:

determining the size of the content information;

determining the data capacity of the watermark;

comparing the determined size of the content information against the data capacity of the watermark; and

truncating the content information if the determined size of the content information exceeds the data capacity of the watermark.

112. The method of claim 95, wherein the step of creating a watermark specification is performed on a first computer system and the step of generating the watermark based on the watermark specification and the dynamic content information is performed on a second computer system.

113. A method for binding dynamic information in a multi-stage watermark comprising the steps of:

obtaining the watermark wherein the watermark is based on a dynamic content specification that describes how to specify, generate, embed, render, or merge a dynamic watermark in a target document at a stage of the life cycle of the target document;

merging the dynamic watermark into the target document based on the dynamic content specification to provide a watermarked document.

114. The method of claim 113, wherein the dynamic content specification created is described using a watermark specification language including grammar elements that identify the watermark specification, identify a specific watermarking technology to be used, and identify a target object in which the watermark is generated.

115. The method of claim 113, further comprising obtaining a template specification that describes how to merge the dynamic watermark into a target document.

116. The method of claim 115, wherein the template specification obtained is described using a watermark specification language including grammar elements that identify a version of the watermark specification language, provide a list of a plurality of watermark specifications to be used, and provide a mapped list of how a plurality of watermarks associated with the plurality of watermarks is to be merged with the target document.

117. The method of claim 113, wherein the dynamic content information includes multiple content information.

118. The method of claim 117, wherein the multiple content information includes content information that changes during the life cycle of the target document.

119. The method of claim 118, wherein the dynamic content information changes in accordance with the passage of time.

120. The method of claim 118, wherein the dynamic content information changes in accordance with users that access the target document.

121. The method of claim 118, wherein the dynamic content information changes in accordance with rights granted related to the target document.

122. The method of claim 118, wherein the dynamic content information changes in accordance with the application used to generate the watermark.

123. The method of claim 113, further comprising the step of recovering the watermark, including recouping the dynamic content information from the watermarked document.

124. The method of claim 113, wherein the watermarked document provided by merging the watermark into the target document is at least one of correspondence, books, magazines, journals, newspapers, forms, software, photographs, images, audio clips, video clips, multimedia presentations, and multimedia products.

125. The method of claim 113, wherein the dynamic content information describes content to be included in the watermark.

126. The method of claim 125, wherein the dynamic watermark has a plurality of content information associated therewith.

127. The method of claim 125, wherein the content to be included in the watermark is application-specific.

128. The method of claim 113, wherein the step of merging the watermark based on the dynamic content specification includes:

determining the size of the content information;

determining the data capacity of the watermark;

comparing the determined size of the content information against the data capacity of the watermark; and

truncating the content information if the determined size of the content information exceeds the data capacity of the watermark.

129. The method of claim 113, wherein the step of obtaining the watermark is performed on a first computer system and the step of merging the watermark into the target document is performed on a second computer system.

130. A method for creating a dynamic digital watermark in a target object at different stages of the target object'"'"'s life cycle, the method comprising:

describing application-specific content for binding to the dynamic digital watermarks, the application-specific content being generated by multiple applications and including application identification information;

specifying static content for binding to the dynamic digital watermark, the static content determined by the time the target object is created;

specifying dynamic content for binding to the dynamic digital watermark, the dynamic content determined by the time of at least one of generating the watermark and creating a watermarked document; and

creating the watermark based upon the merging of the application-specific content, the static content, and the dynamic content.

131. The method of claim 130, wherein the watermarks are created based on a watermark specification using a watermark specification language that includes grammar elements that identify the watermark specification, identify a specific watermarking technology to be used, and identify a target object in which the watermark is generated.

132. The method of claim 131, wherein the watermarks are created based on a template specification using a watermark specification language that includes grammar elements that identify a version of the watermark specification language, provide a list of watermark specifications to be used, and provide a mapped list of how a watermark is to be merged with the target object.

133. The method for creating a dynamic digital watermark of claim 131, wherein identifying a specific watermarking technology to be used includes identifying a mark technology specification to determine the manner in which the watermark is created based upon the merging of the application-specific content, the static content, and the dynamic content.

134. The method for creating a dynamic digital watermark of claim 131, further comprising identifying multiple marking technologies that are interpreted by a mark specification interpreter to determine the manner in which the watermark is created based upon the merging of the application-specific content, the static content, and the dynamic content.

135. The method for creating a dynamic digital watermark of claim 131, wherein identifying a specific watermarking technology to be used includes identifying a merge technology specification to determine the manner in which the watermark is created based upon the merging of the application-specific content, the static content, and the dynamic content.

136. The method for creating a dynamic digital watermark of claim 131, wherein identifying a specific watermarking technology to be used includes identifying a merge technology specification to determine the manner in which the watermark is created based upon the merging of the application-specific content, the static content, and the dynamic content.

137. A system for binding dynamic information in a multi-stage watermark comprising:

means for creating a dynamic content specification that describes how to specify, generate, embed, render, or merge a dynamic watermark in a target document at a stage of the life cycle of the target document;

means for generating the watermark based on the dynamic content specification; and

means for merging the watermark into the target document based on the dynamic content specification to provide a watermarked document.

138. A data storage medium with computer-executable instructions for binding dynamic information in a multi-stage watermark, the medium comprising:

instructions for creating a dynamic content specification that describes how to specify, generate, embed, render, or merge a dynamic watermark in a target document at a stage of the life cycle of the target document;

instructions for generating the watermark based on the dynamic content specification; and

instructions for merging the watermark into the target document based on the dynamic content specification to provide a watermarked document.

139. A system for binding dynamic information in a multi-stage watermark comprising:

means for obtaining the watermark wherein the watermark is based on a dynamic content specification that describes how to specify, generate, embed, render, or merge a dynamic watermark in a target document at a stage of the life cycle of the target document; and

means for merging the dynamic watermark into the target document based on the dynamic content specification to provide a watermarked document.

140. A data storage medium with computer-executable instructions for binding dynamic information in a multi-stage watermark comprising the steps of:

instructions for obtaining the watermark wherein the watermark is based on a dynamic content specification that describes how to specify, generate, embed, render, or merge a dynamic watermark in a target document at a stage of the life cycle of the target document; and

instructions for merging the dynamic watermark into the target document based on the dynamic content specification to provide a watermarked document.

141. A system for creating a dynamic digital watermark in a target object at different stages of the target object'"'"'s life cycle, the system comprising:

means for describing application-specific content for binding to the dynamic digital watermarks, the application-specific content being generated by multiple applications and including application identification information;

means for specifying static content for binding to the dynamic digital watermark, the static content determined by the time the target object is created;

means for specifying dynamic content for binding to the dynamic digital watermark, the dynamic content determined by the time of at least one of generating the watermark and creating a watermarked document; and

means for creating the watermark based upon the merging of the application-specific content, the static content, and the dynamic content.

142. A data storage medium with computer-executable instructions for creating a dynamic digital watermark in a target object at different stages of the target object'"'"'s life cycle, the medium comprising:

instructions for describing application-specific content for binding to the dynamic digital watermarks, the application-specific content being generated by multiple applications and including application identification information;

instructions for specifying static content for binding to the dynamic digital watermark, the static content determined by the time the target object is created;

instructions for specifying dynamic content for binding to the dynamic digital watermark, the dynamic content determined by the time of at least one of generating the watermark and creating a watermarked document; and

instructions for creating the watermark based upon the merging of the application-specific content, the static content, and the dynamic content.