Pre-processed information embedding system

• US 20060005029A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vobile Incorporated (Vobile Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Inventors: Petrovic, Rade, Winograd, Joseph M., Wong, Douglas, Tehranchi, Babak
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00137 involving measures which result in a restriction to contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier to authorised users
• 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: H04K 1/02 by adding a second signal to make the desired signal unintelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00864 Modifying the reproduction, e.g. outputting a modified copy of a scanned original details of composing or otherwise geometrically modifying originals H04N1/387
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• 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 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Methods are provided for embedding auxiliary information in a host content signal which reduce the memory, bandwidth and computational complexity of the embedding and transmission systems. In one embodiment, a first reduced-scale signal is produced which corresponds to the host content embedded with a first logical value and producing a second reduced-scale signal corresponding to the host content embedded with a second logical value. A first set of segments from the first reduced-scale signal may be combined with a second set of segments from the second reduced-scale signal in a pre-defined manner to produce a composite embedded host content. Thus the storage and transmission requirements of the watermarking system are reduced to having to deal with only the original content plus two reduced-scale signals.

Claims

1. A method for embedding auxiliary information symbols in a host content signal, comprising:

producing a first reduced-scale signal corresponding to the host content embedded with a first logical value;

producing a second reduced-scale signal corresponding to the host content embedded with a second logical value; and

combining a first set of segments from said first reduced-scale signal with a second set of segments from said second reduced-scale signal in a pre-defined manner to produce a composite embedded host content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-defined manner identifies an entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-defined manner identifies a transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said combining occurs at user premises.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said composite embedded host content is transmitted and subsequently received at a display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said host content comprises at least one of audio, video, text, or programming information.

7. A method for embedding auxiliary information symbols in a host content signal, comprising:

producing a set of embedding parameters corresponding to the host content embedded with at least a first and second logical values;

selecting a sequence of logical values to be embedded in accordance with a control signal; and

processing the host content signal in accordance with said embedding parameters and said control signal to produce a composite embedded host content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said processing occurs at a different time or location than said producing of said set of embedding parameters.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said processing occurs at more than one time or location.

10. A method for embedding auxiliary information symbols in a host content signal, comprising:

producing a set of parameters corresponding to said host content signal embedded with at least first and second logical values;

transmitting said parameters and said host content signal to a receiver;

receiving said parameters and said host content at a receiver;

processing the received host content signal in accordance with said parameters and a control signal to produce a composite embedded host content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein an additional reduced-scale signal is produced and transmitted to the receiver.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said parameters are produced in accordance with the value or quality of the host content.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said parameters are produced in accordance with at least one of a user of the content or an intended usage of the content.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said processing occurs at more than one time or location.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said parameters further comprise instructions related to said processing.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said parameters further comprise information related to a watermark embedding algorithm.

17. A method for embedding auxiliary information symbols in a host content signal, comprising:

embedding at least a portion of said host content signal with a first logical value to produce a first embedded host content;

producing a reduced-scale signal comprising information necessary to modify portions of said first embedded host content to contain a second logical value;

modifying portions of said first embedded content with said reduced scale signal in accordance with a control signal to produce a composite embedded host content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said reduced-scale signal comprises a gain value.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said reduced-scale signal comprises a gain value and a carrier signal.

20. A method for embedding auxiliary information symbols in a host content signal, comprising:

pre-processing at least a portion of said host content signal to produce a signal in a first pre-defined state,

modifying portions of said signal in the first pre-defined state in accordance with a control signal to produce a composite embedded host content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said pre-processing is adapted to reduce the interference of said host content with embedded auxiliary information.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said first pre-defined state is neutral with respect to the embedding of different logical values.