Program encoding and counterfeit tracking system and method

• US 20060015464A1
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deluxe Media Inc., Softitler Net, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Deluxe Laboratories, Inc. (Deluxe Corp.)
• Inventors: Dewolde, Jeffrey H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0085 Time domain based watermarking, e.g. watermarks spread over several images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0081 whereby both original and watermarked images are required at decoder, e.g. destination-based, non-blind, non-oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• 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

Abstract

Unique encoding of each of a substantial number of distribution video copies of a program such as a motion picture is produced by altering the images slightly at several pre-selected locations in the program in a uniquely coded pattern. Suspected counterfeits can be compared with an unaltered master video to determine the encoded number for the copy which was counterfeited to enable tracking the source of the counterfeit. Preferably, each frame of several whole scenes is altered at each location so as to make the alterations largely undetectable by counterfeiters but easily detected by comparison with an unaltered master video. Artifacts are inserted in patterns representing a unique number for the program. These supplement the encoding by alteration of images and gives added means to aid in tracing counterfeit copies.

Claims

1. A method for uniquely identifying a plurality of copies of an audio-visual program in an electronic or optically recorded form, said method comprising:

(a) Altering images appearing at selected ones of a plurality of different locations in said program; and

(b) Selecting said ones of said locations in each of said copies to create a unique pattern in each of said copies.

2. A method as in claim 1 including the step of storing at a location separate from said copies information representing said pattern for each of said copies.

3. A method as in claim 1 in which said altering step comprises shifting an image in at least one frame in each of said selected locations.

4. A method as in claim 1 in which substantially all of the images in a scene are altered at each of said locations.

5. A method as in claim 1 in which said shifting step comprises enlarging said image slightly in at least one dimension.

6. A method as in claim 1 including distributing said copies to a plurality of recipients, recording the identity of each of said recipients, and storing the patterns of each copy distributed to each of said recipients.

7. A method as in claim 1 including the step of introducing artifacts forming an encoded symbol in each of said copies at further selected ones of a plurality of other locations.

8. A method as in claim 7 including storing the locations of said artifacts for each of said copies and storing the identification of the recipients of each of said copies.

9. A method as in claim 7 in which said artifacts are introduced at locations immediately following an edit.

10. A method as in claim 7 in which a plurality of specific locations is provided at each of a plurality of larger locations, there being one specific location in a larger location for each of ten numbers which forms one digit of an identification number for the copy being made, whereby the place and the digit can be determined by the specific location of the artifacts.

11. A method as in claim 1 in which the presence of an altered image in a selected frame indicates one of a digital 1 and a digital 0, and the absence of an altered image in said frame indicates the other of said digital 1 and 0, and the combination of digital 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s in a given sequence of selected frames forms a number unique to the program copy in which it appears.

12. A method as in claim 1 in which said alteration is repeated in a plurality of different scenes at each of said locations.

13. A method of tracing the source of a counterfeit copy of a video motion picture, comprising an identification method as recited in claim 1 including the step of comparing a suspected counterfeit copy with an unaltered master to detect which images have been altered.

16. A method of tracing the source of a counterfeit copy of a video motion picture, comprising a distributing method as recited in claim 13, including the step of comparing a suspected counterfeit copy with an unaltered master to detect which images have been altered.

17. A method as in claim 16 in which said comparing step includes utilizing stored time code indications for running said master to said locations and still-framing said master, and running said suspected counterfeit copy to a corresponding location and comparing at least one frame of said master with a corresponding frame of said suspected counterfeit.

14. A method of distributing electronic motion picture copies, comprising:

(a) marking said copies with image shifting signals for selected frames of said motion picture, to form a unique pattern;

(b) distributing said copies to selected recipients; and

(c) recording the unique pattern for each such copy with the identity of its recipient(s).

15. A method as in claim 14 in which said unique pattern comprises a coded array in which the presence or absence of a shifted image at predetermined positions in this motion picture copy represents in code a number unique to that copy.

18. A system for copy coding motion picture copies, said system comprising:

(a) apparatus for making multiple copies of said motion picture, and

(b) a computer-controlled device for providing a visually detectable indication at each of a plurality of selected locations in each of said copies, said locations being selected so as to form a coded pattern unique to each copy.

19. A system as in claim 18 in which said motion picture copies are selected from the group consisting of film copies and video copies.

20. A system as in claim 18 in which each of said indications is detectable either on a screen or in the signals recorded from a genuine encoded video record.

21. A system as in claim 18 in which each of said detectable indications comprises a shifted image in a frame of the motion picture.

22. A system as in claim 18 in which said coded pattern is a digital representation of a number unique to the copy in which it appears.

23. A system as in claim 18 including a computer-controlled device for forming further visually detectable indications at other selected locations in each of said copies, said further indications comprising arrays of artifacts which together represent a unique number for said motion picture copy.

24. A system as in claim 18 in which said apparatus for making multiple copies includes a plurality of video recorders, a master video server storing the video signals representing a master video of said motion picture, a modification server for storing a version of said motion picture modified to form said coded pattern, and a video router for switching back and forth between said video servers as sources, in accord with a separate computer program for each of said recorders.

25. A system as in claim 24 in which each of said recorders includes code reading means for reading an identification code from a blank record on which a copy is to be recorded and means for associating said blank record with the recorder used to record said motion picture thereon and storing said association, as well as information representing said pattern for each of the resulting copies of said motion picture.

26. A system as in claim 25 including means for storing, for each of said copies, an identification for the recipient of said copy, as well as the unique coded pattern for said copy.

27. A system as in claim 18 in which said coded pattern includes an alteration of images at selected locations and no alteration of images at others in a unique pattern.

28. A system as in claim 27 including means for supplying modified images at other selected locations, said images having coded arrays of artifacts representing alpha-numeric identification numbers.