Derivation and quantization of robust non-local characteristics for blind watermarking

• US 20060059354A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Venkatesan, Ramarathnam, Jakubowski, Mariusz H., Mihcak, M. Kivanc
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• 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 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32154 Transform domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3217 using wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32187 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected frequency coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32277 Compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3232 Robust embedding or watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32341 Blind embedding, i.e. the original image not being known beforehand
• 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 2201/3233 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

Abstract

An implementation of a technology is described herein for deriving robust non-local characteristics and quantizing such characteristics for blind watermarking of a digital good.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for facilitating the protection of digital signals, the method comprising

obtaining a digital signal;

partitioning the signal into a plurality of segments using a secret key;

obtaining a watermark; and

using quantization index modulation (QIM), watermarking the signal with the watermark, wherein such QIM is based upon non-local characteristics of the plurality of segments.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-local characteristics are representative characteristics of more than a single element of a signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the QIM is performed on statistics calculated for each said segment; and

the statistics for at least one said segment are based upon non-local characteristics of at least one other segment.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of segments are pseudorandomly positioned.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of segments are pseudorandomly positioned using the secret key, such that said segments are adjacent and non-contiguous.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital signal is selected from a group consisting of a digital audio signal, a digital video signal, a digital image signal, a digital multimedia signal, and a digital music signal.

7. A modulated signal embodied on one or more tangible computer-readable media and generated in accordance with the acts recited in claim 1.

8. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the acts recited in claim 1.

9. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the acts comprising:

obtaining a digital signal;

partitioning the signal into a plurality of segments using a secret key;

obtaining a watermark; and

using quantization index modulation (QIM), watermarking the signal with the watermark, wherein such QIM is based upon non-local characteristics of the plurality of segments.

10. One or more media as recited in claim 9, wherein the non-local characteristics are representative characteristics of more than a single element of a signal.

11. One or more media as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the QIM uses statistics generated for each said segment; and

the statistics for each said segment are based in part upon non-local characteristics of at least two said segments.

12. One or more media as recited in claim 9 wherein the plurality of segments are pseudorandomly positioned.

13. One or more media as recited in claim 9 wherein the plurality of segments are positioned using the secret key, such that said segments are adjacent and non-contiguous.

14. A computer implemented method for facilitating the protection of digital signals, the method comprising

obtaining a digital signal;

partitioning the signal into a plurality of segments; and

quantizing statistics associated with each said segment to watermark the signal, wherein the statistics associated with at least one said segment are determined using the non-local characteristics of at least two said segments.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the quantizing includes quantization index modulation (QIM).

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of segments are generated using a secret key.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of segments are pseudorandomly positioned.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of segments are positioned using the secret key, such that they are adjacent and non-contiguous.