Method and System for Managing and Controlling Electronic Media

• US 20060188128A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,313,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• 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 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• 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 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: H04K 1/00 : Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 : applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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 19/00 : Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 : characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• 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 2201/323 : for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 : Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3246 : of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images
• 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 2201/3281 : Encryption; Ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for identifying content to help ensure legal uses of the content. In one implementation a method is provided to include obtaining content, wherein the content comprises a steganographic signal hidden therein through subtle changes to data representing the content; accessing a registry including a plurality of steganographic decoding keys to obtain a key associated with the content, wherein at least some of the keys are encrypted; obtaining the key associated with the content; and decoding the steganographic signal hidden in the content utilizes at least the key associated with the content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining content, wherein the content comprises a steganographic signal hidden therein through subtle changes to data representing the content;

accessing a registry including a plurality of steganographic decoding keys to obtain a decoding key associated with the content, wherein at least some of the keys are encrypted;

obtaining the decoding key associated with the content or the steganographic signal;

decoding the steganographic signal hidden in the content utilizing at least the decoding key associated with the content or the steganographic signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoding key associated with the content or the steganographic signal is encrypted when it is obtained.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising decrypting the decoding key prior to said act of decoding.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the content comprises at least one of audio and video content.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling the content based at least in part on the decoded steganographic signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the registry is accessed on-line.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the steganographic signal is hidden in the content through use of at least one transform process.

8. A method comprising:

obtaining content,

wherein the content comprises a steganographic signal hidden therein through subtle changes to data representing the content, and

wherein the steganographic signal comprises at least a message;

decoding the steganographic signal hidden in the content to obtain the message;

encrypting the message;

communicating the encrypted message to an on-line registry; and

receiving at least an acknowledgement from the on-line registry.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein an encryption key used to encrypt the message is obtained from the on-line registry.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the content comprises at least one of audio and video.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the content comprises encrypted content.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the steganographic signal is hidden in the content through use of at least one transform process.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said act of communicating the encrypted message to the on-line registry initiates or interacts with an on-line registration process.

20. The method of claim 8 wherein said method is carried out on a hand held computing device.

14. A method comprising:

obtaining content, wherein the content comprises a steganographic signal hidden therein through subtle changes to data representing the content;

accessing a registry including a plurality of steganographic decoding keys to obtain at least one key associated with the content, wherein at least some of the keys are encrypted;

receiving the key associated with the content or the steganographic signal, wherein the key associated with the content is encrypted;

decrypting the key; and

decoding the steganographic signal hidden in the content utilizing at least the key associated with the content or the steganographic signal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the content comprises at least one of audio and video content.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising controlling the content based at least in part on the decoded steganographic signal.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the registry is accessed on-line.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the steganographic signal is hidden in the content through use of at least one transform process.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said method is carried out on a hand held computing device.