Digital Watermarking Methods, Systems and Apparatus

• US 20070242853A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Brundage, Trent, Rodriguez, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• 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 2200/28 involving image processing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• 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 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data

Abstract

This disclosure describes, e.g., methods, sensors and apparatus that provide steganographic indicia or digital watermarking in image or video data. One implementation provides a method including: determining one or more operating characteristics of a device; based at least on the one or more operating characteristics, adjusting a steganographic embedding process associated with the device; steganographically embedding plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the adjusted steganographic embedding process. Another implementation provides an image sensor comprising: a controller; an image sensor array; at least one digital watermark detector co-located with the image senor array. The digital watermark detector operates to decode digital watermarks from imagery captured by the image sensor array. And the digital watermarks comprise an orientation component, with the digital watermark detector operating to provide orientation information, relative to an expected watermark orientation, to the controller. The controller operates at least to adjust imagery captured by the image sensor array according to the orientation information. Other implementations and embodiments are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method of embedding a steganographic component in imagery captured by an image sensor, wherein the image sensor comprises a first plurality of image detectors, with a first steganographic encoder associated with at least a first group of image detectors and a second steganographic encoder associated with at least a second group of image detectors, wherein the first steganographic encoder and the second steganographic encoder are co-located with the image sensor, said method comprising:

embedding steganographic data in imagery captured by the first group of image detectors with the first steganographic encoder; and

embedding steganographic data in imagery captured by the second group of image detectors with the second steganographic encoder.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

gathering information associated with at least one of;

i) image data captured by the first group of image detectors;

ii) operation or characteristics of the first group of image detectors;

or iii) the first steganographic encoder.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising passing gathered information to influence encoding of the second steganographic encoder.

4. The method of claim 3 where the gathered information influences encoding by adjusting embedding signal strength of the second steganographic encoder.

5. The method of claim 3 where the gathered information influences encoding by changing an embedding protocol of the second steganographic encoder.

6. The method of claim 3 where the gathered information influences encoding by isolating one or more imagery regions for selective embedding by the second steganographic encoder.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first group of image detectors comprises a first row of image detectors, and the second group of image detectors comprises a second row of image detectors.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the imagery comprises video.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the imagery comprises a compressed form.

10. An image or video camera adapted to carry out the method of claim 1.

11. An image sensor comprising:

a controller;

an image sensor array;

at least one digital watermark detector co-located with the image senor array, wherein the digital watermark detector operates to decode digital watermarks from imagery captured by the image sensor array, where the digital watermarks comprise an orientation component, and the digital watermark detector operates to provide orientation information, relative to an expected watermark orientation, to the controller,

said controller operates at least to adjust imagery captured by the image sensor array according to the orientation information.

12. The image sensor of claim 11 where the controller stabilizes video captured by the image sensor.

13. A video camera including the image sensor of 11.

14. The image sensor of claim 13 where the controller stabilizes video captured by the image sensor.

15. A method comprising:

determining one or more operating characteristics of a device;

based at least on the one or more operating characteristics, influencing a steganographic embedding process associated with the device;

steganographically embedding plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the adjusted steganographic embedding process.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more operating characteristics comprise at least one characteristic associated with noise.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said act of influencing influences the steganographic embedding process employed by the device to use the one or more operating characteristics as a mask or to guide embedding of the plural-bit auxiliary data.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the device comprises an image or video sensor.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the one or more operating characteristics comprise characteristics from a group of characteristics comprising:

silicon characteristics, image or video color processing characteristics, noise signal, sensor characteristics, fixed pattern noise, and a device pattern.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more operating characteristics are associated with image formation.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said act of determining employs a human visual system.

22. A method comprising:

capturing imagery data with a group of image detectors;

obtaining auxiliary data;

embedding—

with an embedder co-located with the image detectors—

the auxiliary data in captured imagery data, where the auxiliary data is embedded in the captured imagery data with consideration of how the embedded captured imagery data will be compressed; and

compressing—

with an imagery compressor co-located with the image detectors and the embedder—

the embedded, captured imagery data.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the imagery data represents video.