Security based on subliminal and supraliminal channels for data objects

• US 20080028222A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blue Spike, Inc.
• Inventors: Moskowitz, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,795 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: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

This invention relates to security for data objects; more particularly, the present invention relates to improved security based on subliminal and supraliminal channels for data objects. In another embodiment, a method of protecting a data object comprises: steganographically encoding a subset of candidate bits in a digitized sample stream; perceptibly manipulating data in the digitized sample stream; and combining the imperceptible and perceptible data changes to create a secure/unique digital sample stream. In yet another embodiment, a method for securing a data signal comprises: preanalyzing said data signal for candidate watermark/signature bits; steganographically encoding independent data into the data signal into a subset of the candidate watermark bits, at least one time; and encoding the data signal subsequently with a perceptible technique.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

29. A method for securing a data signal comprising:

preanalyzing said data signal for candidate watermark/signature bits;

steganographically encoding independent data into the data signal into a subset of the candidate watermark bits, at least one time; and

subsequently steganographically encoding the remainder bits.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the encoding is performed with at least one of a separate predetermined key and a key pair.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

generating a pattern of 1s and 0s; and

embedding the pattern of 1s and 0s into the data signal.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

using a third predetermined key to perceptibly encode a third set independent data, which independent data is provided to permit authentication by a user.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

decoding the third set of independent data; and

authenticating the accuracy of the content of the third set of independent data as a means of authenticating the data signal.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

using a fourth predetermined key to imperceptibly encode a fourth set independent data, which independent data is intended for access only by a predetermined user.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

decoding the fourth set of independent data, wherein the fourth data set was encoded using a public key of a user and the decoding is accomplished using a private key of the user, said private key and public key corresponding to a public/private key-pair for the user.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the second set of independent data includes a user identifier, further comprising:

decoding the second set of independent data;

extracting the user identifier.

37-38. -38. (canceled)

39. A device for securing a data signal said device comprising:

a receiver for receiving the data signal;

an analyzer to analyze said data signal for candidate watermark bits;

an encoder for steganographically encoding independent data into the data signal into a subset of the candidate watermark bits, at least one time; and

an encoder for steganographically encoding the remainder bits.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein said device includes a decoder for detecting at least one of a plurality of candidate watermark bits.

41. The device of claim 39, wherein said analyzer can determine a perceptibility threshold.

42. The device of claim 39, wherein said encoder includes a processor for processing keys.

43. A method for securing a data signal comprising:

identifying a plurality of candidate watermark bits;

selecting a subset of the plurality of candidate watermark bits;

manipulating the subset of the plurality of candidate watermark bits; and

associating the manipulated subset of the plurality of candidate watermark bits with the identified plurality of candidate watermark bits.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the subset of the plurality of the candidate watermark bits is identified using at least one of a psychoacoustic model, psychovisual model, or perceptibility model.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein the selected subset of said plurality of candidate watermark bits shares at least one bit with other subsets of candidate watermark bits.

46. The method according to claim 43, wherein any potentially selected subset of the plurality of candidate watermark bits share at least one bit with any other potentially selected subset of the plurality of candidate watermark bits.

47. The method according to claim 43, wherein the step of manipulating the at least one subset of the plurality of candidate watermark bits comprises at least one of the following group:

hashing;

signing;

authenticating;

verifying; and

, requiring bit commitment.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of associating the manipulated subset of the plurality of candidate watermark bits with the identified plurality of candidate watermark bits is a proof of bit commitment.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of associating the manipulated subset of the plurality of candidate watermark bits with the identified plurality of candidate watermark bits is a proof of zero knowledge.

51. The method according to claim 49, wherein the watermark bits are identified using at least one of a psychoacoustic model, psychovisual model, or perceptibility model.

52. The method according to claim 49, wherein any potential selected subset of the plurality of watermark bits may share at least a single bit with any another other potential selected subset of the plurality of watermark bits.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein the step of associating the manipulated subset of the plurality of watermark bits with the original unencoded data signal suffices a bit commitment proof.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein a predetermined perceptibility threshold is used to identify the plurality of watermark bits.

55. The method of claim 49, wherein the association between the manipulated subset of the plurality of watermark bits and the original unencoded data signal includes associations between at least a plurality of the group comprising:

candidate bits;

watermark bits;

authentication bits;

verification bits;

bit commitments;

entropy bits;

supraliminal bits; and

subliminal bits.

50. A method for securing a steganographically encoded data signal comprising:

identifying a plurality of watermark bits in a steganographically encoded data signal;

selecting at least one subset of the identified plurality of watermark bits;

manipulating at least one subset of the plurality of watermark bits; and

associating the manipulated subset of the plurality of watermark bits with the original unencoded data signal.