Content Indexing and Searching Using Content Identifiers and Associated Metadata

• US 20080275906A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L., Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/333 Watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• 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 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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: G06V 30/40 : Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 : visually
• 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 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• 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: 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 20/00884 : 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: 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 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 2201/3233 : 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
• 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

Abstract

A method of indexing content for network searching comprises obtaining media content signals stored on a computer network; deriving content identifiers from the content signals; using the content identifiers to obtain metadata used to classify the media content signals; and creating a searchable index of the media content signals based on the metadata, wherein users access the searchable index on the distributed computer network to submit a search query for the searchable index to retrieve links to the media content signals.

Claims

1. A method for processing media content, the method comprising:

obtaining media content signals from a computer network;

deriving content identifiers from perceptible visual or audio content of the content signals;

using the content identifiers to obtain metadata used to classify the media content signals; and

creating a searchable index of the media content signals based on the metadata, wherein users access the searchable index on the computer network to submit a search query for the searchable index to retrieve links to the media content signals.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content identifiers are extracted from digital watermarks imperceptibly embedded in the content signals by making imperceptible changes to audio or image signals that comprise the content signals.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the content identifiers reference metadata corresponding to the media content signals that is stored in remote locations from the media content signals.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the digital watermarks include content flags that are used to classify the media content signals in the searchable index.

5. The method of claim 1 further

including executing search agents on media content signals from different local computer networks that are each connected to the distributed computer network, the search agents extracting the content identifiers from content signals stored within corresponding local computer networks and providing the metadata for indexing in the searchable index.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifiers are used to obtain usage rules specifying how the content signals from which the identifiers are extracted are to be indexed or used by the users of the searchable index.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata is stored in a database accessible to the users, and users update the metadata in the database by supplying metadata about corresponding content signals that then becomes subsequently accessible to other users that submit search queries for content signals on the distributed computer network.

8. A method for searching for audio or images comprising:

from a location in the distributed computer network, receiving a query for content signals related to a first content signal, the first content signal being part of the query;

receiving a content identifier derived from perceptible audio or image data of the first content signal;

using the content identifier to obtain metadata used to classify the first content signal;

searching a searchable index of media content signals based on the metadata, which forms search criteria for the first content signal; and

returning a set of search results including references to content signals stored in the distributed computer network that correspond to the search criteria.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the content identifier is extracted from a digital watermark imperceptibly embedded in the first content signals by making imperceptible changes to audio or image signals that comprise the first content signal.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the content identifier references metadata corresponding to the first content signal that is stored in a remote location from the first content signal.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the digital watermark include a content flag that is used to classify the first content signal as part of the search criteria used to search for related content signals in the searchable index.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the searchable index is built by executing search agents within different local computer networks that are each connected to the distributed computer network, the search agents extracting content identifiers from content signals stored within corresponding local computer networks and providing metadata for indexing in the searchable index.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the identifier extracted from the first content signal is used to obtain a usage rule specifying how the first content signal is to be used by the users of the searchable index.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the metadata is stored in a database accessible to the users, and users update the metadata in the database by supplying metadata about corresponding content signals that then becomes subsequently accessible to other users that submit search queries for content signals on the distributed computer network.