Method and Apparatus for Embedding Auxiliary Information within Original Data

• US 20090279735A1
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• 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 1/32229 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes

Abstract

This patent application is generally related to watermarking and steganography. One claim recites a method of transmarking a media signal previously embedded with a first digital watermark using a first digital watermark embedding method. The method includes: utilizing a programmed electronic processor, detecting the first digital watermark in the media signal; converting the media signal to a different format; utilizing a programmed electronic processor, embedding detected message information from the first digital watermark into a second digital watermark in the converted media signal such that the second digital watermark is adapted to robustness or perceptibility parameters associated with the new format. Of course, other combinations and claims are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

utilizing an electronic processor configured for transmarking a media signal by acts of;

detecting a first digital watermark in the media signal, the media signal being embedded with the first digital watermark using a first digital watermark embedding method;

embedding detected message information from the first digital watermark into a second digital watermark in the media signal before the media signal undergoes a transformation process such that the second digital watermark is adapted to survive the transformation process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second digital watermark is increased in amplitude relative to the first digital watermark to survive the transformation process.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second digital watermark is embedded using a different steganographic embedding method than the first digital watermark embedding method.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first digital watermark is at least partially removed before embedding the second digital watermark.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message information includes message symbols and further including:

decoding the message symbols from the first watermark; and

re-embedding the decoded message symbols from the first watermark into the second watermark.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the message symbols include an index to a database entry that stores information about the media signal.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the message symbols include a content identifier.

8. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the acts recited in claim 1.

9. A programmed computing device comprising instructions stored in memory, said instructions comprising instructions to cause said programmed computing device to perform the acts recited in claim 1.

10. A method of transmarking a media signal previously embedded with a first digital watermark using a first digital watermark embedding method, comprising:

utilizing a programmed electronic processor, detecting the first digital watermark in the media signal;

converting the media signal to a different format;

utilizing a programmed electronic processor, embedding detected message information from the first digital watermark into a second digital watermark in the converted media signal such that the second digital watermark is adapted to robustness or perceptibility parameters associated with the new format.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the new format is a compressed format of the media signal.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the second digital watermark is encoded with greater signal strength than the first digital watermark to survive transformation of the media signal in the new format.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the second digital watermark is encoded with lesser signal strength than the first digital watermark so as to be less perceptible in the new format of the media signal.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the first digital watermark is removed before converting the media signal to the different format.

15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the acts recited in claim 10.

16. A programmed computing device comprising instructions stored in memory, said instructions comprising instructions to cause said programmed computing device to perform the acts recited in claim 10.