Multiple transform utilization and application for secure digital watermarking

• US 20100220861A1
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Original Assignee: Scott A. Moskowitz
• Inventors: Moskowitz, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,542,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/255
• 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 1/0057 Compression invariant watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• 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: G06T 2201/0053 Embedding of the watermark in the coding stream, possibly without decoding; Embedding of the watermark in the compressed domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0061 Embedding of the watermark in each block of the image, e.g. segmented watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0063 in relation to collusion attacks, e.g. collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/04 Masking or blinding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/043 of tables, e.g. lookup, substitution or mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/046 of operations, operands or results of the operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32187 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected frequency coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32309 in colour image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/324 : Selecting a particular authentication information from amongst a plurality of different authentication information

Abstract

Multiple transform utilization and applications for secure digital watermarking. In one embodiment of the present invention, digital blocks in digital information to be protected are transformed into the frequency domain using a fast Fourier transform. A plurality of frequencies and associated amplitudes are identified for each of the transformed digital blocks and a subset of the identified amplitudes is selected for each of the digital blocks using a primary mask from a key. Message information is selected from a message using a transformation table generated with a convolution mask. The chosen message information is encoded into each of the transformed digital blocks by altering the selected amplitudes based on the selected message information.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A method for protecting a digital signal comprising the steps of:

creating a predetermined key comprised of a transfer function-based mask set and offset coordinate values of the original digital signal; and

encoding the digital signal using the predetermined key.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the digital signal represents a continuous analog waveform.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined key comprises a plurality of mask sets.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the mask set is ciphered by a key pair comprising a public key and a private key.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

using a digital watermarking technique to encode information that identifies ownership, use, or other information about the digital signal, into the digital signal.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the digital signal represents a still image, audio or video.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

selecting the mask set, including one or more masks having random or pseudo-random series of bits; and

validating the mask set at the start of the transfer function-based mask set.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said step of validating comprises the step of:

comparing a hash value computed at the start of the transfer function-based mask set with a determined transfer function of the hash value.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said step of validating comprises the step of:

comparing a digital signature at the start of the transfer function-based mask set with a determined transfer function of the digital signature.

40. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

computing a secure one way hash function of carrier signal data in the digital signal, wherein the hash function is insensitive to changes introduced into the carrier signal for the purpose of carrying the transfer function-based mask set.

39. (canceled)

41. A method for protecting a digital signal, comprising the steps of:

creating a predetermined key comprised of a transfer function-based mask set and offset coordinate values of the original digital signal;

authenticating the predetermined key containing the correct transfer function-based mask set during playback of the data; and

metering the playback of the data to monitor content.

42-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A method for protecting a digital signal, comprising the steps of:

obtaining an initial digital signal to be encoded with at least one message;

creating a key comprised of;

a) a map to encode at least one message;

b) a reference subset of the initial digital signal; and

encoding said message into the initial digital signal according to the map of the key, thereby creating an encoded digital signal.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

using the key to access at least one message that has been encoded into the encoded digital signal without having to compare the encoded digital signal to the initial digital signal.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the reference subset of the initial digital signal includes one or more of the following group:

a) amplitude b) frequency c) time d) pitch or e) dimensions of the initial digital signal or f) combinations thereof.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the message includes one or more of the following group:

a) authentication information b) tamper proofing information c) non-repudiation information d) ownership information e) information for authorizing use f) unrelated random noise or g) information regarding relationships between the message and the key or h) combinations thereof.

50. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

using the key to enable a) play b) display c) transmission d) authorization e) validation or f) use of the encoded digital signal or g) combinations thereof

51. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

using the key to enable authentication of either

     1) the message

     2) the encoded digital signal or

     3) both the message and the encoded digital signal.

52-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A method for protecting a digital signal, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a digital signal comprising a plurality of digital blocks;

transforming each of the digital blocks into the frequency domain using a spectral transform;

identifying a plurality of frequencies and associated amplitudes for each set of the transformed digital blocks;

selecting a subset of the identified amplitudes based on the survivability of message information against signal manipulation;

choosing said subset of the identified amplitudes for each of the digital blocks using a primary mask from a key;

choosing message information using a transformation table generated with a convolution mask; and

,

encoding the chosen message information into said transformed digital blocks by altering the selected amplitudes based on the chosen message information.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the survivability of the message information against signal manipulation is determined prior to encoding.

57. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

obtaining a copy of the encoded digital signal;

obtaining a key;

analyzing the encoded digital signal with one or more of the following;

a) analysis of manipulations of the encoded digital signal b) spectral transform analysis of the encoded digital signal c) spectral transform analysis of a portion of the encoded digital signal or d) combinations thereof; and

determining the message information based on said analysis.

58. A system for protecting a digital signal, comprising the steps of:

receiver for obtaining an initial digital signal to be encoded with at least one message;

processor for creating a key comprised of;

a) a map to encode at least one message;

b) a reference subset of the initial digital signal; and

encoder for encoding said message into the initial digital signal according to the map of the key, thereby creating an encoded digital signal.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the reference subset of the initial digital signal includes one or more of the following group:

a) amplitude b) frequency c) time d) pitch or e) dimensions of the initial digital signal or f) combinations thereof.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein the message includes one or more of the following group:

a) authentication information b) tamper proofing information c) non-repudiation information d) ownership information e) information for authorizing use f) unrelated random noise or g) information regarding relationships between the message and the key or h) combinations thereof.