Processing Audio or Video Content with Multiple Watermark Layers

• US 20100226525A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Hiatt, R. Stephen, Levy, Kenneth L., Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• 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: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• 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: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to audio and video processing, e.g., with digital watermarking. One claim recites an apparatus including: electronic memory for buffering data representing audio or video, and an electronic processor. The electronic processor is programmed for: (i) controlling receipt of data representing audio or video, the data representing audio or video comprising at least two digital watermark layers, the first watermark layer comprising a content identifier which uniquely identifies the content, and the second watermark layer comprising a distributor identifier which identifies a distributor or distribution channel associated with the content; and (ii) embedding a third watermark layer in the audio or video, in which the third watermark layer is embedded through alterations to data representing audible portions of the audio or through alterations to data representing video picture elements of the video, and in which each of the first watermark layer, the second watermark layer and the third digital watermark layer are embedded in the audio or video content with different watermark protocols or different watermark keys. Of course, other claims are provided as well.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory to receiving audio content or video content, the audio content or video content having a steganographic watermark hidden in data representing audible portions of the audio content or hidden in data representing picture elements of the video content;

one or more electronic processors programmed for;

analyzing the audio content or the video content for the steganographic watermark, the steganographic watermark being of a format consisting of;

i) a content ID linking or indexing to interactive information or a web content retrieved from a local database residing in or communicating with a cable provider'"'"'s head-end system, or ii) a content ID linking to or indexing into a remote database that provides corresponding interactive information or web content.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the one or more electronic processors are further programmed to control access to the audio content or video content based at least in part on the content ID.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the one or more electronic processors are operating to carry out at least one of the functions recited therein.

4. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for buffering data representing audio or video;

an electronic processor programmed for;

(i) controlling receipt of data representing audio or video, the data representing audio or video comprising at least two digital watermark layers,

the first watermark layer comprising a content identifier which uniquely identifies the content, and

the second watermark layer comprising a distributor identifier which identifies a distributor or distribution channel associated with the content; and

(ii) embedding a third watermark layer in the audio or video, in which the third watermark layer is embedded through alterations to data representing audible portions of the audio or through alterations to data representing video picture elements of the video, and in which each of the first watermark layer, the second watermark layer and the third digital watermark layer are embedded in the audio or video content with different watermark protocols or different watermark keys.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the electronic processor is operating to carry out at least one of the functions recited therein.

6. An apparatus comprising:

an electronic processor configured for;

i) digital watermarking a content item including at least an advertisement, the digital watermarking including a content identifier, a distributor identifier and a broadcaster identifier related to a broadcaster of the advertisement, in which each of the content identifier, distributor identifier and broadcast identifier is provided as a distinct digital watermark layer, and

ii) associating the content identifier in a computerized data registry with at least some information related to the content item.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the electronic processor is operating to carry out at least one of the functions recited therein.