Method and system for digital watermarking

• US 20100293387A1
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Inventors: Cooperman, Marc S., Moskowitz, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,286 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: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency 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 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• 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 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

Abstract

A method for applying a digital watermark to a content signal is disclosed. In accordance with such a method, a watermarking key is identified. The watermarking key includes a binary sequence and information describing application of that binary sequence to the content signal. The digital watermark is then encoded within the content signal at one or more locations determined by the watermarking key.

Claims

1-106. -106. (canceled)

107. A method for decoding digital watermarks, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a content signal imperceptibly encoded with at least one digital watermark; and

decoding the at least one digital watermark from the imperceptibly encoded content signal wherein said decoding limits the ability to reverse the encoding.

108. The method of claim 107, wherein the step of decoding is associated with at least one key.

109. The method of claim 107, wherein the step of decoding enables upgrades.

110. The method of claim 107, wherein the step of decoding can verify at least one of a plurality of digital watermarks.

111. The method of claim 107, wherein at least one of a plurality of digital watermarks is accessible based on access privileges.

112. The method of claim 107, wherein said decoding is implemented in one or more of the following:

search agents;

viruses;

archive scanners;

hardware;

machine-readable code; and

, software.

113. The method of claim 107, wherein said at least one digital watermark comprises one or a plurality of the following:

title identification;

unit measure;

unit price;

percentage transfer threshold at which liability is incurred to purchaser;

percent of content transferred;

authorized purchaser identification;

seller account identification;

payment means identification;

digitally signed information from sender indicating percent of content transferred;

digitally signed information from receiver indicating percent of content received;

upgrade information;

serialization information;

trusted information;

ownership information;

audit trail information;

content metering information;

transaction information;

combinations thereof.

114. The method of claim 107, wherein the at least one digital watermark represents references to at least one of the information of claim 113.

115. A method for decoding digital watermarks, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a content signal imperceptibly encoded by a watermarking technique with at least one digital watermark; and

decoding the at least one digital watermark from the encoded content signal wherein the step of decoding limits tampering of at least one digital watermark.

116. The method of claim 115, wherein the step of decoding is associated with at least one key.

117. The method of claim 115, wherein the step of decoding enables upgrades.

118. The method of claim 115, wherein the step of decoding can verify at least one of a plurality of digital watermarks.

119. The method of claim 115, wherein at least one of a plurality of digital watermarks is accessible based on access privileges.

120. The method of claim 115, wherein said decoding is implemented in one or more of the following:

search agents;

viruses;

archive scanners;

hardware;

machine-readable code; and

, software.

121. The method of claim 115, wherein said at least one digital watermark comprises one or a plurality of the following:

title identification;

unit measure;

unit price;

percentage transfer threshold at which liability is incurred to purchaser;

percent of content transferred;

authorized purchaser identification;

seller account identification;

payment means identification;

digitally signed information from sender indicating percent of content transferred;

digitally signed information from receiver indicating percent of content received;

upgrade information;

serialization information;

trusted information;

ownership information;

audit trail information;

content metering information;

transaction information;

combinations thereof.

143. The method of claim 115, wherein the at least one digital watermark represents references to at least one of the information of claim 121.

122-127. -127. (canceled)

128. A system for watermarking at least one content signal, the system comprising:

a digital watermark encoder; and

a digital watermark decoder;

the digital watermark decoder configured to verify the presence of at least one digital watermark.

129. The digital watermarking system of claim 128, wherein said digital watermark encoder comprises a first software program, and said digital watermark decoder comprises a second software program, said first program being independent of said second program.

130. The digital watermarking system of claim 128, wherein said digital watermark encoder comprises a first hardware device and said digital watermark decoder comprises a second hardware device, said first hardware device being separate from said second hardware device.

131. The digital watermarking system of claim 128, wherein the digital watermark encoder is capable of encoding a digital watermark using a watermarking key.

132. The digital watermarking system of claim 128, wherein the digital watermark decoder comprises a software decoding key for detecting a plurality of digital watermarks that have been encoded within a content signal.

133. The digital watermarking system of claim 128, wherein the digital watermark decoder comprises software embedded in hardware that is programmed to search for any watermarks in any data that is stored within a memory of the hardware.

134. The digital watermarking system of claim 128, wherein the digital watermark decoder comprises a content distribution system that is programmed to search for any watermarks that might be embedded into a content signal.

135. The digital watermarking system of claim 128, wherein the digital watermark decoder comprises a scanner that searches for any watermarks that might be embedded into the data being scanned.

136-142. -142. (canceled)

144. A device for decoding digital watermarks, the device comprising:

a receiver for receiving at least one content signal imperceptibly encoded with at least one imperceptible digital watermark; and

a decoder for decoding at least one imperceptible digital watermark from the imperceptibly encoded content signal wherein the device limits the ability to reverse the encoding.

145. The device according to claim 144, wherein said decoder includes a processor for processing keys.

146. The device according to claim 144, wherein said decoder upgrades said device.

147. The device according to claim 144, wherein said decoder verifies the presence of at least one of a plurality of digital watermarks.

148. The device according to claim 144, wherein at least one of a plurality of digital watermarks is accessible based on access privileges.

149. The device according to claim 144, wherein said decoder is implemented in one or more of the following:

a) search agents;

b) viruses;

c) archive scanners; and

d) software.

150. The device according to claim 144, wherein said digital watermark comprises one or a plurality of the following:

a) title identification;

b) unit measure;

c) unit price;

d) percentage transfer threshold at which liability is incurred to purchaser;

e) percent of content transferred;

f) authorized purchaser identification;

g) seller account identification;

h) payment means identification;

I) digitally signed information from sender indicating percent of content transferred;

j) digitally signed information from receiver indicating percent of content received;

or k) combinations thereof.

151. The device according to claim 144, further comprising:

a decoder for decoding at least a portion of the at least one of the digital watermark from the imperceptibly encoded content signal.