COLOR IMAGE OR VIDEO PROCESSING

• US 20100310164A1
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Reed, Alastair M., Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based 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: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32154 Transform domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• 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 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 1/32293 Repeating the additional information in a regular pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32309 in colour image data
• 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 19/467 characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/645 by grouping of coefficients into blocks after the transform
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/8358 : 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 2201/3233 : 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 2201/3284 : for error correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to color image processing. One claim recites a method of color masking an image or video including: reading color values of an image sample of the image or video and a corresponding change of an attribute of the image sample; and based on the color values of the image sample, and using a programmed electronic processor, mapping the change in the image sample attribute to a change in color components of the image sample that is equivalent to the change in the image sample attribute, yet reduces visibility of the change in the image sample attribute for the specific color values of the image sample. Another claim recites a method including: obtaining data representing digital imagery or video; analyzing at least a portion of the data to determine one or more color characteristics associated with the at least a portion of the data, said act of analyzing yielding a result; based at least in part on the result, generating a key; and using a programmed electronic processor, embedding auxiliary data in the data representing digital imagery or video using the key. Of course other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method of color masking an image or video comprising:

reading color values of an image sample of the image or video and a corresponding change of an attribute of the image sample; and

based on the color values of the image sample, and using a programmed electronic processor, mapping the change in the image sample attribute to a change in color components of the image sample that is equivalent to the change in the image sample attribute, yet reduces visibility of the change in the image sample attribute for the specific color values of the image sample.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the image sample attribute comprises luminance.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the image sample attribute comprises chrominance.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the image sample attribute to be modified changes based on the color values of the image sample.

5. The method of claim 1 including:

repeating the method of claim 1 to effect changes to image sample attributes of image samples in an image as part of a process to encode a substantially imperceptible watermark in the image that carries auxiliary data.

6. A computer readable medium on which is stored software or instructions to cause an electronic processor perform the method of claim 5.

7. An electronic apparatus programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

8. In an electronic apparatus programmed as a watermark encoder, a user interface method comprising:

presenting a user interface to enable a user to control strength of a watermark to be encoded in a specified color or color region of a digital image or video;

based on user input, controlling strength of a watermark encoded in the specified color or color region of the digital image or video.

9. The method of claim 8 including:

providing visual feedback to the user to show how changes in the specified color or color region change the digital image or video as encoded with the watermark.

10. The method of claim 8 including:

enabling the user to specify a color region by enabling the user to select a portion of the image or video to be watermarked and deriving a color or color region from image samples in the selected portion.

11. The method of claim 8 including:

altering the strength of the watermark in the specified color or color region so as to allow for a smooth transition in watermark strength between the selected color or color region and other colors or color regions.

12. A method comprising:

obtaining data representing digital imagery or video;

analyzing at least a portion of the data to determine one or more color characteristics associated with the at least a portion of the data, said act of analyzing yielding a result;

based at least in part on the result, generating a key; and

using a programmed electronic processor, embedding auxiliary data in the data representing digital imagery or video using the key.

13. The method of claim 12 in which key is associated with two or more color channels of the digital imagery or video, and the key maps the auxiliary data to data representing the two or more color channels.

14. A computer readable medium on which is stored software or instructions to cause an electronic processor perform the method of claim 12.

15. An electronic apparatus programmed to perform the method of claim 12.

16. A programmed apparatus comprising instructions stored in memory, said instructions are for causing said apparatus to perform the method of claim 12.

17. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for storing data representing digital imagery or video;

an electronic processor programmed for;

analyzing at least a portion of the data to determine one or more color characteristics associated with the at least a portion of the data, said act of analyzing yielding a result;

based at least in part on the result, generating a key; and

embedding auxiliary data in the data representing digital imagery or video using the key.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which the electronic processor is operating to perform at least one of the functions recited therein.

19. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for storing an image or video;

an electronic processor programmed for;

reading color values of an image sample of the image or video and a corresponding change of an attribute of the image sample; and

based on the color values of the image sample, mapping the change in the image sample attribute to a change in color components of the image sample that is equivalent to the change in the image sample attribute, yet reduces visibility of the change in the image sample attribute for the specific color values of the image sample.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the electronic processor is operating to perform at least one of the functions recited therein.