EMBEDDER FOR EMBEDDING A WATERMARK INTO AN INFORMATION REPRESENTATION, DETECTOR FOR DETECTING A WATERMARK IN AN INFORMATION REPRESENTATION, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM AND INFORMATION SIGNAL

• US 20110164784A1
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Pickel, Joerg, Grill, Bernhard, Kraegeloh, Stefan, Eberlein, Ernst, Borsum, Juliane
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• 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 21/6332 directed to client
• 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

An embedder for embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation comprises an information adder, which is implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark and additional information to be added to obtain an input information representation provided with the watermark and the additional information. The additional information to be added comprises descriptive information describing the embedding of the at least one watermark into the input information representation.

Claims

1. An embedder for embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an information adder implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark to be embedded and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information describing the embedding of at least one watermark into the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information;

wherein the embedder is implemented to provide the input information representation with the additional information to be added such that the additional information to be added carries information on how many watermarks are comprised in the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added.

2. An embedder for embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an information adder implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark to be embedded and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information describing the embedding of at least one watermark into the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information;

wherein the embedder comprises a watermark information detector, which is implemented to detect an existence of a watermark in the input information representation, and to provide information on an existence of a watermark in the input information representation; and

wherein the embedder is implemented to determine the additional information to be added depending on the information on the existence of a watermark in the input information representation.

3. The embedder according to claim 2, wherein the watermark information detector is implemented to extract, when additional information exists in the input information representation, information describing the number of watermarks comprised in the input information representation from the existing additional information, and

wherein the embedder is implemented to determine the additional information to be added such that the additional information to be added describes, based on the information on the number of watermarks comprised in the input information representation, a number of comprised watermarks after adding the watermark to be added in the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added.

4. An embedder for embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an information adder implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark to be embedded and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information describing the embedding of at least one watermark into the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information;

wherein the information adder is implemented to add the additional information to be added to the input information representation in the same embedding format in which additional information already existing in the input information representation exists.

5. An embedder for embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an information adder implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark to be embedded and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information describing the embedding of at least one watermark into the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information;

wherein the embedder comprises a watermark information detector, which is implemented to detect watermark information already comprised in the input information representation, and wherein the information adder is implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark, depending on the watermark information detected by the watermark information detector.

6. An embedder for embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an information adder implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark to be embedded and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information describing the embedding of at least one watermark into the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information;

wherein the embedder is implemented to select resources for embedding the watermark to be embedded depending on information on a number of watermarks already comprised in the input information representation.

7. A detector for detecting at least one watermark in an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an embedding information extractor, which is implemented to extract, from the input information representation, embedding information comprising descriptive information with regard to the embedding of at least one watermark into the input information representation; and

a watermark extractor, which is implemented to extract one or several watermarks comprised in the input information representation depending on the embedding information;

wherein the embedding information extractor is implemented to detect, as embedding information, additional information in the information representation comprising information on a number of watermarks embedded in the information representation, and

wherein the detector is implemented to determine, depending on the additional information, how many watermarks are to be extracted from the input information representation.

8. A method of embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

providing the input information representation with a watermark and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark and additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information with regard to embedding at least one watermark into the input information representation;

wherein the input information representation is provided with the additional information to be added such that the additional information to be added carries information on how many watermarks are comprised in the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added.

9. A method of embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

providing the input information representation with a watermark and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark and additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information with regard to embedding at least one watermark into the input information representation;

wherein an existence of a watermark is detected in the input information representation, and information on an existence of a watermark in the input information representation is provided; and

wherein the additional information to be added is determined depending on the information on the existence of a watermark in the input information representation.

10. A method of embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

providing the input information representation with a watermark and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark and additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information with regard to embedding at least one watermark into the input information representation;

wherein the additional information to be added is added to the input information representation in the same embedding format in which additional information already existing in the input information representation exists.

28. A computer program for performing a method according to one of claims 8 to 13 or 25 to 27, when the computer program runs on a computer.

11. A method of embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

providing the input information representation with a watermark and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark and additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information with regard to embedding at least one watermark into the input information representation;

wherein watermark information already comprised in the input information representation is detected, and wherein the input information representation is provided with the watermark, depending on the detected watermark information.

12. A method of embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

providing the input information representation with a watermark and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark and additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information with regard to embedding at least one watermark into the input information representation;

wherein resources for embedding the watermark to be embedded are selected depending on information on a number of watermarks already comprised in the input information representation.

13. A method of detecting at least one watermark in an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

extracting embedding information comprising descriptive information with regard to the embedding of at least one watermark into the input information representation, from the input information representation; and

extracting one or several watermarks comprised in the input information representation depending on the embedding information;

wherein, as embedding information, additional information in the information representation is detected, comprising information on a number of watermarks embedded in the input information representation, and

wherein it is determined, depending on the additional information, how many watermarks are to be extracted from the input information representation.

14. An information signal, comprising at least one watermark and one descriptive information with regard to the embedding of the at least one watermark into the information signal;

wherein the information signal comprises an audio signal, an image signal, a text signal or a computer program signal; and

wherein the descriptive information carries information on how many watermarks are comprised in the information signal.

15. An embedder for embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an information adder implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark to be embedded and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information describing the embedding of at least one watermark into the information representation provided with the watermark to be embedded and the additional information;

wherein the information adder is implemented to add the additional information to be added in a timeslot following synchronization information comprised in the input information representation.

16. The embedder according to claim 15, wherein the information adder is implemented to add the additional information to be added to the input information representation in a separate frequency band overlapping in time with synchronization information.

17. A detector for detecting at least one watermark in an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an embedding information extractor, which is implemented to extract, from the input information representation, embedding information comprising descriptive information with regard to the embedding of at least one watermark into the input information representation; and

a watermark extractor, which is implemented to extract one or several watermarks comprised in the input information representation depending on the embedding information;

wherein the embedding information extractor is implemented to identify several embedding information units in the input information representation, wherein the embedding information units are allocated to different watermark embeddings in the input information representation; and

wherein the embedding information extractor is implemented to select a latest embedding information unit from the plurality of identified embedding information units, and to derive the additional information from the latest embedding information unit.

19. The detector according to claim 17, wherein the embedding information extractor is implemented to detect, as the embedding information, additional information in the input information representation describing an allocation of a timeslot of the input information representation to a watermark to be extracted from the input information representation by the watermark extractor, and

wherein the detector is implemented to select a timeslot for the extraction of the watermark to be extracted depending on the additional information.

20. The detector according to claim 17, wherein the embedding information extractor is implemented to detect, as the embedding information, additional information in the input information representation describing an allocation of a frequency band of the input information representation to a watermark to be extracted from the input information representation by the watermark extractor, and

wherein the detector is implemented to select a frequency band for the extraction of the watermark to be extracted depending on the additional information.

21. The detector according to claim 17, wherein the embedding information extractor is implemented to search for the additional information in a predefined timeslot of the input information representation following synchronization information in the input information representation.

22. The detector according to claim 17, wherein the embedding information extractor is implemented to identify several embedding information units in the input information representation describing different numbers of watermarks, and

to select an embedding information unit describing a highest number of watermarks as latest embedding information unit.

18. A detector for detecting at least one watermark in an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

an embedding information extractor, which is implemented to extract, from the input information representation, embedding information comprising descriptive information with regard to the embedding of at least one watermark into the input information representation; and

a watermark extractor, which is implemented to extract one or several watermarks comprised in the input information representation, depending on the embedding information;

wherein the embedding information extractor is implemented to extract, as the embedding information, a watermark number belonging to the watermark to be extracted, from the input information representation;

wherein the detector comprises a detection parameter determiner, which is implemented to apply a derivation function, depending on the watermark number, once or several times, to an initial value to acquire an extraction parameter for extracting the watermark to be extracted from the input information representation; and

wherein the watermark extractor is implemented to extract the watermark to be extracted using the extraction parameter from the input information representation.

23. The detector according to claim 18, wherein the watermark number indicates how often the derivation function is to be applied to the initial value.

24. The detector according to claim 18, wherein the derivation function is a cryptographical one-way function.

25. A method of embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

providing the input information representation with a watermark and additional information to be added to acquire an information representation provided with the watermark and additional information to be added,

wherein the additional information to be added comprises descriptive information with regard to embedding at least one watermark into the input information representation;

wherein the additional information to be added is added in a timeslot following synchronization information comprised in the input information representation.

26. A method of detecting at least one watermark in an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

extracting embedding information comprising descriptive information with regard to the embedding of at least one watermark into the input information representation, from the input information representation; and

extracting one or several watermarks comprised in the input information representation depending on the embedding information;

wherein several embedding information units are identified in the input information representation, wherein the embedding information units are allocated to different watermark embeddings in the input information representation; and

wherein a latest embedding information unit is selected from the plurality of identified embedding information units, and the additional information is derived from the latest embedding information unit.

27. A method of detecting at least one watermark in an input information representation representing an audio signal, or representing a video signal, or representing a computer program, or representing an image, or representing a text, comprising:

extracting embedding information comprising descriptive information with regard to the embedding of at least one watermark into the input information representation, from the input information representation; and

extracting one or several watermarks comprised in the input information representation, depending on the embedding information;

wherein, as the embedding information, a watermark number belonging to the watermark to be extracted is extracted from the input information representation;

wherein, depending on the watermark number, a derivation function is applied, once or several times, to an initial value to acquire an extraction parameter for extracting the watermark to be extracted from the input information representation; and

wherein the watermark to be extracted is extracted using the extraction parameter from the input information representation.

29. An information signal, comprising at least one watermark and one descriptive information with regard to the embedding of the at least one watermark into the information signal.

wherein the information signal comprises an audio signal, an image signal, a text signal or a computer program signal;

and

wherein the descriptive information is added in a timeslot following synchronization information comprised in the input information representation.