Method For Watermarking Content

• US 20130227293A1
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Leddy, John, Fahrny, James W., Broome, Allen, Chen, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,749,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• 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 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3239 using a plurality of different authentication information

Abstract

The disclosure relates to processing content with watermarks to generate watermarked versions. In some aspects, each version may be different. Groups of fragments may be combined to generate a unique stream by pulling fragments from two or more of the groups of fragments. Further, fragmenting may be performed before watermarking, and fragments may be pulled and watermarked upon request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

applying a first watermark to content to generate a first watermarked version and applying a second watermark to the content to generate a second watermarked version, the second watermarked version being different from the first watermarked version;

fragmenting each of the first and second watermarked versions to generate a plurality of groups of fragments; and

generating a unique stream by assembling fragments from two or more of the plurality of groups of fragments.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying one or more additional watermarks to the content to generate one or more additional watermarked versions, each of the additional watermarked versions being different from each other and the first and second watermarked versions,

wherein a total number of watermarked versions, including the additional watermarked versions and the first and second watermarked versions, depends on a number of actual or expected users or entities requesting the content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second watermarks each include one or more of images, sounds, metadata, and text.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second watermarks include a plurality of watermarks and a number of the plurality of watermarks depends on a number of actual or expected users or entities requesting the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second watermarks include a plurality of watermarks and a number of the plurality of watermarks is a predetermined number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of the fragments in each of the plurality of groups of fragments depends on size of the content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content begins to be obtained after a request for the content is received over a network from a user or requesting entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the unique stream comprises:

generating a random number; and

selecting a fragment from among the plurality of groups of fragments according to the random number.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a file that has pattern information, which indicates a pattern used to generate the unique stream; and

storing the file.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the unique stream over a network to a specific user or requesting entity.

11. A method comprising:

fragmenting content;

applying a first watermark to the fragmented content to generate a first group of watermarked fragments and applying a second watermark to the fragmented content to generate a second group of watermarked fragments, the second watermark being different from the first watermark;

generating a unique stream by assembling fragments from the first group of watermarked fragments and the second group of watermarked fragments.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

applying additional watermarks to the fragmented content to generate additional groups of watermarked fragments, each of the additional watermarks being different from each other;

wherein a total number of groups of watermarked fragments, including the additional groups of watermarked fragments, the first group of watermarked fragments, and the second group of watermarked fragments, depends on a number of actual or expected users or entities requesting the content.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second watermarks each include one or more of images, sounds, metadata, and text.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second watermarks include a plurality of watermarks and a number of the plurality of watermarks depends on a number of actual or expected users or entities requesting the content.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second watermarks include a plurality of watermarks and a number of the plurality of watermarks is a predetermined number.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein a number of the fragments in the first group of watermarked fragments and the second group of watermarked fragments depends on size of the content.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a request for the content sent via a network from a user or requesting entity; and

transferring the unique stream via the network to the user or the requesting entity.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating of the unique stream comprises:

generating a random number; and

selecting a fragment from among the first and second groups of watermarked fragments according to the random number.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

creating a file that has pattern information, which indicates a pattern used to generate the unique stream; and

storing the file.

20. A method comprising:

fragment content to generate a plurality of fragments;

applying at least a portion of a first watermark to at least a portion of a first fragment from among the plurality of fragments to generate a watermarked first fragment and applying at least a portion of a second watermark to at least a portion of a second fragment from among the plurality of fragments to generate a watermarked second fragment, the second fragment being different than the first fragment and the second watermark being different than the first watermark; and

generating a unique stream including the watermarked first fragment and the watermarked second fragment.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving, from a remote client device, a first request for the first fragment; and

selecting the first watermark based on the first request.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, from the remote client device, a second request for the second fragment; and

selecting the second watermark based on the second request.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the selection of the first watermark is made based on at least one of an IP address included in the first request, a session ID included in the first request, and a timestamp included in the first request.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, from another remote client device, a second request for the first fragment; and

selecting one of the first watermark and the second watermark based on the second request.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

applying at least a portion of a third watermark to at least a portion of the first fragment, the third watermark being different than the first and second watermarks.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

applying at least a portion of the first watermark to at least a portion of a third fragment,

wherein the portion of the first watermark in the third fragment is different than the portion of the first watermark in the first fragment.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

outputting a manifest file, including a fragment pattern indicating time periods that define the first fragment and the second fragment.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving, from a remote client device, a first request for the first fragment;

selecting one of a plurality of content databases;

forwarding the first request to the selected content database;

retrieving the first fragment from the selected content database; and

transferring the watermarked first fragment to the remote client device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first watermark used to watermark the first fragment is selected based on the selected content database.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the selection of the content database comprises:

evaluating congestion of channels connected to each of the plurality of content databases; and

selecting the content database associated with the channel having the least amount of congestion.

31. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to;

receiving, from a user device, a first request for a first fragment of content;

receiving, from the user device, a second request for a second fragment of the content;

selecting a first content database and a second content database from among a plurality of content databases;

forwarding the first request to the first content database;

forwarding the second request to the second content database;

applying at least a portion of a first watermark to at least a portion of the first fragment to generate a watermarked first fragment;

applying at least a portion of a second watermark to at least a portion of the second fragment to generate a watermarked second fragment, the second watermark being different than the first watermark; and

transferring the watermarked first fragment and the watermarked second fragment to the user device.

32. The computing device 31, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

fragment the content to generate a plurality of fragments, including the first fragment and the second fragment.

33. The computing device 31, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

transfer a manifest file, including a fragment pattern, to the user device.

34. The computing device 31, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

store an index file including information indicating that the user was sent the first fragment with the first watermark and the second fragment with the second watermark.

35. The computing device 31, wherein the selection of the first and second content databases comprises:

evaluating congestion of channels connected to each of the plurality of content databases at a first time;

selecting the first content database associated with the channel having the least amount of congestion at the first time;

evaluating congestion of the channels connected to each of the plurality of content databases at a second time; and

selecting the second content database associated with the channel having the least amount of congestion at the second time,

wherein the first content database is separate from the second content database.