SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PIXEL-BASED WATERMARKING

• US 20170103492A1
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AppNexus Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lidow, Arel
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics

Abstract

Systems and methods for pixel-based watermarking are disclosed. An online advertising platform, at a first time, receives information identifying a creative that is associated with an advertiser or publisher, and associates a unique identifier with the creative. The color of one or more pixels in the creative image are modified based on the unique identifier by, for example, converting the unique identifier to a corresponding color value and setting the pixels to the color. At a second, later time, the platform receives a second image comprising at least a portion of the creative image. One or more pixels are identified in the second image that correspond to pixels in the first image that were modified in color, and the unique identifier is derived based on the color of the identified pixels in the second image. Information associated with the advertiser or publisher is then retrieved based on the determined identifier.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a first time, information identifying a creative comprising a first image, the creative being associated with an advertiser or a publisher;

associating a unique identifier with the creative;

selecting a pixel at a location in the first image;

modifying a color of the pixel at the location in the first image based on the unique identifier;

receiving, at a second time later than the first time, a second image comprising at least a portion of the creative image;

identifying a pixel at a location in the second image corresponding to the pixel at the location in the first image;

determining the unique identifier based on a color of the pixel at the location in the second image; and

retrieving information associated with the advertiser or the publisher based on the determined unique identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location in the first image comprises a fixed coordinate-based location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying a color of the pixel at the location in the first image based on the unique identifier comprises:

converting the unique identifier to a value representing a second color; and

setting the color of the pixel in the first image to the second color.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the value comprises a hexadecimal representation of the second color.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the unique identifier based on a color of the pixel at the location in the second image comprises:

determining a value representing the color of the pixel at the location in the second image; and

converting the value to the unique identifier.

6. The method of claim 1:

wherein the modifying comprises modifying a color of a plurality of pixels at a plurality of locations in the first image based on the unique identifier;

wherein the identifying comprises identifying at least one pixel at a location in the second image corresponding to at least one pixel at one of the locations in the first image; and

wherein the determining comprises determining the unique identifier based on a color of the at least one pixel at the location in the second image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least a subset of pixels in the plurality of pixels are non-contiguous.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a two-dimensional pattern.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

holding an auction for serving the creative to an impression consumer;

associating a second unique identifier with the auction;

selecting a pixel at a second location in the first image; and

modifying a color of the pixel at the second location in the first image based on the second unique identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying a pixel at a second location in the second image corresponding to the pixel at the second location in the first image;

determining the second unique identifier based on a color of the pixel at the second location in the second image; and

retrieving information associated with auction based on the determined second unique identifier.

11. A system comprising:

at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processing unit for executing the instructions stored on the memory, where execution of the instructions programs the at least one processing unit to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a first time, information identifying a creative comprising a first image, the creative being associated with an advertiser or a publisher;

associating a unique identifier with the creative;

selecting a pixel at a location in the first image;

modifying a color of the pixel at the location in the first image based on the unique identifier;

receiving, at a second time later than the first time, a second image comprising at least a portion of the first image;

identifying a pixel at a location in the second image corresponding to the pixel at the location in the first image;

determining the unique identifier based on a color of the pixel at the location in the second image; and

retrieving information associated with the advertiser or the publisher based on the determined unique identifier.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the location in the first image comprises a fixed coordinate-based location.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein modifying a color of the pixel at the location in the first image based on the unique identifier comprises:

converting the unique identifier to a value representing a second color; and

setting the color of the pixel in the first image to the second color.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the value comprises a hexadecimal representation of the second color.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the unique identifier based on a color of the pixel at the location in the second image comprises:

determining a value representing the color of the pixel at the location in the second image; and

converting the value to the unique identifier.

16. The system of claim 11:

wherein the modifying comprises modifying a color of a plurality of pixels at a plurality of locations in the first image based on the unique identifier;

wherein the identifying comprises identifying at least one pixel at a location in the second image corresponding to at least one pixel at one of the locations in the first image; and

wherein the determining comprises determining the unique identifier based on a color of the at least one pixel at the location in the second image.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least a subset of pixels in the plurality of pixels are non-contiguous.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a two-dimensional pattern.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

holding an auction for serving the creative to an impression consumer;

associating a second unique identifier with the auction;

selecting a pixel at a second location in the first image; and

modifying a color of the pixel at the second location in the first image based on the second unique identifier.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a pixel at a second location in the second image corresponding to the pixel at the second location in the first image;

determining the second unique identifier based on a color of the pixel at the second location in the second image; and

retrieving information associated with auction based on the determined second unique identifier.