Video finger print method and apparatus

• US 5,668,603 A
• Filed: 05/22/1996
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Macrovision Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Macrovision Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Copeland, Gregory C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/651,480
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 348/461, 348/465, 348/460, 348/468, 348/473, 348/1, 348/2, 348/553, 348/558, 348/563
• US Class Current: 348/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/725 over elliptic curves
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00094 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00913 based on a spread spectrum technique
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• 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 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method and apparatus for inserting source identification data into a video signal prior to its transmission, recording or display. The source identification data (Finger Print) is injected into the active picture area of a video signal without disturbing the viewing of the video signal and the data is retrieved by a data reader, called a Fingerprint Reader. The data injection or "fingerprinting" process consists of dynamically offsetting the video pedestal to carry information which can then be read back from any videotape made from the output of the data-injecting unit. In particular, the fingerprint carries the ID number of the unit used and the current date. The offset lasts for one entire field and has an amplitude of approximately 0.5 IRE--that is, a given field either has the nominal setup or a setup value differing from nominal by 0.5 IRE. The data is repeated every 128 fields in order to provide ample samples for the reader to detect and display the source identification data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting a source identification signal within an active picture area of a video signal comprising:

a low pass filter that receives said video input signal containing said source identification data signal within said active picture area;

a dock signal generator;

an analog to digital converter wherein said analog to digital converter receives said low passed video signal and said clock signal;

a matched filter wherein said matched filter detects said source identification data signal;

a sync word generator to generate a first sync word;

a storage and synchronization system to store said data and synchronize a second sync word contained within said source identification signal so as to produce a readable source identification signal;

a register to store said readable source identification signal; and

a display device to display information within said readable source identification signal.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said low pass filter has a cutoff frequency between 200 Hz and 1 Khz.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said clock signal has a clock frequency about four times a low pass cutoff frequency of said low pass filter.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said sync word generator comprises a preprogrammed read only memory.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said sync word generator comprises a user controlled keyboard or key pad.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of an LED, LCD, a cathode ray display and an on screen insert to a video display device displaying said video signal, wherein said information is displayed within said within screen insert.

7. An apparatus for detecting a source identification signal within an active picture area of a video signal comprising:

means for low pass filtering said video signal;

means for converting said low passed video signal to a digital signal;

means for generating a first sync word;

means for synchronizing said source identification signal containing a second sync so as to provide readable source identification information;

means for displaying said source identification information.

8. A method for detecting a source identification signal within an active picture area of a video signal comprising:

low pass filtering said video input signal containing said source identification data signal within said active picture area;

generating a clock signal;

converting said data signal from an analog signal to a digital signal wherein said analog to digital conversion receives said low passed video signal and said clock signal;

match filtering said digital signal wherein said matched filter detects said source identification data signal;

generating a first sync word;

storing said data and synchronizing a second sync word contained within said source identification signal so as to produce a readable source identification signal;

storing with a register said readable source identification signal; and

displaying information within said readable source identification signal.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein said low pass filtering has cutoff frequency between 200 Hz. and 1 Khz.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein said clock signal has a clock frequency about four a low pass cutoff frequency of said low pass filter.

11. A method as in claim 8, wherein the step of generating a first sync word comprises reading from a preprogrammed read only memory.

12. A method as in claim 8, wherein the step of generating a first sync word comprises entering said sync word from a user controlled keyboard or key pad.

13. A method as in claim 8, wherein the step of displaying is performed on a display device selected from the group consisting of in LED, LCD, a cathode ray display and an on screen insert to a video display device displaying said video signal, wherein said information is displayed within said within screen insert.