Copyright information embedding apparatus

• US 5,960,398 A
• Filed: 07/28/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wictor Company of Japan Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoshiaki, Ueno, Shoji, Fuchigami, Norihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chawan, Vijay B.
• Application Number:
  US08/901,712
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 704/205, 704/270, 704/200, 704/275, 360/60, 360/32, 360/48, 360/64, 360/58, 369/275.3, 369/32
• US Class Current: 704/270
• 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 20/00746 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific number
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00913 based on a spread spectrum technique
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence

Abstract

A copyright information embedding system is provided which is designed to embed information for copyright protection into digital audio signals without deterioration of analog audio signals reproduced. The copyright information embedding system includes an A/D converter, a modulator, a level detector, and a copyright data embedding circuit. The A/D converter converts an analog audio signal into a digital signal. The modulator modulates a copyright data signal for the digital signal using spectrum spread. The level detector detects a variation in level of the digital signal. The copyright data embedding circuit divides the copyright data signal into several codes and embeds them into the digital signal each time the variation in level of the digital signal shows a preselected variation such as a rapid rise or drop.

Claims

1. A copyright information embedding apparatus comprising:

A/D conversion means for converting an analog audio signal into a digital signal;

modulation means for modulating a copyright data signal for said digital signal using spectrum spread;

level detection means for detecting a variation in level of said digital signal; and

a copyright data embedding circuit embedding the copyright data signal into the digital signal when the variation in level of said digital signal detected by said level detection means shows a preselected variation.

2. A copyright information embedding apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said copyright data embedding circuit embeds the copyright data into the digital signal during a time when a level of the digital signal is decreased.

3. A copyright information embedding apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said copyright data embedding circuit embeds the copyright data into the digital signal during a time when a level of the digital signal is increased.

4. A copyright information embedding apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said copyright data embedding circuit records the copyright data into the digital signal intermittently.

5. A copyright information embedding apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said copyright data embedding circuit records the copyright data into the digital signal in random cycles.

6. A copyright information embedding apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said copyright data embedding circuit also embeds the copyright data into the digital signal when a level of the digital signal sampled over a preselected period of time is greater than a given value.

7. A record carrier comprising:

a digital signal into which an analog audio signal is converted; and

a copyright data signal carrying copyright information about said digital signal, modulated with spectrum spread, said copyright data signal being embedded into said digital signal each time a variation in level of said digital signal shows a preselected variation.

8. A record carrier as set forth in claim 7, wherein the copyright data signal is embedded into the digital signal during a time when a level of the digital signal is decreased.

9. A record carrier as set forth in claim 7, wherein the copyright data signal is embedded into the digital signal during a time when a level of the digital signal is increased.

10. A record carrier as set forth in claim 7, wherein the copyright data signal is embedded into the digital signal intermittently.

11. A record carrier as set forth in claim 7, wherein the copyright data signal is embedded into the digital signal in random cycles.

12. A record carrier as set forth in claim 7, wherein the copyright data signal is also embedded into the digital signal when a level of the digital signal sampled over a preselected period of time is greater than a given value.

13. A record carrier as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a second copyright data signal identical with said copyright data signal which is recorded on a subcode of said digital signal.

14. A record carrier as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a second copyright data signal identical with said copyright data signal which is recorded on a copyright information management area defined on the record carrier.

15. A copyright information embedding apparatus comprising:

A/D conversion means for converting an analog audio signal into a digital signal;

modulation means for modulating a copyright data signal carrying copyright information about said digital signal using spectrum spread;

frequency detection means for detecting a frequency of said digital signal; and

a copyright data embedding circuit embedding the copyright data signal into the digital signal at a preselected power level different from that of said digital signal.

16. A copyright information embedding apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein said copyright data embedding circuit detects a variation in level of said digital signal and changes the power level according to the variation in level detected.

17. A copyright information embedding apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said copyright data embedding circuit embeds the copyright data signal into the digital signal at the preselected power level regardless of the variation in level of said digital signal when a level of the digital signal sampled over a preselected period of time is greater than a given value.

18. A record carrier comprising:

a digital signal into which an analog audio signal is converted; and

a copyright data signal carrying copyright information about said digital signal, modulated with spectrum spread, said copyright data signal being embedded into said digital signal at a preselected power level different from that of said digital signal.

19. A record carrier as set forth in claim 18, wherein the preselected power level is changed according to a variation in level of said digital signal.

20. A record carrier as set forth in claim 19, wherein the copyright data signal is embedded into the digital signal at the preselected power level regardless of the variation in level of said digital signal when a level of the digital signal sampled over a preselected period of time is greater than a given value.

21. A record carrier as set forth in claim 18, further comprising a second copyright data signal identical with said copyright data signal, recorded on a subcode of said digital signal.

22. A record carrier as set forth in claim 18, further comprising a second copyright data signal identical with said copyright data signal, recorded on a copyright information management area defined on the record carrier.

23. A copyright information embedding method comprising the steps of:

A/D-converting an analog audio signal into a digital signal;

modulating a copyright data signal for said digital signal using spectrum spread;

detecting a variation in level of said digital signal; and

embedding the copyright data signal into the digital signal when the variation in level of said digital signal detected by said level detection means shows a preselected variation.

24. A copyright information embedding method comprising the steps of:

A/D-converting an analog audio signal into a digital signal;

modulating a copyright data signal carrying copyright information about said digital signal using spectrum spread;

detecting a frequency of said digital signal; and

embedding the copyright data signal into the digital signal at a preselected power level different from that of said digital signal.

25. A copyright information embedding apparatus comprising:

A/D conversion means for converting an analog audio signal into a digital signal;

modulation means for modulating a copyright data signal for said digital signal using spectrum spread;

level detection means for detecting a level of said digital signal; and

a copyright data embedding circuit embedding the copyright data signal into the digital signal when the level of said digital signal detected by said level detection means lies within a preselected range.