Method and device for storing main information with associated additional information incorporated therein

• US 6,209,096 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1997
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Taruguchi, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Callahan, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US08/882,132
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 380/201, 380/205, 713/100, 713/200, 713/176, 713/179, 705/51, 705/57
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/041 File watermark, i.e. embedding a hidden code in an electrophonic musical instrument file or stream for identification or authentification purposes audio watermarking G10L19/018
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/091 Info, i.e. juxtaposition of unrelated auxiliary information or commercial messages with or between music files metadata G10H2240/075
• 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 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/12 Formatting, e.g. arrangement of data block or words on the record carriers within interface between computers and data recorders G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

To store main information with associated additional information incorporated therein, data constituting the additional information is divided into a plurality of small-size data pieces of, e.g., one bit. Then, the respective values of particular ones of predetermined data units (e.g., bytes) constituting the main information are subjected to arithmetic operations in accordance with a predetermined algorithm containing the value of each of the data pieces as a parameter. In this way, the respective values of the particular data units in the main information are modulated in accordance with the values of the individual data pieces in the additional information; at that time, only some of the data unit values are altered with the others left unaltered. For reproduction of the additional information, the stored main information is read out, and the individual data pieces are reproduced from the particular data units by inversely executing the algorithm.

Claims

1. A method of storing constituent data of first information along with constituent data of second information, said constituent data of first information comprising a plurality of predetermined data units, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing at least part of said constituent data of second information into a plurality of small-size data pieces;

arithmetically operating respective values of particular ones of said predetermined data units of said first information in accordance with a predetermined algorithm containing a value of each of said data pieces as a parameter, wherein said step of arithmetically operating includes a step of determining a difference in value between one of the particular data units and a predetermined other one of the particular data units, a step of determining an operating value using, as parameters, the difference and a value of one of the data pieces and a step of arithmetically operating a value of the one particular data unit with the determined operating value; and

storing the data of said first information including the arithmetically-operated particular data units, whereby said constituent data of first information is stored with at least part of said constituent data of second information incorporated therein.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 which further comprises the steps of:

reading out the data of said first information stored by said step of storing; and

reproducing said plurality of small-size data pieces from the particular data units of said first information read out by said step of reading, at least part of said constituent data of second information being reproduced by combining the data pieces reproduced by said step of reproducing, and

wherein said step of reproducing determines a difference in value between one of the particular data units and a predetermined other one of the particular data units and reproduces one of the data pieces on the basis of the difference.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of determining an operating value includes a step of determining a first variable corresponding to the value of the data piece, a step of determining a second variable corresponding to said difference and a step of generating an operating value on the basis of a correlation between said first variable and said second variable.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein said step of generating an operating value compares said first variable and said second variable and selects any one of predetermined values, including at least 0 and 1, depending on agreement or disagreement between said first variable and said second variable.

5. An electronic information processing device for storing constituent data of first information along with constituent data of second information, said constituent data of first information comprising a plurality of predetermined data units, said electronic information processing device comprising:

a circuit which divides at least part of said constituent data of second information into a plurality of small-size data pieces and sequentially extracts the data pieces;

an operating circuit which arithmetically operates respective values of particular ones of said predetermined data units of said first information in accordance with a predetermined algorithm containing a value of each of said data pieces as a parameter, wherein said operating circuit includes a circuit that determines a difference in value between one of the particular data units and a predetermined other one of the particular data units, a circuit that determines an operating value using, as parameters, the difference and a value of one of the data pieces and a circuit that arithmetically operates a value of the one particular data unit with the determined operating value; and

a storage circuit which stores said constituent data of first information including the arithmetically-operated particular data units, whereby said constituent data of first information is stored with at least part of said constituent data of second information incorporated therein.

6. An electronic information processing device as recited in claim 5 which further comprises:

a readout circuit which reads out the data of said first information stored by said storage circuit; and

a reproduction circuit which reproduces said plurality of small-size data pieces from the particular data units of said first information read out by said readout circuit, at least part of said constituent data of second information being reproduced by combining the data pieces reproduced by said reproduction circuit, and

wherein said reproduction circuit determines a difference in value between one of the particular data units and a predetermined other one of the particular data units and reproduces one of the data pieces on the basis of the difference.

7. A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions to cause said machine to store constituent data of first information along with constituent data of second information, said constituent data of first information comprising a plurality of predetermined data units, said instructions executable to perform a method comprising the steps of:

dividing at least part of said constituent data of second information into a plurality of small-size data pieces;

arithmetically operating respective values of particular ones of said predetermined data units of said first information in accordance with a predetermined algorithm containing a value of each of said data pieces as a parameter, wherein said step of arithmetically operating includes a step of determining a difference in value between one of the particular data units and a predetermined other one of the particular data units, a step of determining an operating value using, as parameters, the difference and a value of one of the data pieces and a step of arithmetically operating a value of the one particular data unit with the determined operating value; and

storing the data of first information including the arithmetically-operated particular data units, whereby said constituent data of first information is stored with at least part of said constituent data of second information incorporated therein.

8. The machine-readable recording medium as recited in claim 7 which further comprises instructions executable to perform a method further comprising the steps of:

reading out the data of said first information stored by said storing step; and

reproducing said plurality of small-size data pieces from the particular data units of said first information read out by said reading step, at least part of said constituent data of second information being reproduced by combining the data pieces reproduced by said reproducing step,

wherein said reproducing step determines a difference in value between one of the particular data units and a predetermined other one of the particular data units and reproduces one of the data pieces on the basis of the difference.

9. A method of storing constituent data of first information along with constituent data of second information, said constituent data of first information comprising a plurality of predetermined data units, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing at least part of said constituent data of second information into a plurality of small-size data pieces;

for each of predetermined groups of said constituent data of first information, arithmetically operating respective values of particular ones of said predetermined data units in accordance with a predetermined algorithm containing a value of each of said data pieces as a parameter, wherein a different algorithm is used for each of the groups within the first information; and

storing the data of said first information including the arithmetically-operated particular data units, whereby said constituent data of first information is stored with at least part of said constituent data of second information incorporated in the data of the individual groups.

10. An electronic information processing device for storing constituent data of first information along with constituent data of second information, said constituent data of first information comprising a plurality of predetermined data units, said electronic information processing device comprising:

a circuit which divides at least part of said constituent data of second information into a plurality of small-size data pieces and sequentially extracts the data pieces;

a circuit which, for each of predetermined groups of said constituent data of first information, arithmetically operates respective values of particular ones of said predetermined data units in accordance with a predetermined algorithm containing a value of each of said data pieces as a parameter, wherein a different algorithm is used for each of the groups within the first information; and

a storage circuit which stores the data of said first information including the arithmetically-operated particular data units, whereby said constituent data of first information is stored with at least part of said constituent data of second information incorporated in the data of the individual groups.

11. A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions to cause said machine to store constituent data of first information along with constituent data of second information, said constituent data of first information comprising a plurality of predetermined data units, said instructions executable to perform a method comprising the steps of:

dividing at least part of said constituent data of second information into a plurality of small-size data pieces;

for each of predetermined groups of said constituent data of first information, arithmetically operating respective values of particular ones of said predetermined data units in accordance with a predetermined algorithm containing a value of each of said data pieces as a parameter, wherein a different algorithm is used for each of the groups within the first information; and

storing the data of first information including the arithmetically-operated particular data units, whereby said constituent data of first information is stored with at least part of said constituent data of second information incorporated in the data of the individual groups.