Wireless telephony with steganography

• US 6,278,781 B1
• Filed: 06/23/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US09/339,314
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 380/28, 380/247-250
• US Class Current: 380/247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0081 whereby both original and watermarked images are required at decoder, e.g. destination-based, non-blind, non-oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0662 : with particular pseudorandom sequence generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 : with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 : Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 : relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 : Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 : based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 : Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 : embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 : Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 : Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24876 : Intermediate layer contains particulate material [e.g., pigment, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention relates to wireless communication systems, such as cellular systems and PCS systems, and more particularly relates to methods and systems for reducing theft of wireless telephony services by use of steganographically encoded authentication data.

Claims

1. In a wireless telephony device including a microphone, a modulator, and an RF amplifier, the device serving to receive audio and transmit an RF signal conveying audio modulation, an improvement comprising a steganographic encoder for hiding plural bits of auxiliary data within the audio modulation of said RF signal.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said plural bits comprise data used to discourage piracy of wireless telephony service.

3. The device of claim 1 in which said plural bits comprise data identifying the wireless telephony device.

4. A method of operating a wireless personal communications transceiver, said transceiver including a microphone coupled to a transmitter, and a receiver coupled to a transducer, the transceiver serving to transmit a wireless signal modulated with a voice signal, the method characterized by altering the voice signal to steganographically embed a multi-symbol auxiliary data string therein, wherein transmission of the wireless voice signal also conveys the auxiliary data string hidden therein.

5. A processing center associated with a wireless telephony system, the processing center including a unit that receives data, including user voice data, transmitted by a wireless telephone and takes certain actions related thereto, characterized in that the processing center includes a steganographic decoder for discerning multi-symbol auxiliary data conveyed as slight alternations to said user voice data.

6. In a battery-powered wireless reception device sized for fitting in a user'"'"'s pocket or purse, the device including an RF amplifier, a demodulator, and a speaker, the device serving to receive RF transmissions and output an audio signal conveyed thereby, an improvement comprising a steganographic decoder for discerning multi-symbol auxiliary data conveyed as slight alterations to said audio signal.

7. The device of claim 6 that further includes a processor to which data output by the steganographic decoder is provided.

8. The device of claim 6 that further includes a digital display for providing information to a user.

9. In a method of operating a battery-powered wireless reception device sized for fitting in a user'"'"'s pocket or purse, the device including an RF amplifier, a demodulator, and a speaker, the device serving to receive RF transmissions and output an audio signal conveyed thereby, an improvement comprising steganographically decoding multi-symbol auxiliary data from said audio signal, and controlling some aspect of the device in accordance therewith.