Method for transparent marking of digital images for storage, retrieval and processing within a computer database

• US 6,466,209 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1995
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Bantum, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US08/568,905
• Time in Patent Office: 2,504 Days
• Field of Search: 395/132, 395/131, 395/135, 399/366, 380/54, 380/25, 345/432
• US Class Current: 345/589
• 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 1/32229 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32309 in colour image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink

Abstract

A method for including additional data, such as identifying text, within a stored digital image, the additional data being hidden from view when the image is displayed. The method includes the step of identifying a region within the digital image which contains picture elements, or pixels, having either a constant intensity, hue or saturation value, or a random distribution of such values for the storage of “hidden” data. An pixel value is determined which differs slightly or blends well with the values contained within the image region into which the hidden data is to be written; and the additional data is saved within the constant or random content image region at this determined intensity value. The intensity value utilized for the encoding of the hidden data or text, although differing slightly from the intensity values of the background pixels within the image region into which the hidden data or text is written, is selected such that the difference between the pixel value of the background and the pixel value of the hidden data is indiscernible when the image is viewed by the human eye. The hidden data stored with the digital image may be identifying text which can be used to aid in the storage, recognition, classification, recovery and retrieval of digital images within a multimedia database.

Claims

1. A method for including additional data within a stored digital image, said digital image comprising an array of pixels, each pixel having pixel property values such as intensity values, hue values and saturation values associated therewith;

the method comprising the steps of;

identifying a constant content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said constant content image region each having a first pixel intensity value;

determining a second pixel intensity value slightly different from said first pixel property value, the difference between said first and second pixel property values being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said additional data within said constant content image region, said additional data being stored with said second pixel intensity value.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said first intensity value comprises all intensity values contained within a narrow range of intensity values.

3. A method for including additional data within a stored digital image, said digital image comprising an array of pixels, each pixel having an intensity value associated therewith;

the method comprising the steps of;

identifying a random content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said region having intensity values occurring in a testably random pattern;

determining a non-random intensity value, the difference between said non-random intensity value and the intensity values of said pixels contained within said random content image region being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said additional data within said random content image region, said additional data being encoded at said non-random intensity value.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said step of identifying a random content image region comprises the steps of:

dividing said digital image into a plurality of regions;

determining a Coefficient of Randomness for each one of said plurality of regions; and

selecting the region having a desired Coefficient of Randomness as said random content image region.

5. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

said additional information comprises text.

6. A method for simplifying storage, recovery, recognition, classification and retrieval of digital images within a multimedia database, said digital images comprising an array of pixels, by incorporating identifying information within said digital image, said identifying information being indiscernible from said digital image upon viewing said digital image bv the human eye, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a constant content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said constant content image region each having a first intensity value associated therewith;

determining a second intensity value slightly different from said first intensity value, the difference between said first and second intensity values being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said identifying information within said constant content image region, said identifying information being coded with said second intensity value.

7. A method for simplifying storage, recovery, recognition, classification and retrieval of digital images within a multimedia database, said digital images comprising an array of pixels, by incorporating identifying information within said digital image, said identifying information being indiscernible from said digital image upon viewing said digital image by the human eye, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a random content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said region each having intensity values associated therewith, said intensity values occurring in a random pattern;

determining a non-random intensity value, the difference between said non-random value and the intensity values of said pixels contained within said random content image region being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said identifying text within said random content image region, said identifying text being coded with said non-random intensity value.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

said non-random intensity value comprises a coded sequence of intensity values.

9. A method for simplifying storage, recovery, recognition, classification and retrieval of digital images within a multimedia database, said digital images comprising an array of pixels, by incorporating identifying information within said digital image, said identifying information being indiscernible from said digital image upon viewing said digital image by the human eye, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a constant content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said constant content image region each having a first hue value associated therewith;

determining a second hue value slightly different from said first hue value, the difference between said first and second hue values being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said identifying information within said constant content image region, said identifying information being coded with said second hue value.

10. A method for simplifying storage, recovery, recognition classification and retrieval of digital images within a multimedia database, said digital images comprising an array of pixels, by incorporating identifying information within said digital image, said identifying information being indiscernible from said digital image upon viewing said digital image bv the human eye, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a random content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said region each having hue values associated therewith, said hue values occurring in a random pattern;

determining a non-random hue value, the difference between said non-random hue value and the hue values of said pixels contained within said random content image region being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said identifying text within said random content image region, said identifying text being coded with said non-random hue value.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

said non-random hue value comprises a coded sequence of hue values.

12. A method for simplifying storage, recovery, recognition, classification and retrieval of digital images within a multimedia database, said digital images comprising an array of pixels, by incorporating identifying information within said digital image, said identifying information being indiscernible from said digital image upon viewing said digital image by the human eye, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a constant content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said constant content image region each having a first saturation value associated therewith;

determining a second saturation value slightly different from said first saturation value, the difference between said first and second saturation values being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said identifying information within said constant content image region, said identifying information being coded with said second saturation value.

13. A method for simplifying storage, recovery, recognition, classification and retrieval of digital images within a multimedia database, said digital images comprising an array of pixels, by incorporating identifying information within said digital image, said identifying information being indiscernible from said digital image upon viewing said digital image by the human eye, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a random content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said region each having saturation values associated therewith, said saturation values occurring in a random pattern;

determining a non-random saturation value, the difference between said non-random saturation value and the saturation values of said pixels contained within said random content image region being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said identifying text within said random content image region, said identifying text being coded with said non-random saturation value.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein:

said non-random saturation value comprises a coded sequence of saturation values.

15. A method for including additional data within a stored digital image, said digital image comprising an array of pixels, each pixel having pixel property values such as intensity values, hue values and saturation values associated therewith;

the method comprising the steps of;

identifying a constant content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said constant content image region each having a first pixel hue value;

determining a second pixel hue value slightly different from said first pixel property value, the difference between said first and second pixel property values being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said additional data within said constant content image region, said additional data being stored with said second pixel hue value.

16. A method for including additional data within a stored digital image, said digital image comprising an array of pixels, each pixel having pixel property values such as intensity values, hue values and saturation values associated therewith;

the method comprising the steps of;

identifying a constant content image region within said digital image, the pixels within said constant content image region each having a first pixel saturation value;

determining a second pixel saturation value slightly different from said first pixel property value, the difference between said first and second pixel property values being indiscernible by the human eye; and

storing said additional data within said constant content image region, said additional data being stored with said second pixel saturation value.