Custom character-coding compression for encoding and watermarking media content

• US 6,760,443 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lacy, John Blakeway, Snyder, James H., Quackenbush, Schuyler Reynier
• Primary Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T.
• Application Number:
  US09/863,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20010036270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 380/217, 380/269, 708/203, 709/247, 345/544, 345/545
• US Class Current: 380/269
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0053 Embedding of the watermark in the coding stream, possibly without decoding; Embedding of the watermark in the compressed domain
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• 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 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• 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: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• 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

Abstract

A method of compressing media content in which a first predetermined portion of a media content is compressed using a first data-based compression algorithm and inserted into a first portion of a data frame. A second predetermined portion of the media content is compressed using a second data-based compression algorithm and is inserted into a second portion of the data frame. The second predetermined portion of the media content is different from the first predetermined portion of the media content, and the second data-based compression algorithm is different from the first data-based compression algorithm. At least one of the first and second data-based compression algorithms is a private data-based compression algorithm. A plurality of data frames are generated and are made available for distribution, for example, by transmission over a computer network, such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A method of compressing media content, comprising:

dividing the media content into at least three predetermined portions;

compressing each of the at least three predetermined portions using one of at least three different compression algorithm; and

making the at least three compressed predetermined portions publicly available.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

grouping each of the at least three compressed predetermined portions of the media content into at least three portions of a data frame.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of making the at least three compressed predetermined portions publicly available includes the step of transmitting the data frame over a computer network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of making the at least three compressed predetermined portions publicly available includes the step of storing the at least three compressed predetermined portions in a memory device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the memory device is a CD ROM.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least three compression algorithms is a private data-based compression algorithm.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the at least three compression algorithms is a public data-based compression algorithm.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the private data-based compression algorithm includes associated initial data, the method further comprising the steps of:

encrypting the associated initial data of the least one private data-based compression algorithm; and

making the encrypted associated initial data publicly available.

9. A method of compressing media content that has been divided into three portions, comprising:

compressing each of the three portions using a different data-based compression algorithm; and

making the three compressed portions publicly available.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

grouping each compressed portion into a portion of a frame.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of making the three compressed portions publicly available includes the step of transmitting the frame over a computer network.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of making the three compressed portions publicly available includes the step of storing the three compressed portions in a memory device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the memory device is a CD ROM.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the data-based compression algorithms is a private data-based compression algorithm.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the data-based compression algorithms is a public data-based compression algorithm.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the private data-based compression algorithm includes associated initial data, the method further comprising the steps of:

encrypting the associated initial data of the least one private data-based compression algorithm; and

making the encrypted associated initial data publicly available.