Additional information superposing method, information signal copy control method, information signal output device and information signal recording device

• US 6,782,191 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1999
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Moriwaki, Hisayoshi, Ikeda, Nozomu, Ogino, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chieu, Polin
• Application Number:
  US09/442,515
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/94, 360/60, 380/201, 380/203, 713/176
• US Class Current: 386/260
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• 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 20/00768 wherein copy control information is used, e.g. for indicating whether a content may be copied freely, no more, once, or never, by setting CGMS, SCMS, or CCI flags
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00913 based on a spread spectrum technique
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40104 Security; Encryption; Content protection cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

An image signal to be outputted is divided into two areas or a first area and a second area. In an electronic watermarking information forming section (WM forming section), a spectrum spread signal (electronic watermarking information) is formed as the first additional information so as to be superposed on the first area of the image signal. The spectrum spread signal is superposed on the first area of the image signal by an electronic watermarking information superposing section (WM superposing section). Moreover, in the case where the image signal is recorded on a recording medium, for example, the second additional information is newly superposed on the second area of the image signal. Thus, deterioration of the information signal is suppressed at minimum, and first and second additional information are superposed on the information signal to be capable of transmitting the information signal.

Claims

1. A method of superposing second additional information on an information signal, comprising the steps of:

a first step of generating first and second electronic watermarking information corresponding to first and second additional information; and

a step of superposing said first electronic watermarking information on a first area of an information signal and superposing said second additional electronic watermarking information on a second area of said information signal;

wherein the first additional information and the second additional information are information for limiting a copy generation of said information signal; and

wherein the first additional information represents a state before the copy generation is limited, and the second additional information represents a state after the copy generation is limited.

2. The additional information superposing method according to claim 1, characterized in that said first area and the second area are set as areas at every predetermined time length of said information signal.

3. The additional information superposing method according to claim 1, characterized in that said first area and the second area are set as areas at every predetermined data amount of said information signal.

4. The additional information superposing method according to claim 1, characterized in that:

said information signal is an image signal; and

said first area and said second area are formed in a time direction by using a frame or field as a unit.

5. The additional information superposing method according to claim 1, characterized in that:

said information signal is an image signal; and

said first area and said second area are formed separately within one frame or one field.

6. An information signal copy control method for an information signal on which additional information is added, comprising steps of:

a step of detecting electronic watermarking information superposed on a first area of an information signal and corresponding to a first additional information;

a step of judging whether or not second electronic watermarking information corresponding to second additional information is superposed on a second area of the information signal based on detected electronic watermarking information corresponding to said first additional information; and

a step of superposing second electronic watermarking information on a second area of said information signal based on a judged result;

wherein the first additional information and the second additional information are information for limiting a copy generation of said information signal; and

wherein the first additional information represents a state before the copy generation is limited, and the second additional information represents a state after the copy generation is limited.

9. The information signal copy control method according to claim 6, characterized in that said first area and said second area are set as areas at every predetermined time length of said information signal.

10. The information signal copy control method according to claim 6, characterized in that said first area and said second area are set as areas at every predetermined data amount of said information signal.

11. The information signal copy control method according to claim 6, characterized in that:

said information signal is an image signal; and

said first area and said second area are formed in a time direction by using a frame or field as unit.

12. The information signal copy control method according to claim 6, characterized in that:

said information signal is an image signal; and

said first area and said second area are formed separately within one frame or one field.

7. An information signal copy control method for an information signal having first and second areas to which first and second additional information are respectively added, comprising the steps of:

a step of detecting electronic watermarking information superposed on a second area of an information signal corresponding to a second additional information;

a step of judging whether or not first electronic watermarking information corresponding to a second information signal is superposed on a second area of said information signal based on electronic watermarking information corresponding to said second additional information detected; and

a step of superposing second electronic watermarking information on the second area of said information signal again based on a judged result;

wherein the first additional information and the second additional information are information for limiting a copy generation of said information signal; and

wherein the first additional information represents a state before the copy generation is limited, and the second additional information represents a state after the copy generation is limited.

8. An information signal copy control method for an information signal added with additional information, comprising the steps of:

a step of detecting electronic watermarking information corresponding to first additional information superposed on a first area of an information signal and electronic watermarking information corresponding to second additional information superposed on a second area of said information signal; and

a step of controlling recording of said information signal based on the first and second electronic watermarking information corresponding to said first and second additional information detected, and superposing electronic watermarking information corresponding to second additional information on said second area again;

wherein the first additional information and the second additional information are information for limiting a copy generation of said information signal; and

wherein the first additional information represents a state before the copy generation is limited, and the second additional information represents a state after the copy generation is limited.

13. An information signal output device for outputting an information signal which is divided into a first area and a second area and where first additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said first area and second additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said second area, said information signal output device being characterized by comprising:

a second additional information detecting means for detecting the second additional information superposed on said second area; and

an output control means for controlling an output of said information signal based on a detected output from said second additional information detecting means;

wherein the first additional information and the second additional information are information for limiting a copy generation of said information signal; and

wherein the first additional information represents a state before the copy generation is limited, and the second additional information represents a state after the copy generation is limited.

15. The information signal output device according to claim 13, characterized in that said first area and said second area are set as areas at every predetermined time length of said information signal.

16. The information signal output device according to claim 13, characterized in that said first area and said second area are set as areas at every predetermined data amount of said information signal.

17. The information signal output device according to claim 13, characterized in that:

said information signal is an image signal; and

said first area and said second area are formed in a time direction by using a frame or field as a unit.

18. The information signal output device according to claim 13, characterized in that said first area and said second area are formed separately within one frame or one field.

14. An information signal output device for outputting an information signal which is divided into a first area and a second area and where first additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said first area and second additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said second area, said information signal output device being characterized by comprising:

a first additional information detecting means for detecting said first additional information superposed on said first area;

a second additional information detecting means for detecting said second additional information superposed on said second area; and

an output control means for controlling an output of said information signal based on a detected output from said first additional information detecting means and a detected output from said second additional information detecting means;

wherein the first additional information and the second additional information are information for limiting a copy generation of said information signal; and

wherein the first additional information represents a state before the copy generation is limited, and the second additional information represents a state after the copy generation is limited.

19. An information signal recording device for recording an information signal which is divided into a first area and a second area and where first additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said first area and second additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said second area, said recording device characterized by comprising:

a digital interface for being provided with said information signal;

a first additional information detecting means for detecting additional information superposed on said first area of said information signal provided via said digital interface;

a recording control means for controlling recording of said information signal based on a detected output from said first additional information detecting means; and

a superposing means for, when said information signal is to be recorded on a recording medium by said recording control means, forming the second additional information if necessary so as to superpose it on said second area;

wherein the first additional information and the second additional information are information for limiting a copy generation of said information signal; and

wherein the first additional information represents a state before the copy generation is limited, and the second additional information represents a state after the copy generation is limited.

22. The information signal recording device according to claim 19, characterized in that said first area and said second area are set as areas at every predetermined time length of said information signal.

23. The information signal recording device according to claim 19, characterized in that said first area and said second area are set as areas at every predetermined data amount of said information signal.

24. The information signal recording device according to claim 19, characterized in that:

said information signal is an image signal; and

said first area and said second area are formed in a time direction by using a frame or field as a unit.

25. The information signal recording device according to claim 19, characterized in that:

said information signal is an image signal; and

said first area and said second area are formed separately within one frame or one field.

20. An information signal recording device for recording an information signal which is divided into a first area and a second area and where first additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said first area and second additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said second area, said information signal recording device characterized by comprising:

a second additional information detecting means for detecting additional information superposed on said second area of said information signal;

a recording control means for controlling recording of said information signal based on a detected output from said second additional information detecting means; and

a superposing means for, when said information signal is to be recorded on a recording medium by said recording control means, forming the second additional information if necessary so as to superpose it on said second area;

wherein the first additional information and the second additional information are information for limiting a copy generation of said information signal; and

wherein the first additional information represents a state before the copy generation is limited, and the second additional information represents a state after the copy generation is limited.

21. An information signal recording device for recording an information signal which is divided into a first area and a second area and where first additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said first area and second additional information comprising electronic watermarking information is superposed on said second area, said information signal recording device characterized by comprising:

a first additional information detecting means for detecting additional information superposed on said first area of said information signal;

a second additional information detecting means for detecting additional information superposed on said second area of said information signal;

a recording control means for controlling recording of said information signal based on a detected output from said first additional information detecting means and a detected output from said second additional information detecting means; and

a superposing means for, when said information signal is recorded on a recording medium by said recording control means, forming the second additional information if necessary so as to superpose it on said second area.