Receiving apparatus, transmitting apparatus, and communication system which utilize a watermark insertion technique

• US 6,785,399 B2
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujihara, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAKHJAVAN, SHERVIN K
• Application Number:
  US09/300,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20020164045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 380/201, 380/202, 380/203, 380/204, 380/210, 380/211, 380/216, 380/218, 380/220, 713/175, 713/176, 370/527, 370/529, 348/460, 348/461, 348/462, 725/14, 725/15, 725/18, 725/20, 725/22, 725/31, 725/68, 725/89, 375/150, 375/216, 375/300, 375/320
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level

Abstract

In a communication system, a transmitting device transmits an image datum to which a specified datum is inserted as an electronic watermark by watermark insertion technique. The image datum represents an image. The specified datum represents a specified process for a receiving apparatus for receiving the image datum. In the receiving apparatus, a processing arrangement is responsive to the image datum and processes the specified datum to execute the specified process. A producing arrangement is responsive to the image data and produce the image.

Claims

1. A receiving apparatus for use in reception of an image datum to which a specified datum is inserted as a watermark by a watermark insertion technique, said image datum representing an image, said specified datum comprising a specified code representing a specified process and processing content corresponding to said specified process to be executed at said receiving apparatus, said receiving apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a predetermined code and processing code corresponding to said predetermined code;

receiving means for receiving said image datum;

producing means connected to said receiving means and responsive to said image datum for producing said image; and

processing means connected to said receiving means and responsive to said image datum for comparing said specified code and said predetermined code and processing said processing content of said specified datum via said processing code to execute said specified process if said specified code is coincident with said predetermined code.

2. A receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises:

a detection circuit connected to said receiving means and responsive to said image datum for detecting said specified datum; and

executing means connected to said detection circuit for executing said specified process by the use of said specified datum.

3. A receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said executing means comprises:

a data storage table for storing a predetermined datum;

a comparator circuit connected to said detection circuit and said data storage table for comparing said specified datum with said predetermined datum to produce a coincidence signal when said specified datum is coincident with said predetermined datum; and

an output circuit connected to said comparator circuit and responsive to said coincidence signal for executing said specified process in accordance with said specified datum.

4. A receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image datum is transmitted as a modulated radio signal, said receiving means comprising:

a receiving antenna; and

a demodulation circuit connected to said receiving antenna, said producing means, and said processing means and received with said modulated radio signal through said receiving antenna for demodulating said modulated radio signal into said image datum to supply said image datum to said producing means and said processing means.

5. A communication system comprising:

a transmitting apparatus for transmitting an image datum to which a specified datum is inserted as a watermark by a watermark insertion technique, said image datum representing an image, said specified datum comprising a specified code representing a specified process and processing content corresponding to said specified process to be executed; and

a receiving apparatus for use in reception of said image datum and execution of said specified process at said receiving apparatus, said receiving apparatus comprising;

storage means for storing a predetermined code and processing code corresponding to said predetermined code;

receiving means for receiving said image datum;

producing means connected to said receiving means and responsive to said image datum for producing said image; and

processing means connected to said receiving means and responsive to said image datum for comparing said specified code and said predetermined code and processing said processing content of said specified datum via said processing code to execute said specified process if said specified code is coincident with said predetermined code.

6. A communication system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said transmitted datum is transmitted by way of a radio broadcasting wave, said communication system further comprising another receiving apparatus.

7. A transmitting apparatus for use in transmission of an image datum towards a receiving apparatus, said image datum representing an image, said transmitting apparatus comprising:

an insertion circuit for inserting a specified datum as a watermark into said image datum by a digital watermark insertion technique, said specified datum comprising a specified code representing a specified process and processing content corresponding to said specified process to be executed at said receiving apparatus, said processing content of said specified datum to be processed via processing code corresponding to the specified code stored at said receiving apparatus; and

transmission executing means connected to said insertion circuit for executing transmission of said image datum.

8. A transmitting apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said transmission executing means comprises:

a transmitting antenna; and

a modulation circuit connected to said insertion circuit and said transmitting antenna for modulating said image datum into a modulated radio signal to transmit said modulated radio signal through said transmitting antenna.