Method and apparatus for steganographic embedding of meta-data

• US 6,961,441 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nestler, Douglas G., Hershey, John E., Harrison, Daniel D., Welles, Kenneth B., Grabb, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Shefali
• Application Number:
  US09/672,452
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/284, 382276-308, 713/176, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• 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 1/32315 Selecting a particular method from amongst a plurality of methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• 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 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 Encryption; Ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An electronic device, such as a digital camera, includes sensors to acquire subject data, such as an electro-optical image, as well as additional sensors to acquire meta-data such as temperature, humidity, the identification of the subject data, and the data and time. The electronic device further includes an image evaluator, to determine the best steganographic method to use to combine the meta-data and the subject data, and a steganographic engine, to combine the meta-data and the subject data in an undetectable manner. In this way, meta-data can be associated with the subject data when the subject data is acquired and in a manner that attaches the meta-data and the subject data without requiring generating and maintaining two, linked data sets.

Claims

1. A method for steganographically combining data, comprising the steps of:

acquiring first data via a first sensor;

contemporaneously acquiring meta-data associated with the acquired first data via a second sensor;

creating a plurality of steganographic data combinations by combining the first data and the contemporaneously acquired meta-data using a plurality of steganographic techniques and a figure-of-merit algorithm for determining an appropriate region of the first data to embed the meta-data for each steganographic technique; and

using the figure-of-merit algorithm to compare the steganographic data combinations and the originally acquired first data to select a steganographic data combination from the plurality of steganographic data combinations with the least discernible changes from the acquired first data.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the steganographic data combinations.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the steganographic data combinations are stored in memory coupled with the data source.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the steganographic data combinations are stored at a location remote from the site where the first data and meta-data are acquired.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the steganographic data combinations to the remote location.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of combining produces one or more steganographic data combinations.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

evaluating each of the one or more steganographic data combinations to determine the one combination that most closely matches the acquired first data.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the conditional step of:

if all of the plurality of steganographic data combinations perceptibly differ from the acquired first data, then repeating the step of creating a plurality of stenographic data combinations.

9. The method according to claim 1, whereby the step of acquiring meta-data is substantially completed before acquiring another first data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the acquired meta-data is related to information received from a user.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the first data comprises an electro-optical image produced by a component of a digital camera.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the meta-data relates to one or more of identification of the acquired image, parameter settings of the digital camera, an environment in which the image is acquired, and a spatial description of the camera.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

pre-processing the meta-data by hashing the meta-data, encrypting the meta-data, or encrypting the hashed meta-data.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first data and the meta-data are acquired via the data source at approximately the same time.

15. A device for generating steganographic data, comprising:

a first sensor configured to acquire data;

a second sensor configured to contemporaneously acquire meta-data, wherein the meta-data is associated with the acquired data; and

a steganographic engine configured to create a plurality of stenographic data combinations by combining the first data and the contemporaneously acquired meta-data using a plurality of steganographic techniques and a figure-of-merit algorithm for determining an appropriate region of the first data to embed the meta-data for each steganographic technique, wherein the steganographic engine is further configured to use the figure-of-merit algorithm to compare the steganographic data combinations and the originally acquired first data to select a steganographic data combination from the plurality of steganographic data combinations with the least discernible changes from the acquired first data.

16. The device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the steganographic data combinations.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the steganographic data comprises one or more different steganographic data combinations obtained using different combination algorithms.

18. The device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a figure-of-merit tester configured to determine one of the one or more steganographic data combinations that differs the least from the acquired data.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein the second sensor further comprises:

a user interface configured to receive information from a user of the device.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the user interface further comprises:

one or more different kinds of input devices configured to interact with the user interface.

21. The device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a communications interface configured to transmit the steganographic data combinations to a location remote from the device.

22. The device according to claim 15, wherein the second sensor is controlled to complete acquiring the meta-data before the first sensor acquires other data.

23. The device according to claim 15, wherein the meta-data comprises hashed and encrypted meta-data portions.

24. A digital camera for steganographically combining meta-data, comprising:

an image plane configured to acquire an electro-optical image;

a sensor configured to contemporaneously acquire meta-data, said meta-data is associated with the electro-optical image; and

a steganographic engine configured to create a plurality of stenographic data combinations by combining the electro-optical image and the contemporaneously acquired meta-data using a plurality of steganographic techniques and a figure-of-merit algorithm for determining an appropriate region of the first data to embed the meta-data for each steganographic technique wherein the steganographic engine is further configured to use the figure-of-merit algorithm to compare the steganographic data combinations and the originally acquired electro-optical image to select a steganographic data combination from the plurality of steganographic data combinations with the least discernible changes from the acquired electro-optical image.

25. The digital camera according to claim 24, further comprising:

memory configured to store the steganographic data combinations.

26. The digital camera according to claim 24, wherein the steganographic data comprises one or more different steganographic data combinations obtained using different combination algorithms.

27. The digital camera according to claim 26, further comprising:

a figure-of-merit tester configured to determine one of the one or more steganographic data combinations that differs the least from the electro-optical image.

28. The digital camera according to claim 24, further comprising:

a display area configured to display information related to the meta-data.

29. The digital camera according to claim 24, further comprising:

a display area configured to display information related to the steganographic data combinations.

30. The digital camera according to claim 24, wherein the sensor is configured to acquire meta-data related to one or more of camera angle, geographical location, environmental conditions, date and time, image subject identification and image parameter settings.

31. The digital camera according to claim 24, wherein the meta-data comprises hashed and encrypted meta-data portions.