Watermark detection utilizing regions with higher probability of success
First Claim
1. A method of detecting a digital watermark in an image or video comprising:
- providing at least one probability factor to select a plurality of detection blocks in a watermarked image or video, wherein the probability factor represents or describes a characteristic of the image or video; and
analyzing selected detection blocks to locate watermark data.
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Abstract
The present invention detects the presence of a digital watermark in an image by selecting regions within the image having a high probability of containing the watermark. The image is examined to determine which regions of the image have characteristics indicating that there is a high probability that a watermark signal can be detected in that region of the image. The regions that have a high probability that a watermark can be detected (in contrast to all regions of the image) are examined to find watermark data. Probability factors used to select detection regions include: requiring a minimum variance separation between detection blocks; requiring a minimum distance between overlapping blocks; segmenting the detection blocks into a first and second subset based on separate criteria; establishing a keep away zone to prevent selection of a detection block near an image'"'"'s border; and selecting a detection block only after its neighbors met sufficient threshold requirements. These probability factors can be used separately or in conjunction to determine those regions of an image that have characteristics indicating a high probability that a watermark signal can be detected therein.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of detecting a digital watermark in an image or video comprising:
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providing at least one probability factor to select a plurality of detection blocks in a watermarked image or video, wherein the probability factor represents or describes a characteristic of the image or video; and analyzing selected detection blocks to locate watermark data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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14. A method of detecting a digital watermark in an image or video comprising:
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providing at least one probability factor to select a plurality of detection blocks in a watermarked image or video; and analyzing the selected detection blocks to locate watermark data, wherein the at least one probability factor comprises a keep away zone near a border of the image. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method of detecting a digital watermark in an image or video comprising:
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providing at least one probability factor to select a plurality of detection blocks in a watermarked image or video; and analyzing the selected detection blocks to locate watermark data, wherein the at least one probability factor comprises a probability of watermark detection based on a variance distribution. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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28. A method of detecting a digital watermark in imagery or video comprising:
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providing at least one probability factor to select a plurality of detection blocks in watermarked imagery or video; and analyzing the selected detection blocks to locate watermark data, wherein the at least one probability factor is determined adaptively based on at least one of processor speed, available memory and processing time requirements. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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40. A method to select at least one region for detection of a watermark signal comprising:
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determining variance for each region in an image neighborhood; comparing the variance of each neighborhood region to a first threshold; and selecting a central region in the neighborhood when the variance of at least some of the neighborhood regions is greater than the first threshold. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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42. A method of using probability factors to select detection blocks in an image, the detection block to be analyzed to detect a digital watermark embedded in the image, said method comprising:
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requiring a minimum distance between any two selected detection blocks; requiring a minimum variance separation between at least two of the selected detection blocks; requiring a minimum border distance between at least one selected detection block and an image border; and before selecting a detection block, requiring at least some of the detection block'"'"'s neighboring blocks meet at least a minimum threshold variance requirement.
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Specification