Embedding auxiliary signals with multiple components into media signals

• US 7,113,614 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US10/246,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20030086585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/284, 395/135, 358/124, 358/142, 358/448, 358/450, 358/454, 380/4, 380/23, 380/25, 380/54, 380231-234, 380/287, 283/6, 283/72, 283/73, 283/93, 283/94, 283/113, 283/901, 348/478, 235/494, 713/176, 705/1, 705/44
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 : using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 : for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 : Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• 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 20/00094 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00115 : wherein the record carrier stores a unique medium identifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00181 : using a content identifier, e.g. an international standard recording code [ISRC] or a digital object identifier [DOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 : involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00231 : wherein the key is obtained from a local external medium, e.g. a card
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 : involving a purchase action
• 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: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/665 : using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 : applying security measure for protecting copyright
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 : relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 : Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• 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 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 : the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 : the copy protection signal being a watermark
• 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 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• 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 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A digital watermark system embeds auxiliary signals in multimedia types, including audio, still and moving images, and physical objects. These auxiliary signals, referred to as digital watermarks, include multiple components that can perform differing functions and that are embedded with different levels of redundancy, potentially within different transform domains of the host signal.

Claims

1. A watermark embedded in an electronic or physical media, the watermark carrying a machine readable variable message that is embedded in the media by modifying an electronic media signal to hide the machine readable variable message in the electronic media signal before storing the modified electronic media signal on the media, the watermark comprising two or more components, at least one of the components being encoded more redundantly than another component.

2. The watermark of claim 1 wherein the components are sets of binary numbers in a multibit watermark message, the message being error correction coded such that at least one set of binary numbers is encoded more redundantly than another set.

3. The watermark of claim 1 wherein the components include components in different transform domains.

4. The watermark of claim 3 wherein one of the transform domains is a spatial domain and another is a spatial frequency domain.

5. The watermark of claim 1 wherein one of the components carries a message, and another component acts as orientation signal used to identify a location of the watermark in the media.

6. The watermark of claim 1 wherein one of the components cames a message payload and is used in locating the watermark in the media.

7. The watermark of claim 1 wherein at least one of the components is more redundant in a spatial domain than another component.

8. The watermark of claim 1 wherein at least one of the components is more redundant in a spatial frequency domain than another component.

9. A watermark embedded in an electronic or physical media, the watermark carrying a machine readable variable message that is embedded in the media by modifying an electronic media signal to hide the machine readable variable message in the electronic media signal before storing the modified electronic media signal on the media, the watermark comprising two or more signal components, the signal components being encoded such that each component has a different signal strength.

10. The watermark of claim 9 wherein a gain is applied to each component such that the components have different signal strength.

11. The watermark of claim 9 wherein at least one of the components is encoded more redundantly such that it has greater signal strength than another component.

12. The watermark of claim 9 including at least first and second components, each carrying messages, and the first component carries a shorter message and has a stronger signal strength than the second component.

13. The watermark of claim 12 wherein the first and second components are multibit messages, and one multibit message is encoded more redundantly than the other.

14. The watermark of claim 12 wherein the first and second components are defined in the same transform domain.

15. The watermark of claim 12 wherein the first and second components are defined in different transform domains.

16. A method for embedding a digital watermark in an electronic or physical media, the digital watermark carrying a machine readable variable message that is embedded in the media by modifying an electronic media signal to hide the machine readable variable message in the electronic media signal before storing the modified electronic media signal on the media, the method comprising:

providing two or more components of the digital watermark; and

encoding the two or more components into the media, at least one of the components being encoded more redundantly than another component.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the components are sets of binary numbers in a multibit watermark message, the message being error correction coded such that at least one set of binary numbers is encoded more redundantly than another set.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the components include components in different transform domains.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein one of the transform domains is a spatial domain and another is a spatial frequency domain.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein one of the components carries a message, and another component acts as a registration signal used to identify a location of the watermark in the media.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein one of the components carries a message payload and is used in locating the watermark in the media.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of the components is more redundant in a spatial domain than another component.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of the components is more redundant in a spatial frequency domain than another component.

24. A method of watermark embedding in an electronic or physical media, the watermark carrying a machine readable variable message that is embedded in the media by modifying an electronic media signal to hide the machine readable variable message in the electronic media signal before storing the modified electronic media signal on the media, the method comprising:

providing two or more signal components of the watermark; and

encoding the signal components into the media such that each component has a different signal strength.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein a gain is applied to each component such that the components have different signal strength.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein at least one of the components is encoded more redundantly such that it has greater signal strength than another component.

27. The method of claim 24 including at least first and second components, each carrying messages, and the first component carries a shorter message and has a stronger signal strength than the second component.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the first and second components are multibit messages, and one multibit message is encoded more redundantly than the other.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the first and second components are defined in the same transform domain.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the first and second components are defined in different transform domains.

31. A method for embedding a dinital watermark in an electronic or physical media, the digital watermark carrying machine readable data that is embedded in the media by modifying an electronic media content signal to hide the machine readable datas in the electronic media content signal, and then storing the modified electronic media content signal on the media, the method comprising:

modifying a version of the electronic media content signal to steganographically encode first machine readable data therein; and

modifying a version of the electronic media content signal to steganographically encode second machine readable data therein, said second machine readable data being different than the first machine readable data;

wherein the modified electronic media content signal stored on the media conveys both the first and second machine readable data.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the encoded first machine readable data has a spectral composition different than a spectral composition of the encoded second machine readable data.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the first machine readable data is encoded with a first strength, and the second machine readable data is encoded with a second strength less than the first.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the first machine readable data is redundantly encoded more times in the electronic media content signal than the second machine readable data.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the information content of the second machine readable data is greater than the information content of the first machine readable data.

36. The method of claim 31 that includes:

transforming the electronic media content signal from an original domain into a different domain;

encoding one of said first or second machine readable data while the electronic media content signal is represented in said different domain; and

transforming the electronic media content signal from said different domain back to the original domain.

37. The method of claim 31 that includes steganographically encoding the electronic media content signal with the second machine readable data, and thereafter steganographically encoding the thus-encoded electronic media content signal with the first machine readable data.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein the steganographic encoding of the electronic media content signal with the first machine readable data includes processing in accordance with first noise-like data, and the steganographic encoding of the electronic media content signal with the second machine readable data does not include processing in accordance with said first noise data.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein one of said first or second machine readable data indicates that the electronic media content signal is copyrighted.

40. The method of claim 31 wherein one of said first or second machine readable data serves as subliminal registration data.

41. The method of claim 31 wherein encoding of at least one of said first and second machine readable data is perceptually adapted in accordance with an attribute of the electronic media content signal, to enhance hiding.

42. The method of claim 31 wherein the electronic media content signal represents audio.

43. The method of claim 31 wherein the electronic media content signal represents video.

44. The method of claim 31 wherein the electronic media content signal represents a still image.

45. The method of claim 44 that includes printing a physical media substrate in accordance with said still image electronic media content signal.

46. The method of claim 31 that additionally includes steganographically encoding with third machine readable data different than both the first and second machine readable data.

47. The method of claim 31 wherein the first machine readable data is encoded using a first steganographic encoding algorithm, and the second machine readable data is encoded using a second steganographic encoding algorithm different than the first.

48. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions causing a computer to perform the method of claim 31.