Methods and systems for steganographic processing

• US 7,184,570 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US10/856,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 713/176, 386/94, 386/95, 353/20, 353/28, 353/29, 353/30, 455/2.01, 725/9, 725/14, 725/18, 725/22, 380/201, 380/202, 380/203, 380/210, 380/231, 380/233, 380/236, 380/287, 380/54
• US Class Current: 382/100
• 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 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• 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: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• 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 20/00884 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: 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 1/32144 : 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 1/32208 : 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 1/32229 : with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes 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 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 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/323 : for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

Electronic content data that is copied without authorization can be traced back to its source using steganographically encoded information. Such arrangements are useful, e.g., where electronic content is rendered to an audience—one of whom may be making an illicit recording. In such embodiments, the encoding may be performed as the content is made available to the consumer, e.g., allowing data identifying time and place of rendering to be encoded. The specification details a variety of other steganographic techniques and applications, including conveying different messages using different parts of an image, and conveying record control information with electronic content.

Claims

1. In a method that includes receiving electronic signals representative of content, and rendering the received content for presentation to an audience assembled at a location, an improvement comprising encoding hidden tracing data in the content to permit an illicitly captured version of said rendered content to be traced back to its source, said encoding occurring after the content has been received.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification information comprises information associated with said location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said identification information comprises information related to a time of said rendering.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said encoding occurs as the content is being rendered for presentation to said audience.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said encoding comprises adding a signal to the content.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the signal added to the content is determined, in part, through operation of a look-up table.

7. In a method that includes presenting electronic content to a consumer, an improvement comprising encoding hidden identification data in the content, said identification information allowing a captured version of said content to be identified as to its time of presentation, so as to facilitate tracing of unauthorized copies.

8. In a method that includes presenting electronic content to a consumer, an improvement comprising encoding hidden identification data in the content, said identification information allowing a captured version of said content to be identified as to a location at which it was presented, so as to facilitate tracing of unauthorized copies.

9. In a method that includes:

sensing a physical phenomenon and producing electronic information corresponding thereto; and

recording the electronic information in a storage medium;

an improvement wherein the recorded information includes plural-bit data steganographically encoded therein, said plural bit data conveying information corresponding to a time at which the information was recorded.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the physical phenomenon comprises sound.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said steganographic encoding is present in said sensed physical phenomenon, rather than being effected after said sensing.

12. In a method that includes:

sensing a physical phenomenon at a location, and producing electronic information corresponding thereto; and

recording the electronic information in a storage medium;

an improvement wherein the recorded information includes plural-bit data steganographically encoded therein, said plural bit data conveying information by which said location can be determined.

13. A system including a steganographic encoding apparatus, said apparatus having an input for receiving an electronic content signal, an output for delivering a steganographically encoded version of said electronic content signal, and a processor therebetween, the processor serving to encode the input electronic content signal with an identifier, the identifier associating the encoded content with a particular time, the system further including an apparatus for converting the encoded electronic content signal into human perceptible form, wherein said identifier associates the encoded content with a time at which said content signal is rendered into human perceptible form.

14. A system including a steganographic encoding apparatus, said apparatus having an input for receiving an electronic content signal, an output for delivering a steganographically encoded version of said electronic content signal, and a processor therebetween, the processor serving to encode the input electronic content signal with an identifier, the identifier associating the encoded content with a particular physical location.

15. The system of claim 14 that further includes an apparatus for converting the encoded electronic content signal into human perceptible form, wherein said identifier associates the encoded content with a location at which said content signal is rendered into human perceptible form.

16. A method of tracing content to determine information about a source from which it was obtained and reproduced without authorization, the method comprising:

decoding identification data from a reproduced version of said content; and

by reference to the decoded identification data, determining a time the content was obtained.

17. A method of tracing content to determine information about a source from which it was obtained and reproduced without authorization, the method comprising:

decoding identification data from a reproduced version of said content; and

by reference to the decoded identification data, determining a location from which the content was obtained.

18. A method of tracing electronic content that has been made available via a source and recorded without authorization, comprising:

decoding identification information hidden in the recorded content, said identification information having been encoded at an earlier time, when the content was made available at the source; and

by reference to said decoded identification information, determining information relating to the place or time the content was made available from the source.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising, by reference to said decoded identification information, determining information relating to the place the content was made available from the source.

20. The method of claim 18 comprising, by reference to said decoded identification information, determining information relating to the time the content was made available from the source.