Method and system for copyright protection of digital images
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for preventing proprietary digital images from being copied from a video RAM, comprising:
- storing on a computer memory image data that is to be transmitted to a video RAM for display on a video display device, wherein the image data includes at least one portion that is proprietary data and at least one portion that is non-proprietary data;
identifying proprietary data from the stored image data to be displayed;
modifying least significant bits of the image data to distinguish between proprietary data and non-proprietary data; and
transmitting the modified data to the video RAM for display on the video display device;
wherein, if an instruction to copy the image data from the video RAM is received,replacing the portions of the image data that are distinguished as being proprietary data, with substitute data, based upon the least significant bits of the image data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for protecting digital images copied from a video RAM, including the steps of transmitting stored pixel data from a computer memory to a video RAM, identifying protected pixel data within the stored pixel data, modifying the stored pixel data, thereby generating modified pixel data within which individual pixel datum is recognizable as being protected or unprotected, and, in response to pixel data being copied from the video RAM, replacing individual pixel datum copied from the video RAM, that is protected, with substitute pixel datum.
179 Citations
74 Claims
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1. A method for preventing proprietary digital images from being copied from a video RAM, comprising:
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storing on a computer memory image data that is to be transmitted to a video RAM for display on a video display device, wherein the image data includes at least one portion that is proprietary data and at least one portion that is non-proprietary data; identifying proprietary data from the stored image data to be displayed; modifying least significant bits of the image data to distinguish between proprietary data and non-proprietary data; and transmitting the modified data to the video RAM for display on the video display device; wherein, if an instruction to copy the image data from the video RAM is received, replacing the portions of the image data that are distinguished as being proprietary data, with substitute data, based upon the least significant bits of the image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for protecting digital images from being copied from a video RAM, comprising:
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a first data bus through which stored image data is transmitted from a computer memory to a video RAM, the image data including at least one portion that is proprietary data and at least one portion that is non-proprietary data; a second data bus through which image data is copied from the video RAM to a computer memory; a digital filter identifying the proprietary data within the stored image data, and modifying least significant bits of the image data prior to its arrival at the video RAM on the first data bus; and a pixel processor distinguishing between the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are proprietary data and the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are non-proprietary data, based on the least significant bits of the image data, and replacing the portions of the image data that are distinguished as being proprietary data, with substitute data, after an instruction to copy the image data from the video RAM is received. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for protecting digital images from being copied from a video RAM, comprising:
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transmitting stored image data from a computer memory to a video RAM, the image data including at least one portion that is proprietary data and at least one portion that is non-proprietary data; identifying the proprietary data within the stored image data; and modifying least significant bits of the image data prior to its being received by the video RAM, thereby generating modified image data within which the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are proprietary data and the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are non-proprietary data can be distinguished from one another, based on the least significant bits of the image data. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for protecting digital images from being copied from a video RAM, comprising:
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a data bus through which stored image data is transmitted from a computer memory to a video RAM, the image data including at least one portion that is proprietary data and at least one portion that is non-proprietary data; and a digital filter identifying the proprietary data within the stored image data, and modifying least significant bits of the image data prior to its arrival at the video RAM on the data bus, thereby generating modified image data within which the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are proprietary data and the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are non-proprietary data can be distinguished, based on the least significant bits of the image data. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for protecting image data located in a video RAM from being copied, comprising:
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providing image data within a video RAM, the image data including at least one portion that is proprietary data and at least one portion that is non-proprietary data, and the image data being marked such that the portions that are proprietary data and the portions that are non-proprietary data can be distinguished from one another, based on least significant bits of the image data; distinguishing between the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are proprietary data and the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are non-proprietary data, based on the least significant bits of the image data; and replacing the portions of the image data that are distinguished as being proprietary data, with substitute data, after an instruction to copy the image data from the video RAM is received. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A system for protecting image data stored in a video RAM from being copied, comprising:
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a video RAM storing image data, the image data including at least one portion that is proprietary data and at least one portion that is non-proprietary data, and the image data being marked such that the portions that are proprietary data and the portions that are non-proprietary data can be distinguished from one another, based on least significant bits of the image data; a data bus, through which image data is copied from the video RAM to a computer memory; and a pixel processor distinguishing between the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are proprietary data and the portions of the image data in the video RAM that are non-proprietary data, based on the least significant bits of the image data, and replacing the portions of the image data that are distinguished as being proprietary, with substitute data, after an instruction to copy the image data from the video RAM is received. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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49. A method for protecting digital images from being copied from a video RAM, comprising:
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modifying stored image data by adjusting least significant bits of the image data so as to mark at least one portion of the image data as being protected data; thereafter transmitting the modified image data from a computer memory to a video RAM; after an instruction to copy the image data from the video RAM is received, recognizing the portions of the image data that are marked as being protected data, from the least significant bits of the image data; and replacing the recognized portions of the image data that are marked as being protected data, with substitute data. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A system for protecting digital images from being copied from a video RAM, comprising:
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a first pixel processor modifying stored image data by adjusting least significant bits of the image data so as to mark at least one portion of the image data as being protected data; a first data bus through which the modified image data is transmitted from a computer memory to a video RAM; a second data bus, through which the image data is copied from the video RAM to a computer memory; and a second pixel processor recognizing the portions of the image data that are marked as being protected data, from the least significant bits of the image data, and replacing the recognized portions of the image data that are marked as being protected, with substitute data, after an instruction to copy the image data from the video RAM is received. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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Specification