Method and device for incorporating additional information into main information through electronic watermarking technique

• US 7,545,936 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2001
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Taruguchi, Hideaki, Terada, Kosei
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise; Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLAHAN, PAUL E
• Application Number:
  US09/912,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20010046298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,876 Days
• Field of Search: 380/203, 380/232, 380/239, 380/200, 380/205, 705/57, 713/176, 726/27, 726/28, 726/32
• US Class Current: 380/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/026 File encryption of specific electrophonic music instrument file or stream formats, e.g. MIDI, note oriented formats, sound banks, wavetables
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/041 File watermark, i.e. embedding a hidden code in an electrophonic musical instrument file or stream for identification or authentification purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• 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 20/00891 embedded in audio data

Abstract

Two data units are selected from main information, such as MIDI data, into which additional information is to be incorporated, to calculate a difference between respective values of the two data units. A particular data segment to be incorporated into one of the MIDI data units is selected from a group of data of additional information. The size of the data segment to be incorporated into one of the data units may be either one bit or two or more bits. Substitute data to replace the content of one MIDI data unit is generated on the basis of a predetermined function using, as variables, the data-related value and a value of the particular data segment, and the content of the data unit corresponding to a predetermined one of the two MIDI data units is replaced by the generated substitute data. Thus, through such an electronic watermarking technique, any desired additional information can be incorporated into the MIDI data without changing the MIDI data format. In another implementation, data of encoding information, representative of an encoding procedure, are incorporated dispersedly into particular data units belonging to a predetermined first data group of the main information, and data belonging to a predetermined second data group of the main information are encoded by the encoding procedure represented by the encoding information.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting information comprising a processor that executes the steps of:

inputting first information comprising a plurality of event data each including two or more parameters;

inputting second information;

extracting from said first information particular event data including a tone pitch parameter indicative of a tone pitch and extracts a portion of said second information;

creating a new tone pitch parameter using the extracted portion of said second information and the tone pitch parameter of the particular event data and then replacing an original tone pitch parameter of the particular event data with the new tone pitch parameter, to thereby not only incorporate said second information dispersedly into said first information but also encrypt said first information; and

transmitting to a communication network the encrypted first information having said second information dispersedly incorporated therein.

2. A system for decoding and reproducing encrypted electronic information, said system comprising a processor that executes the steps of:

inputting encrypted electronic information to be decoded and reproduced, the encrypted electronic information being information obtained by encrypting in accordance with a predetermined encrypting algorithm first information comprising a plurality of event data each including two or more parameters, wherein a second information is not only incorporated dispersedly in said first information but also encrypts it, by contents of a tone pitch parameter in a particular one of the event data included in said first information being changed in accordance with the predetermined encrypting algorithm and using said second information;

extracting from the inputted encrypted electronic information the particular event data in said first information; and

decoding an original tone pitch parameter, from the changed tone pitch parameter in the extracted particular event data, in accordance with the predetermined encrypting algorithm and thereby extracting said second information, whereby said first information and said second information is are reproduced separately.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 which further comprises a section that displays said second information reproduced by said decoder section.

4. A machine-readable recording medium containing a program executable by a computer for transmitting information, said program comprising:

a first step of inputting first information comprising a plurality of event data each including two or more parameters;

a second step of inputting second information;

a third step of extracting, from said first information, particular event data including a tone pitch parameter indicative of a tone pitch and extracts a portion of said information;

a fourth step of creating a new tone pitch parameter using the extracted portion of said second information and the tone pitch parameter of the particular event data and then replacing an original tone pitch parameter of the particular event data with the new tone pitch parameter, to thereby not only incorporated said second information dispersedly into said first information but also encrypt said first information; and

a fifth step of transmitting to a communication network the encrypted first information having said second information dispersedly incorporated therein.

5. A machine-readable recording medium containing a program executable by a computer for decoding and reproducing encrypted electronic information, said program comprising the steps of:

inputting encrypted electronic information to be decoded and reproduced, the encrypted electronic information being information obtained by encrypting, in accordance with a predetermined encrypting algorithm, first information comprising a plurality of event data each including two or more parameters, wherein a second information is not only incorporated dispersedly in said first information but also encrypts it, by contents of a tone pitch parameter in a particular one of the event data included in said first information being changed in accordance with the predetermined encrypting algorithm and using said second information;

extracting, from the inputted encrypted electronic information, the particular event data in said first information; and

decoding an original tone pitch parameter, from the changed tone pitch parameter in the extracted particular event data, in accordance with the predetermined encrypting algorithm and thereby extracts said second information, whereby said first information and said second information is reproduced separately.