Steganographic systems and methods

• US 7,620,253 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L., Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Miller, Marc D.
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US12/272,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20090074241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/154, 382/168, 382/181, 382/232, 382/243, 382/233, 382/234, 382/235, 382/236, 382/274, 382/276, 382/287, 382/288, 382/289, 382/294, 382/305, 380/252, 280/228, 713/179
• US Class Current: 382/232
• 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: B42D 25/333 Watermarks
• 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 20/341 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 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0035 Output size adaptive watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0057 Compression invariant watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0053 Embedding of the watermark in the coding stream, possibly without decoding; Embedding of the watermark in the compressed domain
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• 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 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• 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: 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 20/00884 : 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: 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 19/20 : using video object coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 : characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• 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 2201/323 : for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to steganographic systems and methods. Once claim recites a method including: obtaining video content, wherein the video content comprises a steganographic signal embedded in picture elements of the video content, with multiple instances of the steganographic signal embedded in the picture elements of the video content, the steganographic signal comprising a plural-bit identifier that is uniquely associated with an intended recipient of the video content; encrypting—utilizing a processor or electronic processing circuitry—the video content with an encryption key that comprises mathematical relationship to the plural-bit identifier that is uniquely associated with the intended recipient of the video content; obtaining a decryption key that comprises a cryptographic relationship to the encryption key; communicating the encrypted video content and the decryption key to the intended user of the video content; and maintaining an association of the plural-bit identifier with the intended recipient. Other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a compressed video object;

decompressing the compressed video object to yield a decompressed video object;

determining—

with a configured multi-purpose electronic processor or configured electronic processing circuitry—

a steganographic signal for the decompressed video object, but instead of embedding a determined steganographic signal in the decompressed video object, compressing the steganographic signal as an object to yield a steganographic object; and

associating the steganographic object and the compressed video object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the associated video object and steganographic object to a rendering device for rendering.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the rendering device is to decompress the video object and decompress the steganographic object, and then embed using a configured multi-purpose electronic processor the decompressed steganographic signal into the decompressed video, the embedding occurring prior to rendering of the video.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the steganographic signal comprises at least one of an orientation component or perceptual model of the video, and wherein the embedding is to use at least one of the orientation component and perceptual model.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the embedding is to use both of the orientation component and perceptual model.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic object is to be detected independently of the video object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic object and the video object each comprise MPEG-4-based objects.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic signal comprises a unique, plural-bit identifier.

9. A computer readable medium storing instructions thereon to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 1.

11. A computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 1.

12. A method comprising:

obtaining video content, wherein the video content comprises a steganographic signal embedded in picture elements of the video content, with multiple instances of the steganographic signal embedded in the picture elements of the video content, the steganographic signal comprising a plural-bit identifier that is uniquely associated with an intended recipient of the video content;

encrypting—

utilizing a configured multi-purpose electronic processor or configured electronic processing circuitry—

the video content with an encryption key that comprises a mathematical relationship to the plural-bit identifier that is uniquely associated with the intended recipient of the video content;

obtaining a decryption key that comprises a cryptographic relationship to the encryption key;

communicating the encrypted video content and the decryption key to the intended user of the video content; and

maintaining an association of the plural-bit identifier with the intended recipient.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the video content comprise multiple, different steganographic signals embedded in the picture elements of the video content.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the video content comprises audio and video portions.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the steganographic signal is redundantly embedded throughout the video content.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the steganographic signal is embedded in picture elements of the video content through alterations to data representing at least some of the picture elements of the video content.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the data represent a transform domain representation of the picture elements.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the encrypted video content and the decryption key are separately provided to the intended user of the video content.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the video content comprises a rough-cut.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the video content comprises a non-final version.

21. A computer readable medium storing instructions thereon to perform the method of claim 12.

22. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 12.

23. A computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 12.

24. An apparatus comprising:

an input to receive a compressed video object;

a module including a programmed multi-purpose electronic processor or configured electronic circuitry for decompressing the compressed video object to yield a decompressed video object;

a controller including a programmed multi-purpose electronic processor or configured electronic circuitry for determining a steganographic signal for the decompressed video object, but instead of embedding a determined steganographic signal in the decompressed video object, the controller controls;

i) compression of the steganographic signal as an object to yield a steganographic object, and ii) association of the steganographic object and the compressed video object.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which the controller is executing to perform the compression function or the association function recited therein.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 in which the module is executing to decompress the compressed video object to yield a decompressed video object.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 in which the controller is executing to determine a steganographic signal for the decompressed video object.