Material distribution apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A video material distribution system for providing video material to be distributed via a network, comprising:
- a material server operably linked to the network including;
a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into video material to be distributed, said introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material,a distribution client processor configured to negotiate the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network, the video material to be distributed being accessible to the server;
a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible visible impairment into said material prior to distribution, the material impairment processor providing the reversible visible impairment of said video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key, the impairment processor producing removal data corresponding to the algorithm; and
at least one client processor operably linked to the network and configured to negotiate the exchange with the distribution client processor to receive the video material to be distributed including both the reversible visible impairment and the introduced data together therein when distributed, and to receive the removal data separately from the said video material, wherein each of said at least one client processor includesan impairment reversing processor operable to reverse said visible impairment of said video material to produce client restored material in accordance with said removal data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A material distribution apparatus, comprising a material server including a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into material to be distributed with the effect that the introduced data is at least difficult to perceive in the material, and a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible impairment into the material. A communications network distributes the impaired material to at least one client processor which includes an impairment reversing processor operable to reverse the impairment of the material to produce client restored material.
31 Citations
52 Claims
-
1. A video material distribution system for providing video material to be distributed via a network, comprising:
-
a material server operably linked to the network including; a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into video material to be distributed, said introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material, a distribution client processor configured to negotiate the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network, the video material to be distributed being accessible to the server; a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible visible impairment into said material prior to distribution, the material impairment processor providing the reversible visible impairment of said video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key, the impairment processor producing removal data corresponding to the algorithm; and at least one client processor operably linked to the network and configured to negotiate the exchange with the distribution client processor to receive the video material to be distributed including both the reversible visible impairment and the introduced data together therein when distributed, and to receive the removal data separately from the said video material, wherein each of said at least one client processor includes an impairment reversing processor operable to reverse said visible impairment of said video material to produce client restored material in accordance with said removal data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 50)
-
-
26. A method of distributing material via a network comprising:
-
introducing data into video material to be distributed with the effect that the introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material, introducing a reversible visible impairment into the video material to be distributed, the video material to be distributed including the introduced data together with the reversible impairment therein when distributed, prior to distribution, the material impairment processor providing the reversible video visible impairment of the video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key; producing removable data corresponding to the algorithm; negotiating the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network, the video material to be distributed being accessible to a server; negotiating the exchange to receive the video material to be distributed and to receive the removable data separately from the video material via at least one client processor; distributing said impaired video material and removal data, separately to at least one client processor, and reversing said impairment of said video material to produce restored video material in accordance with said removal data. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
-
-
29. A system for protecting video material distributed via a network, comprising:
-
a first apparatus including; a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into video material to be distributed, said introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material, a distribution client processor configured to negotiate the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network, the video material to be distributed being accessible to the first apparatus; a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible visible impairment into said material prior to distribution, the material impairment processor providing the reversible visible impairment of said video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key, the impairment processor producing removal data corresponding to the algorithm; and a second apparatus including; at least one client processor operably linked to the network and configured to negotiate the exchange with the distribution client processor to receive the video material to be distributed including both the reversible visible impairment and the introduced data together therein when distributed, and to receive the removal data separately from the said video material, wherein each of said at least one client processor includes an impairment reversing processor operable to reverse said visible impairment of said video material to produce client restored material in accordance with said removal data. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
-
-
32. A system for protecting material distributed via a network, comprising:
-
a first apparatus including; a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into video material to be distributed, said introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material, a distribution client processor configured to negotiate the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network, the video material to be distributed being accessible to the first apparatus; a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible visible impairment into said material prior to distribution, the material impairment processor providing the reversible visible impairment of said video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key, the impairment processor producing removal data corresponding to the algorithm; and a second apparatus including; at least one client processor operably linked to the network and configured to negotiate the exchange with the distribution client processor to receive the video material to be distributed including both the reversible visible impairment and the introduced data together therein when distributed, and to receive the removal data separately from the said video material, wherein each of said at least one client processor includes an impairment reversing processor operable to reverse said visible impairment of said video material to produce client restored material in accordance with said removal data wherein, the first apparatus is a camera-recorder for producing and recording video signals as the said material. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A video material distribution system for providing video material to be distributed via a network, comprising:
-
an apparatus including; a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into video material to be distributed, said introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material, a distribution client processor configured to negotiate the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network, the video material to be distributed being accessible to the apparatus; a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible visible impairment into said material prior to distribution, the material impairment processor providing the reversible visible impairment of said video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key, the impairment processor producing removal data corresponding to the algorithm; and
the reversible impairment providing an at least partially visually impaired previewable version of the video material; andat least one client processor operably linked to the network and configured to negotiate the exchange with the distribution client processor to receive the video material to be distributed including both the reversible visible impairment and the introduced data together therein when distributed, and to receive the removal data separately from the said video material, wherein each of said at least one client processor includes an impairment reversing processor operable to reverse said visible impairment of said video material to produce client restored material in accordance with said removal data. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
-
49. A computer readable storage medium including computer program instructions which cause a computer to implement a method of distributing video material, the method comprising:
-
introducing data into video material to be distributed with the effect that the introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material, introducing a reversible visible impairment into the video material to be distributed, the video material to be distributed including the introduced data together with the reversible impairment therein prior to distribution, the material impairment processor providing the reversible video visible impairment of the video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key; producing removable data corresponding to the algorithm; negotiating the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network, the video material to be distributed being accessible to a server and including both the reversible visible impairment and the introduced data together therein, when distributed; negotiating the exchange to receive the video material to be distributed and to receive the removable data separately from the video material via at least one client processor; distributing said impaired video material and removal data, separately to at least one client processor, and reversing said impairment of said video material to produce restored video material in accordance with said removal data.
-
-
51. A video material distribution server for providing video material to be distributed via an operably linked network, comprising:
-
a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into video material to be distributed, said introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material, a distribution client processor configured to negotiate the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network, the video material to be distributed being accessible to the server; a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible visible impairment into said material prior to distribution, the material including the introduced data together with the reversible visible impairment when distributed, the material impairment processor providing the reversible visible impairment of said video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key, the impairment processor producing removal data corresponding to the algorithm; and wherein, the distribution client processor is configured to negotiate the exchange with a client processor, and to provide the video material to be distributed and the removal data separately from the said video material to the client processor, the removal data being provided in accordance with a second negotiation, the removal data being operable to reverse the visible impairment of said video material to produce client restored material.
-
-
52. A video material distribution server for providing video material to be distributed via an operably linked network, comprising:
-
a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into video material to be distributed, said introduced data is not perceivable upon presentation of the video material, a transaction processor configured to negotiate the exchange of video material to be distributed via the network from a providing client external to the server, the video material to be distributed being accessible to the server from the providing client; a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible visible impairment into said material prior to distribution, the material including the introduced data together with the reversible visible impairment when distributed, the material impairment processor providing the reversible visible impairment of said video material using an impairment algorithm dependent on an encryption key, the impairment processor producing removal data corresponding to the algorithm; and wherein, the transaction processor is configured to negotiate the exchange with a client processor, and to provide the video material to be distributed and the removal data separately from the said video material to the client processor, the removal data being provided in accordance with a purchase negotiation, the removal data being operable to reverse the visible impairment of said video material to produce client restored material.
-
Specification