Pre-processed information embedding system

• US 7,644,282 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vobile Incorporated (Vobile Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Inventors: Tehranchi, Babak, Wong, Douglas, Petrovic, Rade, Winograd, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lemma, Samson B
• Application Number:
  US11/173,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20060005029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 382/232
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00137 involving measures which result in a restriction to contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier to authorised users
• 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: H04K 1/02 by adding a second signal to make the desired signal unintelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00864 Modifying the reproduction, e.g. outputting a modified copy of a scanned original details of composing or otherwise geometrically modifying originals H04N1/387
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Methods are provided for embedding auxiliary information in a host content signal which reduce the memory, bandwidth and computational complexity of the embedding and transmission systems. In one embodiment, a first reduced-scale signal is produced which corresponds to the host content embedded with a first logical value and producing a second reduced-scale signal corresponding to the host content embedded with a second logical value. A first set of segments from the first reduced-scale signal may be combined with a second set of segments from the second reduced-scale signal in a pre-defined manner to produce a composite embedded host content. Thus the storage and transmission requirements of the watermarking system are reduced to having to deal with only the original content plus two reduced-scale signals.

Claims

1. A method for embedding auxiliary information symbols in a host content, comprising:

producing a first reduced-scale content corresponding to a plurality of segments of said host content embedded with a first logical value;

producing a second reduced-scale content corresponding to said plurality of segments of said host content embedded with a second logical value; and

selecting a first set of segments from said first reduced-scale content and a second set of segments from said second reduced-scale content in a pre-defined manner to produce a composite watermark, wherein a combination of said composite watermark with said host content produces a composite embedded host content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-defined manner identifies an entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-defined manner identifies a transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said combining occurs at user premises.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said composite embedded host content is transmitted and subsequently received at a display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said host content comprises at least one of audio, video, text, or programming information.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a pre-processor configured to produce a first reduced-scale content corresponding to a plurality of segments of a host content embedded with a first logical value, and a second reduced-scale content corresponding to said plurality of segments of said host content embedded with a second logical value; and

a selector configured to select a first set of segments from said first reduced-scale content and a second set of segments from said second reduced-scale content in a pre-defined manner to produce a composite watermark, wherein a combination of said composite watermark with said host content produces a composite embedded host content.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said pre-defined manner identifies an entity.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said pre-defined manner identifies a transaction.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said combining occurs at user premises.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said composite embedded host content is transmitted and subsequently received at a display device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said host content comprises at least one of audio, video, text, or programming information.