Method, apparatus, and system for managing, reviewing, comparing and detecting data on a wide area network

• US 7,650,643 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Irdeto USA Incorporated (MultiChoice Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Baytsp.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Mark M., Piccionelli, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier; Benjamin E
• Application Number:
  US11/753,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726/26, 726/27
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a data management system, apparatus and process for uniquely identifying and protecting data. In preferred embodiments, the data management system comprises a data management server, a key generator, a source print generator and a source print detector. In some preferred embodiments, the data management system further comprises a data embedding system. Keys are created by the data management system for application to source files to create a fingerprint for the source file. The fingerprint is compared to unknown files to identify uses of the source file.

Claims

1. A system for managing data, comprising:

a data management server system that receives a source file from a file owner for registration, the source file being received with preselected file information including ownership and file attribute information and having a sequence of source video frames each comprising a pixel matrix of source pixel elements, each of the source pixel elements being associated with a pixel color value;

a key generation system that defines a data key for the source video frames of the source file, said data key having a plurality of key elements each defining a pixel submatrix within the pixel matrix;

a source print generation system that applies said data key to the source file to extract a plurality of source frame submatrices from a selected source video frame, each of said source frame submatrices comprising the source pixel elements in the selected source video frame that correspond with the pixel submatrix of a relevant key element, said source print generation system determining an average source pixel color value for each of said source frame submatrices of the selected source video frame, said average source pixel color value comprising an average value of the pixel color values of the source pixel elements included in a relevant frame submatrix;

a data embedding system that forms a data block that includes the file attribute information, encrypting said data block via an owner encryption key to form an encrypted data block, and embedding said encrypted data block into the source file to form a branded source file for distribution; and

a database system that stores the preselected file information, said average source pixel color values for the selected frame, and said data block in association with the source file,

wherein said owner encryption key permits the file owner to generate a user decryption key to enable an authorized file user to decrypt and view the file attribute information in the branded source file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said key generation system is at least partially incorporated with said data management server system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said source print generation system is at least partially incorporated with said data management server system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said database system is at least partially incorporated with said data management server system.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a search member that receives a target file, the target file having a sequence of target video frames each comprising a pixel matrix of target pixel elements, each of the target pixel elements being associated with a pixel color value; and

a comparison member that applies said data key to the target file to extract a plurality of target frame submatrices from a selected target video frame, each of said target frame submatrices comprising the target pixel elements in the selected target video frame that correspond with the pixel submatrix of a relevant key element;

said comparison member determining an average target pixel color value for each of said target frame submatrices of the selected target video frame, said average target pixel color value comprising an average value of the pixel color values of the target pixel elements included in a relevant frame submatrix; and

said comparison member comparing each of said average target pixel color value of the target file with a corresponding average source pixel color value of the source file to determine a correlation level between the target file and the source file and comparing said correlation level with a predetermined correlation threshold,

wherein said data management server system retrieves the ownership information from said database system to notify the file owner if said correlation level exceeds the predetermined correlation threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said search member searches an external computer system for copies of the source file and downloads a file from the external computer system, the downloaded file potentially comprising a copy of the source file and being downloaded as the target file.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said search member communicates with the external computer system via the Internet.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said search member can simultaneously search a plurality of external computer systems for the copies of the source file.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of said search members that can simultaneously search the plurality of the external computer systems for the copies of the source file.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said comparison member retrieves said average source pixel color values from said database system.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein said comparison member can simultaneously apply said data key to a plurality of target files and determine said average target pixel color value for each of the target files.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of said comparison members that can simultaneously apply said data key to the plurality of the target files and determine said average target pixel color value for each of the target files.