Pre-processed information embedding system

• US 7,664,332 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Original Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Douglas, Lee, Chong U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Anh Hong
• Application Number:
  US11/124,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20050196051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 382/240, 382/302, 382/100, 382/232, 375/240.23, 375/E7.001, 375/E7.243, 707/1, 707/203, 707/201, 717/122, 717/103, 348/594, 714/751, 714/752, 714/726, 714/727, 340/5.86, 725/34, 386/E5.004, 386/94, 358/409, 713/176, 438/698, 257/E21.626, 257/E21.624, 345/581, 345/619, 703/24, 370/389, 370/469
• US Class Current: 382/240
• 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: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress

Abstract

Auxiliary information (150) representing binary or multi-level (M≧2) logical values is embedded into successive segments (110) of an audio, video or other data signal in response to a user request to download the data signal via an on-line distributor (350) on a computer network such as the Internet. To avoid unnecessary delays in providing the data signal to the user, the data signal is pre-processed to provide two sets or copies of data (230, 235). One set (230) of the data contains segments with an embedded binary “0”, while the other set (235) contains corresponding segments with an embedded binary “1”. Successive segments are selected from one of the two sets to provide a time-multiplexed composite data signal (230) that has the desired content, but with an embedded binary data sequence that identifies the user.

Claims

1. A method for embedding pre-processed auxiliary information in a host content, comprising:

embedding at least a portion of a first copy of said host content at a pre-processing module with a first logical value to produce a first embedded host content;

embedding at least a portion of a second copy of said host content at said pre-processing module with a second logical value to produce a second embedded host content;

combining a first set of segments from said first embedded host content with a second set of segments from said second embedded host content in a pre-defined manner to produce a composite embedded host content; and

delivering said composite embedded host content to at least one of a content handling device or a computer readable storage medium.

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 first or second set of segments have equal extent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first or second set of segments have unequal extent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said embeddings of said first or second logical values are carried out at a variable rate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said embeddings of said first or second logical values are carried out using different techniques.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said combining of said segments is carried out in a pseudo-random order.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said combining of said segments is carried out in accordance with a cryptographic technique.

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

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said composite host content is in analog format.

12. A method for producing a marked content, comprising:

receiving two or more different versions of an original content, wherein corresponding portions of said different versions are perceptually similar to each other;

receiving a control signal identifying information to be embedded into said original content;

combining selected portions from said different versions of said original content at a multiplexer in accordance with said control signal to produce a marked content containing said information, wherein at least certain portions of said different versions of said original content comprise information which represents logical values; and

delivering said marked content to at least one of a content handling device or a computer readable storage medium.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said different versions of said original content are generated at a pre-processing step.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said information representing said logical values is embedded in said different versions using different watermarking algorithms.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least certain portions of said different versions of said original content do not contain information representing logical values.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein at least certain portions of said different versions of said original content are encrypted.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein:

different watermarking technologies are used to produce said different versions of said original content; and

said combining produces a marked content in accordance with one or more of said watermarking technologies.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said original content comprises at least one of audio, video, image, text or data services information.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said marked content contains two or more sets of embedded information.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said two or more different versions of said original content comprise a full version of said original content and a partial version of said original content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

said full version of said original content comprises information representing a first logical value; and

said partial version of said original content comprises information representing a second logical value.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein said two or more different versions of said original content comprise a full version of said original content and two or more partial versions of said original content.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said full version of said original content comprises said original content itself; and

said two or more partial versions of said original content each comprises information representing a respective logical value.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein said combining comprises replacing portions of a first version of said original content with corresponding portions from a second version of said original content.

25. The method of claim 12, wherein said different versions of said original content are produced by pre-processing portions of said original content in at least one of time, frequency or space domains.

26. The method of claim 12, wherein said control signal comprises at least one of binary information symbols, timing information signals, or decryption keys.