Method and system for enhanced modulation of video signals

• US 7,692,723 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advocado, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koplar Interactive Systems International, LLC
• Inventors: Chupp, Christopher E., Barsoum, Yousri H., Gramelspacher, Michael S., Withers, James G., Reynolds, Michael C., Chounard, Jesse J. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael; Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US11/848,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20080056351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/473
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/85 using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/007 Systems with supplementary picture signal insertion during a portion of the active part of a television signal, e.g. during top and bottom lines in a HDTV letter-box system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/025 Systems for the transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame transmission of digital non-picture data during the vertical blanking interval only H04N7/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/081 the additional information signals being transmitted by means of a subcarrier

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for signal modulation. A plurality of pixels are selected in a pattern such that a first pixel group of the plurality of pixels is unpaired with a second pixel group of the plurality of pixels throughout the pattern in a portion of a video signal. The intensity of the plurality of the pixels is altered at a constant magnitude in the portion of the video signal pursuant to the pattern in a substantially invisible way.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing an encoding pattern for a frame of a video signal, the encoding pattern designating a grouping of pixels of the frame for alteration;

evaluating a pixel value of each pixel of the grouping of pixels according to a plurality of pixel alteration evaluation techniques to determine an adjustment value; and

altering the pixel value of the grouping of pixels in accordance with the adjustment value to modulate data in the video signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating of the pixel value comprises:

retaining an evaluation value of each pixel of the grouping of pixels into a signal matrix for a plurality of signal matrices, the signal matrix including the evaluation value of each pixel of the grouping of pixels for a particular pixel alteration evaluation technique of the plurality of pixel alternation evaluation techniques; and

selecting the adjustment value of each pixel of the grouping of pixels from the evaluation value in a corresponding position among the plurality of signal matrices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the altering of the pixel value comprises:

altering the pixel value of a plurality of selected pixels of the grouping of pixels of the encoding pattern in accordance with the adjustment value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the altering of the pixel value comprises:

altering the pixel value of the grouping of pixels in accordance with a portion of a magnitude of the adjustment value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the portion of the magnitude includes a random portion, a pseudo-random portion, or an entire portion of the magnitude.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding pattern includes designation of a first portion of a plurality of scan lines of the frame as up lines and a second portion of the plurality of scan lines of the frame as down lines.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the altering of the pixel value comprises:

selectively increasing the adjustment value of a plurality of pixels of the up lines and decreasing the adjustment value of the plurality of pixels of the down lines by the adjustment value.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of scan lines of the frame are not paired throughout a field of the frame.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of scan lines of the frame are in an irregular configuration.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouping of pixels are accessed on a single field of the frame.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel value is the intensity of a particular pixel of the grouping of pixels.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of evaluation techniques includes at least one signal hiding technique.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes single bit data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the altering of the pixel value modulates the data in an active portion of the video signal.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the video signal has subliminal visual changes after modulation of the data by the altering of the pixel value of the grouping of pixels.

16. An encoding system comprising:

a signal source; and

an encoder configured to;

access an encoding pattern for a frame of a video signal, the encoding pattern designating a grouping of pixels of the frame for alteration;

evaluate a pixel value of each pixel of the grouping of pixels according to a plurality of pixel alteration evaluation techniques to determine an adjustment value; and

alter the pixel value of the grouping of pixels in accordance with the adjustment value to modulate data in the video signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the encoding pattern includes designation of a direction of encoding of each pixel of the grouping of pixels.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the encoding pattern includes designation of a first portion of a plurality of scan lines of the frame as up lines and a second portion of the plurality of scan lines of the frame as down lines.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the grouping of pixels are accessed on a single field of the frame.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the pixel value is the intensity of a pixel of the grouping of pixels.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for accessing an encoding pattern for a frame of a video signal, the encoding pattern designating a grouping of pixels of the frame for alteration;

means for evaluating a pixel value of each pixel of the grouping of pixels according to a plurality of pixel alteration evaluation techniques to determine an adjustment value; and

means for altering the pixel value of the grouping of pixels in accordance with the adjustment value to modulate data in the video signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the encoding pattern includes designation of a first portion of a plurality of scan lines of the frame as up lines and a second portion of the plurality of scan lines of the frame as down lines.