Steganographic encoding

• US 7,760,906 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Brundage, Trent J., Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai; Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US12/177,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20090180665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/240, 380/51, 380/54, 380/210, 380/252, 380/287, 370522-529, 283/72, 283 74- 81, 283/85, 283/93, 283/113, 283/901, 283/902, 713/176, 713/179, 348/461, 348/463, 358/3.28, 358/502, 194/205, 194/206
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14713 decorations in contact with injected material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14737 decorations printed on the insert by a digital imaging technique
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1418 the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14688 Coating articles provided with a decoration
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/24 Reliefs or indentations
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32219 involving changing the position of selected pixels, e.g. word shifting, or involving modulating the size of image components, e.g. of characters H04N1/32224 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32261 in binary data H04N1/32256 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3239 : using a plurality of different authentication information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to steganographic encoding. Once claim recites a method including: obtaining plural-bit auxiliary data; creating an original carrier signal representing the plural-bit auxiliary data; reducing information content of the original carrier signal so that the carrier still conveys the plural-bit auxiliary data, yielding a reduced carrier signal; and hiding the reduced carrier signal in host data. Another claim recites a mechanical part including: a metallic surface including a pattern, the pattern conveying plural-bit auxiliary data in a steganographic manner, and the pattern provides at least diffuse reflection. Of course, other claims and combinations are also provided.

Claims

1. A mechanical part comprising:

a metallic surface including a pattern,

the pattern conveying plural-bit auxiliary data in a steganographic manner, and

the pattern provides at least diffuse reflection.

2. The mechanical part of claim 1, wherein the pattern is provided on the metallic surface with an ink or dye.

3. The mechanical part of claim 2 wherein the metallic surface comprises a first color and the ink or dye comprises a second color, the second color being chosen to help hide or conceal the ink or dye when provided over the first color.

4. The mechanical part of claim 1 wherein the pattern conveying the auxiliary data is provided with digital watermarking.

5. The mechanical part of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary data is redundantly provided on the metallic surface.

6. The mechanical part of claim 4, wherein the digital watermarking comprises a component to help resolve distortion introduced during image capture.

7. The mechanical part of claim 1, wherein the pattern is provided in the metallic surface with small indentations in the surface.

8. The mechanical part of claim 1 in which the pattern comprises a dull finish.

9. An automotive part comprising the mechanical part of claim 1.

10. The mechanical part of claim 1, wherein the diffuse reflection approximates Lambertian reflection.

11. A method comprising:

obtaining plural-bit auxiliary data;

creating an original carrier signal representing the plural-bit auxiliary data;

reducing information content of the original carrier signal so that the carrier still conveys the plural-bit auxiliary data, yielding a reduced carrier signal;

hiding the reduced carrier signal in host data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the act of hiding is accomplished with digital watermarking.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the host data resides on a mechanical part.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the host data comprises audio or video.

15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the method of claim 11.

16. A programmed computing device comprising instructions stored in memory, said instructions cause said programmed computing device to perform the method of claim 11.

17. A mechanical part comprising:

a shiny or metallic surface including a pattern,

the pattern including or representing the auxiliary data in a steganographic manner, the pattern providing diffuse or Lambertian reflection.

18. The mechanical part of claim 17 wherein the pattern is provided with an ink or dye and wherein at least one of a coloration or finish of the ink or dye is selected to hide the ink or dye with respect to at least one of a first coloration or a first finish.

19. The mechanical part of claim 17, wherein the pattern is provided in the shiny or metallic surface through small indentations in the surface.

20. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for storing plural-bit auxiliary data;

one or more electronic processors programmed for;

creating an original carrier signal representing the plural-bit auxiliary data;

reducing information content of the original carrier signal so that the carrier still conveys the plural-bit auxiliary data, yielding a reduced carrier signal;

hiding the reduced carrier signal in host data.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the hiding is accomplished with digital watermarking.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 in which the one or more electronic processors are operating to perform at least one of the functions recited therein.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the host data is to reside on a mechanical part.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the host data comprises audio or video.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which the one or more electronic processors are operating to perform at least one of the functions recited therein.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the one or more electronic processors are operating to perform at least one of the functions recited therein.