Data embedding apparatus and printed material

• US 7,840,027 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Noda, Tsugio, Moroo, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): BHATNAGAR, ANAND P
• Application Number:
  US11/319,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20070003104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382236-242, 380/210, 380/252, 380/287, 380/54, 713/176, 704/200.1, 704/273, 381/73.1, 348/460
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0061 Embedding of the watermark in each block of the image, e.g. segmented watermarking
• 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 1/32309 in colour image data

Abstract

An apparatus embeds data into an area of image data. The apparatus determines whether colors of the area are specific colors, modifies image data of the area based on a determination result, and embeds the data into the area.

Claims

1. An apparatus for embedding data into an area of image data, comprising:

a determining unit that determines whether colors of the area are specific colors; and

an embedding unit that

modifies image data of the area based on a determination result of the determining unit,

does not embed the data into the area if the determining unit determines colors of the area are the specific colors, and

embeds the data into the area if the determining unit determines colors of the area are not the specific colors, wherein the specific colors are achromatic colors.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific colors include three primary colors, and pixel values of each of the three primary colors are equal to or more than a threshold.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the threshold is 200.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the embedding unit sets the amount of modification based on grayscale values in the area.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the embedding unit detects the degree of change of the feature based on a difference between grayscale values of pixels in the area.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the embedding unit increases the amount of modification according to an increase in the difference.

7. A printed material comprising an image that includes data that is embedded by using the apparatus according to claim 1.

8. A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program that causes a computer to embed data into an area of image data, wherein the program causes the computer to execute:

determining whether colors of the area are specific colors;

modifying image data of the area based on a determination result at the determining; and

embedding the data into the area only if the determining determines colors of the area are not the specific colors, wherein the specific colors are achromatic colors.

9. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 8, wherein the specific colors include three primary colors, and pixel values of each of the three primary colors are equal to or more than a threshold.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the threshold is 200.