Method and device for incorporating additional information into main information through electronic watermarking technique

• US 7,849,319 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Taruguchi, Hideaki, Terada, Kosei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyzocha; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields; Courtney D
• Application Number:
  US12/273,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20090092244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 713/168, 713/193, 382/190, 382/191, 358/3.28
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/026 File encryption of specific electrophonic music instrument file or stream formats, e.g. MIDI, note oriented formats, sound banks, wavetables
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/041 File watermark, i.e. embedding a hidden code in an electrophonic musical instrument file or stream for identification or authentification purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 embedded in audio data

Abstract

Two data units are selected from main information, such as MIDI data, into which additional information is to be incorporated, to calculate a difference between respective values of the two data units. A particular data segment to be incorporated into one of the MIDI data units is selected from a group of data of additional information. The size of the data segment to be incorporated into one of the data units may be either one bit or two or more bits. Substitute data to replace the content of one MIDI data unit is generated on the basis of a predetermined function using, as variables, the data-related value and a value of the particular data segment, and the content of the data unit corresponding to a predetermined one of the two MIDI data units is replaced by the generated substitute data. Thus, through such an electronic watermarking technique, any desired additional information can be incorporated into the MIDI data without changing the MIDI data format. In another implementation, data of encoding information, representative of an encoding procedure, are incorporated dispersedly into particular data units belonging to a predetermined first data group of the main information, and data belonging to a predetermined second data group of the main information are encoded by the encoding procedure represented by the encoding information.

Claims

1. An electronic information processing device for encrypting main information, data of said main information including a group of data units, said main information comprising a plurality of MIDI events, said electronic information processing device comprising a hardware encoder comprising:

a first section that incorporates data of encrypting information, representative of an encrypting procedure, dispersedly into particular ones of the data units belonging to a predetermined first data group of said main information, said encrypting information being scramble decoding data representative of one of a plurality of types of algorithms to be used for the encrypting procedure, the scramble decoding data comprising data of a plurality of bits, wherein said first section,

generates, for each of the bits of the scramble decoding data, a first bit flag in accordance with a logical value of the bit,

generates a second bit flag of a plurality of bits on the basis of logical values of the data units belonging to the predetermined first data group, and

rewrites values of the MIDI events in the data units belonging to the predetermined first data group using the first and second bit flags; and

a second section that executes the encrypting procedure on the data belonging to a predetermined second data group, different from the first group, of said main information using the algorithm of the type represented by the scramble decoding data.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first section further incorporates predetermined additional information, other than said encrypting information, into said first data group of said main information.

4. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first data group of said main information is classified into at least two characteristic groups according to data characteristics thereof, and said encrypting information is incorporated redundantly into said at least two characteristic groups.

5. The device as recited in claim 4 wherein said first section incorporates said encrypting information into each of the characteristic groups in accordance with an algorithm unique to said characteristic group.

7. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said main information to be encrypted is provided in a form of a real-time data stream, and

wherein said first section incorporates the data of encrypting information, in real time, into said main information of the real-time data stream, and said second section executes the encrypting procedure, in real time, on said main information of the real-time data stream, and

wherein said device further comprises a transmission section that transmits to a communication network said encrypting information incorporated therein and having been encrypted by said second section, in a form of the real-time data stream.

8. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein said main information is incorporated with additional information, and

wherein said main information is music performance information and said additional information contains data representative of any one of a text message, still picture, moving picture and sound message.

12. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said main information is music performance information, and

wherein said device method further comprises a transmission section that transmits the music performance information after the execution of said encrypting procedure by said second section,

whereby at a receiving end, only portions, other than a particular portion corresponding to said data belonging to the predetermined second data group, of the music performance information can be reproduced by every person while the particular portion of the music performance information having undergone the encrypting can be reproduced only by an authorized person.

3. A device for decoding and reproducing encrypted main information, said main information comprising a plurality of MIDI events, data of encrypting information being incorporated dispersedly into particular data units belonging to a predetermined first data group of said main information, said encrypting information being scramble decoding data representative of one of a plurality of types of algorithms to be used for an encrypting procedure, the scramble decoding data comprising data of a plurality of bits, data belonging to a predetermined second data group, different from the first data group, of said main information being encrypted by an encrypting procedure using the algorithm of the type represented by the scramble decoding data, said device comprising a hardware decoder comprising:

a first section that reproduces said scramble decoding data, from said first data group of said main information having said scramble decoding data incorporated therein, wherein said first section reproduces, for each of a particular plurality of MIDI events in the first data group, a logical value of each of the bits of the scramble decoding data on the basis of a value thereof; and

a second section that decodes the data belonging to said second data group different from said first data group, using the algorithm of the type represented by the scramble decoding data, to thereby reproduce said main information.

6. The device as recited in claim 3 wherein said first data group of said main information is classified into at least two characteristic groups according to data characteristics thereof, and said encrypting information is incorporated redundantly into said at least two characteristic groups.

9. The device as recited in claim 3 wherein said main information to be decoded is transmitted via a communication network, in a form of a real-time data stream, and

wherein said device further comprises a reception section that receives said main information of the real-time data stream transmitted via the communication network, and

wherein said first section reproduces said encrypting information, from said first data group of said main information of the real-time data stream received via the communication network;

and

wherein said second section decodes, on the basis of said encrypting information reproduced by said first section, the data belonging to said second data group of said main information of the real-time data stream received via the communication network to thereby decode said main information.

10. The device as recited in claim 9 wherein said main information is incorporated with additional information, and

wherein said device further comprises a third section that detects said additional information from the main information and a fourth section that displays said additional information detected by said third section.

11. The device as recited in claim 9 wherein said main information is incorporated with additional information, and

wherein said main information is music performance information and said additional information contains data representative of any one of a text message, still picture, moving picture and sound message.