Recoverable digital content degradation: method and apparatus

• US 7,876,899 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dada; Beemnet W
• Application Number:
  US11/096,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,127 Days
• Field of Search: 380/201, 380/210, 380/268, 380/227, 380/228, 713/176, 713/180, 713/181
• US Class Current: 380/228
• 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: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64715 Protecting content from unauthorized alteration within the network verifying the information received for network security in communication control or processing H04L63/12; integrity in wireless network security H04W12/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to processing media signals such as audio and video. One claim recites a method comprising: obtaining a media signal, wherein the media signal comprises a plurality of samples; identifying characteristics of the media signal, said act of identifying utilizes a programmed electronic processor; utilizing a programmed electronic processor to change some of the plurality of samples at or near the characteristics to degrade the media signal, wherein the changing results in human perceptible degradation, but wherein the degradation is removable according to a process which uses at least some different characteristics of the media signal than were identified by said act of identifying; and communicating the degraded media signal. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

utilizing a configured electronic processor for embedding degradation data in a media signal at a sending side, the degradation data having a signal level that is perceptible to a human observer of the media signal when rendered, in which the media signal remains perceptibly discernable to the human observer despite embedded degradation data, wherein the degradation data is removable from the embedded media signal using a specific key at rendering, the specific key providing self-synchronization allowing for removal of degradation data even when a portion of the media signal is accessed randomly;

providing the specific key; and

communicating the embedded media signal.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein the media signal comprises at least one of audio or video.

3. A method comprising:

receiving the embedded media signal of claim 1;

receiving the specific key;

by using at least the specific key, and utilizing a configured electronic processor, removing the embedded degradation data to reduce the perceptibility of the degradation data.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a communications port to receive a media signal embedded according to claim 1; and

electronic processing circuitry which, by using at least the specific key, restores the content to its original form to reduce the perceptibility of the degradation data.

19. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 1.

20. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 1.

5. A method comprising:

obtaining a media signal;

degrading the media signal, wherein the degradation is carried out with reference to at least a key, the key corresponds to detection criteria in the media signal, and the degrading results in human perceptible degradation;

utilizing a programmed electronic processor configured as an embedder to embed the key in the degraded media signal; and

distributing the embedded, degraded media signal, wherein at least some of the degradation is removable from the degraded media signal with the key, in which said act of degrading uses different detection criteria relative to a process that removes the at least some of the degradation.

6. A method of claim 5 wherein the media signal comprises at least one of audio or video.

7. A method comprising:

receiving the embedded, degraded media signal of claim 5;

decoding the embedded, degraded media signal to obtain the key;

by using at least the key, restoring the content to its original form to reduce the human perceptibility of the degradation.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a communications port to receive the embedded, degraded media signal of claim 5;

a decoder to decode the embedded, degraded media signal to obtain the key; and

electronic processing circuitry which, using at least the key, removes the degradation to reduce the perceptibility of the degradation.

21. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 5.

22. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 5.

27. The method of claim 5 in which the act of degrading renders the degraded media signal suitable as a preview of the media signal.

28. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 27.

29. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 27.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining a media signal, wherein the media signal comprises a plurality of samples;

identifying characteristics of the media signal, said act of identifying utilizes a programmed electronic processor;

utilizing a programmed electronic processor to change some of the plurality of samples at or near the characteristics to degrade the media signal, wherein the changing results in human perceptible degradation, but wherein the degradation is removable according to a process which uses at least some different characteristics of the media signal than were identified by said act of identifying; and

communicating the degraded media signal.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising utilizing an electronic processor configured as an embedder to embed a restoring key in the degraded media signal.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising communicating a restoring key to a purchaser of the media signal.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the media signal comprises at least one of audio or video.

13. A method comprising:

receiving the degraded media signal of claim 10;

obtaining the restoring key;

by using at least the restoring key, restoring the content to its original form to reduce the human perceptibility of the degradation.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a communications port to receive the embedded, degraded media signal of claim 11;

electronic processing circuitry which, using at least the restoring key, removes the degradation to reduce the perceptibility of the degradation.

23. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 9.

24. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 9.

30. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 10.

31. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 10.

15. A method comprising:

degrading a media signal at a sending side by utilizing a programmed electronic processor or configured electronic processing circuitry, the degradation resulting in a signal level that is perceptible to a human observer of the media signal when rendered, in which the media signal remains perceptibly discernable to the human observer despite embedded degradation data, and in which the degradation is removable from the media signal using a specific key at rendering, the specific key providing self-synchronization allowing for removal of the degradation even when a portion of the media signal is accessed randomly;

providing the specific key; and

communicating the degraded media signal.

16. A method of claim 15 wherein the media signal comprises at least one of audio or video.

17. A method comprising:

receiving the degraded media signal of claim 15;

receiving the specific key;

by using at least the specific key, and by utilizing a programmed electronic processor, restoring the degraded media signal to its original form to reduce the human perceptibility of the degradation.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a communications port to receive a media signal degraded according to claim 15; and

electronic processing circuitry which, by using at least the specific key, restores the content to its original form to reduce the perceptibility of the degradation.

25. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 15.

26. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 15.