Embedding hidden auxiliary information in media

• US 7,974,439 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US12/560,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20100008537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 380/287, 380/54, 713/176, 348/461
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0057 Compression invariant watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0081 whereby both original and watermarked images are required at decoder, e.g. destination-based, non-blind, non-oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• 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 20/00094 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00115 : wherein the record carrier stores a unique medium identifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00181 : using a content identifier, e.g. an international standard recording code [ISRC] or a digital object identifier [DOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 : involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 : involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/665 : using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 : relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 : Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00838 : Preventing unauthorised reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 : based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• 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 1/32149 : Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• 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 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 : the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 : the copy protection signal being a watermark
• 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 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for steganographically embedding information in media signals (e.g., audio and video) are provided. One claim recites a method of enabling tracing of a media signal to a distribution point of the media signal, including: providing time and place information associated with the distribution point, the distribution point includes at least speakers to render the media signal to an assembled audience; utilizing a programmed electronic processor, embedding the time and place information in the media signal, such that the time and place information is imperceptibly distributed in the media signal, said embedding alters data representing audible portions of the media signal or alters data representing video picture elements of the media signal to convey the time and place information in the media signal; and at least the place information is recoverable from plural different portions of the media signal. Of course, other claims, combinations and features are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a code that indexes distribution information, wherein the distribution information identifies a distribution place and time for an item of media content;

utilizing a processor of a computing device, embedding the code in the item of media content such that the code is imperceptibly distributed in the item of media content, wherein the embedding alters data representing audible portions of the item of media content or alters data representing video picture elements of the item of media content; and

wherein the generating includes generating different codes for different copies of the item of media content such that the generated code includes a version identification of a copy of the item of media content and indexes distinct distribution information that is specific to the copy of the item of media content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the code comprises multiple portions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein only a first portion out of the multiple portions is for indexing the distribution information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution place utilizes speakers for rendering the media content to an audience.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-readable comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to generate a code that indexes distribution information, wherein the distribution information identifies a distribution place and time for an item of media content;

instructions to embed the code in the item of media content such that the code is imperceptibly distributed in the item of media content, wherein the embedding alters data representing audible portions of the item of media content or alters data representing video picture elements of the item of media content; and

wherein the instructions to generate include instructions to generate different codes for different copies of the item of media content such that the generated code includes a version identification of a copy of the item of media content and indexes distinct distribution information that is specific to the copy of the item of media content.

6. A device comprising:

a memory configured to store a code that indexes distribution information, wherein the distribution information identifies a distribution place and time for an item of media content; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to;

generate different codes for different copies of the item of media content such that the stored code includes a version identification of a copy of the item of media content and indexes distinct distribution information that is specific to the copy of the item of media content; and

embed the code in the item of media content such that the code is imperceptibly distributed in the item of media content, wherein the embedding alters data representing audible portions of the item of media content or alters data representing video picture elements of the item of media content.

7. A method comprising:

generating time and place information that identifies a distribution point of a media signal, wherein the distribution point includes at least speakers to render the media signal to an assembled audience; and

utilizing a processor of a computing device, embedding the time and place information in the media signal such that the time and place information is

imperceptibly distributed in the media signal, wherein the embedding alters data representing audible portions of the media signal or alters data representing video picture elements of the media signal, and wherein at least the place information is recoverable from plural different portions of the media signal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the time information changes over the embedded media signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the embedding is carried out in real-time.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to generate time and place information that identifies a distribution point of a media signal, wherein the distribution point includes at least speakers to render the media signal to an assembled audience; and

instructions to embed the time and place information in the media signal such that the time and place information is imperceptibly distributed in the media signal, wherein the embedding alters data representing audible portions of the media signal or alters data representing video picture elements of the media signal, and wherein at least the place information is recoverable from plural different portions of the media signal.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the time information changes over the embedded media signal.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the embedding is carried out in real time.

15. The device of claim 9 10, wherein the embedding is carried out in real time.

13. A device comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate time and place information that identifies a distribution point of a media signal, wherein the distribution point includes at least speakers to render the media signal to an assembled audience; and

embed the time and place information in the media signal such that the time and place information is imperceptibly distributed in the media signal, wherein the embedding alters data representing audible portions of the media signal or alters data representing video picture elements of the media signal, and wherein at least the place information is recoverable from plural different portions of the media signal.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the time information changes over the embedded media signal.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to buffer time and place information that identifies a distribution point for a media signal, wherein the distribution point includes at least speakers to render the media signal to an assembled audience; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to embed the time and place information in the media signal such that the time and place information is imperceptibly distributed in the media signal, wherein the embedding alters data representing audible portions of the media signal or data representing video picture elements of the media signal, and wherein at least the place information is recoverable from plural different portions of the embedded media signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the time information changes over the embedded media signal.