Signal processing of audio and video data, including deriving identifying information

• US 8,014,562 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Carr, J. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US12/575,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20100142752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/107, 382/181
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0202 whereby the quality of watermarked images is measured; Measuring quality or performance of watermarking methods; Balancing between quality and robustness
• 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 1/32277 Compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33357 Compression mode

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to signal processing of media content, e.g., audio or video content. One form of signal processing derives identifying information from media content. One claim recites a method including: upon encountering audio or video content, and using a programmed electronic processor, attempting to derive identifying information from data representing the encountered audio or video content; if a digital watermark is not obtained from the data representing the encountered audio or video content, modifying the encountered audio or video content; and then attempting to attempting to derive identifying information from data representing the modified audio or video content. Of course, other claims are provided too.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

upon encountering audio or video content, attempting to detect a digital watermark hidden therein with a processor of a computing device;

if the digital watermark is not obtained from the encountered audio or video content, modifying the encountered audio or video content; and

attempting to detect the digital watermark from the modified audio or video content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a predetermined computer program is used to modify the encountered audio or video content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the audio or video content comprises descrambling the encountered audio or video content.

4. A tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to attempt to detect a digital watermark hidden within encountered audio or video content;

instructions to modify the encountered audio or video content if the digital watermark is not obtained from the encountered audio or video content; and

instructions to attempt to detect the digital watermark from the modified audio or video content.

13. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the instructions to modify further comprise:

instructions to collect at least one content instruction; and

instructions to concatenate a plurality of data blocks using the at least one content instruction to form modified audio or video content.

14. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the at least one content instruction comprises display instructions, and wherein the display instructions identify positions of the plurality of data blocks on a web page.

5. A device comprising:

a processor configured to;

attempt to detect a digital watermark hidden within encountered audio or video content;

modify the encountered audio or video content if the digital watermark is not obtained from the encountered audio or video content; and

attempt to detect the digital watermark from the modified audio or video content.

6. A method comprising:

upon encountering audio or video content, attempting to derive identifying information from data representing the encountered audio or video content with a processor of a computing device;

if a digital watermark is not obtained from the data representing the encountered audio or video content, modifying the encountered audio or video content; and

attempting to derive the identifying information from data representing the modified audio or video content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a predetermined computer program is used to modify the encountered audio or video content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein modifying the encountered audio or video content comprises descrambling the encountered audio or video content.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying the encountered audio or video content comprises:

collecting at least one content instruction; and

concatenating a plurality of data blocks using the at least one content instruction to form modified audio or video content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one content instruction comprises display instructions, and wherein the display instructions identify positions of the plurality of data blocks on a web page.

9. A tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to attempt to derive identifying information from data representing encountered audio or video content;

instructions to modify the encountered audio or video content if a digital watermark is not obtained from the data representing the encountered audio or video content; and

instructions to attempt to derive the identifying information from data representing the modified audio or video content.

10. A device comprising:

a processor configured to;

attempt to derive identifying information from data representing encountered audio or video content;

modify the encountered audio or video content if a digital watermark is not obtained from the data representing the encountered audio or video content; and

attempt to derive the identifying information from data representing the modified audio or video content.

15. The processor of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

collect at least one content instruction; and

concatenate a plurality of data blocks using the at least one content instruction to form modified audio or video content.

16. The processor of claim 15, wherein the at least one content instruction comprises display instructions, and wherein the display instructions identify positions of the plurality of data blocks on a web page.