Methods and systems for steganographic processing

• US 8,014,563 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1994
• 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:
  US12/787,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20100296695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 713/176, 386/94, 386/95, 353/20, 353/28, 353/29, 353/30, 455/2.01, 725/9, 725/14, 725/18, 725/22, 380/201, 380/202, 380/203, 380/210, 380/231, 380/233, 380/236, 380/287, 380/54
• 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 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• 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 1/32144 : 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 1/32229 : with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes 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 1/32304 : Embedding different sets of additional information
• 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 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/323 : for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

The present claims utilize steganographic embedding to help facilitate tracing of unauthorized copies to a location and particular time. One claim recites a method including: obtaining data representing audio or video, the audio or video to be communicated to an audience assembled at a location at a particular time; and steganographic embedding binary information in the data with a programmed electronic processor, said steganographic embedding modifies portions of the data to hide the binary information in the data, the binary information is associated with the location and particular time of communicating the audio or video to the audience assembled at the location at the particular time. The binary information enables an unauthorized version of the communicated audio or video to be traced back to the location and particular time. Of course, other combination and claims are provided too.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining data representing audio or video, wherein the audio or video to be communicated to an audience assembled at a location at a particular time; and

steganographic embedding, using a processor, binary information in the data by modifying portions of the data to hide the binary information in the data, wherein the binary information is associated with the location and particular time of communicating the audio or video to the audience assembled at the location at the particular time, and wherein the binary information enables an unauthorized version of the communicated audio or video to be traced back to the location and particular time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio or video comprises audio, and wherein the data represents audible portions of the audio.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio or video comprises video, and wherein the data represents picture elements of the video.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic embedding is carried out in real time as the data is received.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging the binary information in a database or memory.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising decrypting the data prior to steganographic embedding the binary information in the data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic embedding comprises encoding the binary information to be robust to signal distortion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal distortion comprises scaling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic embedding comprises encoding the binary information so as to be robust to compression.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic embedding comprises encodes a unique identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographic embedding utilizes a unique encoding key.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the binary information comprises at least two portions, wherein a first portion is more redundantly encoded in the data relative to a second portion.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, the instructions comprising:

instructions to obtain data representing audio or video, wherein the audio or video to be communicated to an audience assembled at a location at a particular time; and

instructions to steganographically embed binary information in the data by modifying portions of the data to hide the binary information in the data, wherein the binary information is associated with the location and particular time of communicating the audio or video to the audience assembled at the location at the particular time, and wherein the binary information enables an unauthorized version of the communicated audio or video to be traced back to the location and particular time.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to buffer data representing audio or video, wherein the audio or video is to be communicated to an audience assembled at a location at a particular time; and

a processor configured to steganographically embed binary information in the data by modifying portions of the data to hide the binary information in the data, wherein the binary information is associated with the location and particular time of communicating the audio or video to the audience assembled at the location at the particular time, and wherein the binary information enables an unauthorized version of the communicated audio or video to be traced back to the location and particular time.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the audio or video comprises audio, and wherein the data represents audible portions of the audio.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the audio or video comprises video, and wherein the data represents picture elements of the video.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to steganographically embed the binary information in real time.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to log the binary information in a database or memory.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to decrypt the data prior to the steganographic embedding.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to encode the binary information to be robust to signal distortion.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the signal distortion comprises scaling.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to encode the binary information to be robust to compression.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to encode a unique identifier.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to utilize a unique encoding key to steganographically embed the digital information.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the binary information comprises at least two portions, wherein a first portion is more redundantly encoded in the data relative to a second portion.