Digital watermarks

• US 8,036,419 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• 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:
  US12/575,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/181, 382/235, 382/239
• 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 digital watermarking and steganographic data hiding. In one embodiment a method of rendering content to a user is provided. The rendered content includes a digital watermark embedded therein. In another embodiment, digital watermarking is utilized to facilitate purchase or lease of audio or video content over a network or with a remote computer. In still another embodiment, a compression characteristic is determined, and subsequent steganographic embedding is influenced based on the characteristic. Other embodiments are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving packaged content over a computer network as a result of a negotiated transaction involving a received payment, wherein the content is packaged with at least encryption;

unpackaging the content for rendering;

prior to rendering, embedding a digital watermark in the unpackaged content, wherein the digital watermark includes auxiliary information, wherein the auxiliary information includes a first portion associated with permissible uses of the content and a second portion including information generated upon unpackaging the content, and wherein the digital watermark carries the auxiliary information in the unpackaged content through alterations to data representing the content; and

rendering the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information generated upon unpackaging the content comprises information associated with a distributor of the packaged content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information generated upon unpackaging the content comprises information associated with a user for which the content is rendered.

4. A method comprising:

through a computerized interface, receiving a selection identifying an object displayed through the computerized interface;

analyzing the object to decode a digital watermark embedded in the object, wherein the digital watermark is embedded in the object through alterations to data representing the object, wherein the digital watermark includes information to facilitate a transaction via a remote computer, and wherein the transaction involves a purchase or selection of audio or video content associated with the object;

receiving transaction information through the computerized interface;

communicating the transaction information to the remote computer; and

receiving from the remote computer an authorization, wherein the digital watermark prevents access to the audio or video content associated with the object until the authorization is received.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the digital watermark information comprises executable code, and wherein the executable code utilizes the authorization to allow access to the audio or video content associated with the object.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the digital watermark information comprises a pointer to executable code, and wherein the executable code utilizes the authorization to allow access to the audio or video content associated with the object.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the data representing the object comprises transform domain coefficients.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the object comprises a compressed or encrypted version of the audio or video.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the object comprises a graphical representation associated with the audio or video content.

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

instructions to process a received selection, wherein the received selection identifies an object displayed through a computerized interface;

instructions to analyze the object to decode a digital watermark embedded in the object, wherein the digital watermark is embedded in the object through alterations to data representing the object, wherein the digital watermark includes information to facilitate a transaction via a remote computer, and wherein the transaction involves a purchase or selection of audio or video content associated with the object;

instructions to receive transaction information through the computerized interface;

instructions to communicate the transaction information to the remote computer; and

instructions to process an authorization received from the remote computer, wherein the digital watermark prevents access to the audio or video content associated with the object until the authorization is received.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the digital watermark information comprises executable code, and further comprising instructions to utilize the executable code and the authorization to allow access to the audio or video content associated with the object.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the digital watermark information comprises a pointer to executable code, and further comprising instructions to utilize the executable code and the authorization to allow access to the audio or video content associated with the object.

13. A computing device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive packaged content over a computer network as a result of a negotiated transaction involving a received payment, wherein the content is packaged with at least encryption; and

a processor operatively coupled to the receiver and configured to;

unpackage the content for rendering;

embed, prior to rendering, a digital watermark in the unpackaged content, wherein the digital watermark includes auxiliary information, wherein the auxiliary information includes a first portion associated with permissible uses of the content and a second portion including information generated upon unpackaging the content, and wherein the digital watermark carries the auxiliary information in the unpackaged content through alterations to data representing the content; and

render the content.

14. A computing device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a selection identifying an object displayed through a computerized interface; and

a processor operatively coupled to the receiver and configured to;

analyze the object to decode a digital watermark embedded in the object, wherein the digital watermark is embedded in the object through alterations to data representing the object, wherein the digital watermark includes information to facilitate a transaction via a remote computer, and wherein the transaction involves a purchase or selection of audio or video content associated with the object;

wherein the receiver is further configured to;

receive transaction information through the computerized interface;

communicate the transaction information to the remote computer; and

receive from the remote computer an authorization, wherein the digital watermark prevents access to the audio or video content associated with the object until the authorization is received.