Conveying auxilliary data through digital watermarking

• US 8,055,013 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L., Stewart, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Seth; Manav
• Application Number:
  US12/768,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20100208975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382232-253
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/23 Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/333 Watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

The disclosure relates generally to digital watermarking. One claim recites a method of conveying auxiliary binary data through digital watermarking. The method includes: using an electronic processor, providing a first digital watermark signal comprising a first orientation component associated with signal properties of the first digital watermark signal; using an electronic processor, providing a second digital watermark signal comprising a second orientation component associated with signal properties of the second digital watermark signal; and conveying the auxiliary binary data through a relative orientation relationship of the first orientation component and the second digital watermark component. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method of conveying auxiliary binary data through digital watermarking, said method comprising:

using an electronic processor, providing a first digital watermark signal comprising a first orientation component associated with signal properties of the first digital watermark signal;

using an electronic processor, providing a second digital watermark signal comprising a second orientation component associated with signal properties of the second digital watermark signal; and

conveying the auxiliary binary data through a relative orientation relationship of the first orientation component and the second digital watermark component.

2. An apparatus comprising an electronic processor programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

3. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the method of claim 1.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the relative orientation relationship of the first orientation component and the second digital watermark component is determined through a difference analysis.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the auxiliary binary data comprises a copy control state.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the relative orientation relationship differs across a media signal into which the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark are embedded.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the first digital watermark or the second digital watermark includes a payload.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the auxiliary binary data and the payload cooperate to convey binary information.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the signal properties of the first digital watermark signal comprise properties observable in a transform domain.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the signal properties of the second digital watermark signal comprise properties observable in a transform domain.

11. The method of claim 7 in which the payload is shifted relative to the first orientation component or the second orientation component.

12. The method of claim 6 in which different instances of auxiliary binary data is conveyed through each different relative orientation relationship of the first orientation component and the second orientation component.

13. A method of detecting auxiliary binary data conveyed through digital watermarking, said method comprising:

using an electronic processor, analyzing a media signal for a first digital watermark signal, the first digital watermark signal comprising a first orientation component associated with signal properties of the first digital watermark signal;

using an electronic processor, analyzing the media signal for a second digital watermark signal, the second digital watermark signal comprising a second orientation component associated with signal properties of the second digital watermark signal; and

detecting auxiliary binary data by determining a relative orientation relationship of the first orientation component and the second digital watermark component.

14. An apparatus comprising an electronic processor programmed to perform the method of claim 13.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the method of claim 13.

16. The method of claim 13 in which the relative orientation relationship of the first orientation component and the second digital watermark component is determined through a difference analysis.

17. The method of claim 13 in which the auxiliary binary data comprises a copy control state.

18. The method of claim 13 in which the relative orientation relationship differs across a media signal into which the first digital watermark and the second digital watermark are embedded.

19. The method of claim 13 in which the first digital watermark or the second digital watermark includes a payload.

20. The method of claim 19 in which the auxiliary binary data and the payload cooperate to convey binary information.

21. The method of claim 13 in which the signal properties of the first digital watermark signal comprise properties observable in a transform domain.

22. The method of claim 21 in which the signal properties of the second digital watermark signal comprise properties observable in a transform domain.

23. The method of claim 19 in which the payload is shifted relative to the first orientation component or the second orientation component.

24. The method of claim 18 in which different instances of auxiliary binary data are determined from each different relative orientation relationship of the first orientation component and the second orientation component.