Systems and methods using digital watermarking and identifier extraction to provide promotional opportunities

• US 8,055,899 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L., Andrews, Hoyet Harrison III, Meyer, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gergiso; Techane
• Application Number:
  US11/208,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20060062426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,272 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 705/57
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1073 Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 20/00768 wherein copy control information is used, e.g. for indicating whether a content may be copied freely, no more, once, or never, by setting CGMS, SCMS, or CCI flags
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00855 involving a step of exchanging information with a remote server
• 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: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to processing media content (e.g., video or audio signals). One claim recites a method including: receiving first content comprising a video portion or an audio portion, the first content being received over a network from a user; utilizing a multi-purpose electronic processor programmed as a content identifier module, deriving identifying data from data representing picture portions of the video portion or from data representing audible portions of the audio portion of the first content; with reference to a computerized database or computerized repository, determining a first promotional opportunity associated with the identifying data, in which the first proportional opportunity comprises an opportunity to purchase second content, the second content being related to—but different than—the first content, and determining a second, different promotional opportunity associated with the identifying data if another instance of the identifying data is thereafter received; and providing information regarding the first promotional opportunity or the second, different promotional opportunity. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a search of raw content, using an electronic processor, for a content identifier steganographically embedded in data representing audio content or in data representing video content, wherein the content identifier steganographically embedded in the data signifies that the raw content was previously subject to digital rights management (DRM);

finding the content identifier in the raw content;

sending the content identifier to an online content store, wherein the online content store is remote to a media server;

receiving from the online content store at least one option associated with the content identifier, wherein the at least one option comprises at least one option from a group of options comprising;

purchase content associated with the content identifier subject to the DRM, purchase other content that is related to the raw content, and receive copyright information associated with the raw content; and

sending a selected option to the online content store from the media server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the raw content is encountered during a survey of content stored on the media server.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a DRM protected version of the unencrypted content.

3. A method comprising:

receiving, at an online content store, a content identifier from a user device, wherein the user device is remotely located from the online content store, wherein the content identifier has been steganographically embedded in raw data representing audio content or representing video content, wherein the presence of the content identifier in the raw data signifies that the raw data was at one time protected using digital rights management (DRM);

identifying, using the content identifier, one or more options associated with the content identifier;

providing from the online content store the one or more options associated with the content identifier to the user device;

receiving at the online content store a selection of an option from among the one or more options associated with the content identifier from the user device, wherein the at least one option comprises at least one option from a group of options comprising;

an option to purchase content associated with the content identifier protected using the DRM, an option to purchase other content that is related to the raw data, and an option to receive copyright information associated with the raw data; and

carrying out the selected option at the online content store.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the action comprises sending a DRM protected version of the unencrypted data.

4. A non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a content identifier from a user device, wherein the content identifier has been steganographically embedded in raw data representing audio content or representing video content, and wherein the presence of the content identifier in the raw data signifies that the raw data was previously protected using digital rights management (DRM);

identifying, using the content identifier, one or more options associated with the content identifier;

providing the one or more options associated with the content identifier to the user device;

receiving a selection of an option from among the one or more options associated with the content identifier from the user device, wherein the at least one option comprises at least one option from a group of options comprising;

an option to purchase DRM protected content associated with the content identifier, an option to purchase other content that is related to the raw data, and an option to receive copyright information associated with the raw data; and

carrying out the selected option.

17. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 4, wherein the action comprises sending a DRM protected version of the unencrypted data.

5. A method comprising:

receiving a content identifier that identifies content, wherein the content identifier is derived from first content;

receiving a forensic identifier, wherein the forensic identifier has been steganographically embedded in the first content;

determining a first promotional opportunity associated with the content identifier using an electronic processor, wherein the first promotional opportunity comprises an opportunity to purchase second content, and wherein the second content is related to the first content;

providing information regarding the first promotional opportunity;

receiving the forensic identifier a second time;

determining a second, different promotional opportunity associated with the content identifier based at least in part on receiving the forensic identifier a second time; and

providing information regarding the second, different promotional opportunity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the content identifier is derived from the first content using fingerprinting.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the content identifier is steganographically decoded from alterations to data representing picture portions of a video portion or from data representing audible portions of an audio portion of the first content.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the first promotional opportunity or the second, different promotional opportunity is provided to a remote device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the first promotional opportunity is provided to two or more user devices in response to a first instance of the content identifier being received.

10. A non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a content identifier that identifies content, wherein the content identifier is derived from first content;

receiving a forensic identifier, wherein the forensic identifier has been steganographically embedded in the first content;

determining a first promotional opportunity associated with the content identifier, wherein the first promotional opportunity comprises an opportunity to purchase second content, and wherein the second content is different than the first content;

sending information regarding the first promotional opportunity;

receiving the forensic identifier a second time;

determining a second, different promotional opportunity associated with the content identifier; and

sending information regarding the second, different promotional opportunity.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to;

store in electronic memory identifying data derived from data representing picture portions of a video signal or derived from data representing audible portions of an audio signal, wherein the identifying data has been received over a network from a remotely located user; and

store a forensic identifier, wherein forensic identifier has been steganographically embedded in the video signal or the audio signal; and

an electronic processor configured to;

monitor the number of times the forensic identifier has been received;

with reference to a computerized database or computerized repository, determine a promotional opportunity associated with the identifying data and the forensic identifier based at least in part on the number of times the forensic identifier has been received; and

provide information regarding the promotional opportunity;

wherein the promotional opportunity comprises an opportunity to purchase second content, and wherein the second content is related to the first content.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the identifying data was derived using fingerprinting.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the identifying data was derived using digital watermark decoding.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information regarding the promotional opportunity is provided to two or more users.