Signal hiding employing feature modification

• US 8,077,912 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Hannigan, Brett T., Levy, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Duy M
• Application Number:
  US12/773,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20100303284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/284, 380/28, 380/51, 380/54, 380/55, 705/1, 705/54
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• 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

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to methods and systems for signal hiding using feature modulation. One claim recites a method comprising: obtaining data representing a media signal; analyzing the data to determine features of the media signal; using a programmed electronic processor, modifying determined features to hide a signal in the data; and modifying the data to include a characteristic to facilitate later detection of the signal. In some case the features may include statistical features of the media signal. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining data representing a media signal;

analyzing the data to determine features of the media signal;

modifying, using a processor, the determined features to hide a second signal in the data; and

modifying the data to include a characteristic to facilitate later detection of the second signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the features comprise statistical features of the media signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a frequency domain representation of the media signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media signal comprises audio, video or imagery.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signal links to metadata or instructions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises a calibration signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises a pseudorandom carrier signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises frequency bands, and wherein the second signal is hidden in different frequency bands.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second signal is hidden in the different frequency bands using different embedding functions.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to obtain data representing a media signal;

instructions to analyze the data to determine features of the media signal;

instructions to modify the determined features to hide a second signal in the data; and

instructions to modify the data to include a characteristic to facilitate later detection of the second signal.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the features comprise statistical features of the media signal.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the data comprises a frequency domain representation of the media signal.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second signal links to metadata or instructions.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the characteristic comprises a calibration signal.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the characteristic comprises a pseudorandom carrier signal.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

obtain data representing a media signal;

analyze the data to determine features of the media signal;

modify the determined features to hide a second signal in the data; and

modify the data to include a characteristic to facilitate later detection of the second signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the features comprise statistical features of the media signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data comprises a frequency domain representation of the media signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second signal links to metadata or instructions.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the characteristic comprises a calibration signal.