Variable message coding protocols for encoding auxiliary data in media signals
First Claim
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1. A digital watermark encoder comprising:
- an electronic memory;
a processor in communication with the electronic memory, the processor being configured to form a fixed message protocol portion and identify a version of a variable protocol portion;
wherein the processor is configured to form the variable message protocol portion having variable error robustness message coding format, wherein the version indicates the error robustness coding format of the variable protocol portion; and
wherein the processor is further configured to digitally watermark message symbols of the fixed and variable message protocol portions into a host media signal by altering features thereof, such that the message is substantially imperceptible in the host media signal.
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Abstract
Variable message coding protocols enable greater flexibility in encoding auxiliary data in media signals. One such protocol employs a version identifier that indicates the type of coding used to process an auxiliary data message before it is embedded in a host media signal. This version identifier specifies the type of error robustness coding applied to a variable message. The error robustness coding may be varied to alter the message payload capacity for different versions of auxiliary data embedding and reading systems. Another protocol uses control symbols to specify the format and variable length of the variable message.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A digital watermark encoder comprising:
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an electronic memory; a processor in communication with the electronic memory, the processor being configured to form a fixed message protocol portion and identify a version of a variable protocol portion; wherein the processor is configured to form the variable message protocol portion having variable error robustness message coding format, wherein the version indicates the error robustness coding format of the variable protocol portion; and wherein the processor is further configured to digitally watermark message symbols of the fixed and variable message protocol portions into a host media signal by altering features thereof, such that the message is substantially imperceptible in the host media signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A decoder for decoding a digital watermark having fixed and variable protocol message portions, the decoder comprising:
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an electronic memory; and a processor in communication with the electronic memory, wherein the processor is configured to extract a hidden message code that has been embedded in a host media signal by slight changes to features thereof, by evaluating the host media signal to compute the hidden message code having the fixed and variable message protocol portions; wherein the processor is further configured to perform error robustness decoding of the fixed protocol portion of the extracted message code to produce one or more message symbols representing a version identifier; wherein the processor is further configured to interpret the version identifier to ascertain a version of variable protocol used to embed the variable protocol portion; and wherein the processor is further configured to perform an error robustness decoding as identified in the version to decode message symbols of the variable message protocol portion. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A message protocol encoder for steganographically encoding a variable message into a media signal, the encoder comprising:
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an electronic memory; and a processor in communication with the electronic memory, wherein the processor is configured to form a control message portion including at least one symbol that identifies the format of the variable message; wherein the processor is further configured to form a variable message according to the format, wherein the format indicates a variable length of the variable message portion; and wherein the processor is further configured to produce a media signal with the variable message steganographically encoded in the media signal through altered features thereof, such that the variable message is not discernable by a human but is readable by an automated reader. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A message protocol decoder for decoding a steganographic message from a media signal, the decoder comprising:
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an electronic memory; and a processor in communication with the electronic memory, wherein the processor is configured to decode, from the media signal, a control message portion including at least one symbol that identifies the format of a variable message steganographically encoded in the media signal; wherein the processor is further configured to decode a variable message according to the format, wherein the format indicates a variable length of the variable message portion; and wherein the processor is further configured to decode, from the media signal, the variable message steganographically encoded in the media signal, wherein variable message is decoded from features of the media signal in which the variable message is not discernable by a human but is readable by an automated decoder. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification