Perceptual modeling of media signals for data hiding

• US 8,213,674 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Hannigan, Brett T., Reed, Alastair M., Bradley, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US12/912,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20110150268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/240, 370522-527, 283/72, 283 74- 81, 283/85, 283/93, 283/113, 283/901, 713/176, 713/179, 358/3.28, 380/51, 380/54, 380/210, 380/252, 380/287, 375/240.26, 375/270, 375/277, 375/301, 375/321, 725/9, 725/20, 725/22
• 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 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32165 using cosine transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3217 using wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32187 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected frequency coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32192 according to calculated or estimated visibility of the additional information in the image

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to embedding auxiliary data and data hiding. One claim recites a method including: receiving data representing a media signal; using a programmed electronic processor, calculating perceptibility characteristics of the media signal, in which the perceptibility characteristics include contrast; using a programmed electronic processor, calculating a non-linear contrast to gain mapping using the perceptibility characteristics; using a programmed electronic processor, embedding an auxiliary signal in the media signal with reference to the non-linear contrast to gain mapping. Other claims and combinations are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a programmed processor;

determining characteristics of a media signal including characteristics pertaining to perceptual sensitivity;

computing a control signal using the characteristics of the media signal, the control signal corresponding to portions or features of the media signal; and

using the programmed processor, embedding a plural-bit message in the media signal according to the control signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the media signal further comprise directional characteristics of the media signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics pertaining to sensitivity comprise a contrast measurement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining characteristics of a media signal determines characteristics in terms of luminance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein embedding utilizes digital watermarking, wherein data representing the media signal is altered through the digital watermarking to convey the plural-bit message.

6. A method comprising:

receiving data representing a media signal;

using a programmed processor, calculating perceptibility characteristics of the media signal, wherein the perceptibility characteristics include contrast;

using the programmed processor, calculating a non-linear contrast to gain mapping using the perceptibility characteristics; and

using the programmed processor, embedding an auxiliary signal in the media signal with reference to the non-linear contrast to gain mapping.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the perceptibility characteristics further comprise a measure of directional edges.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein embedding utilizes digital watermarking, wherein data representing the media signal is altered through the digital watermarking to convey the auxiliary message.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the contrast comprises local contrast of the media signal.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising filtering the perceptible characteristics.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving data representing a media signal;

calculating perceptibility characteristics of the media signal, wherein the perceptibility characteristics include contrast;

calculating a non-linear contrast to gain mapping using the perceptibility characteristics; and

embedding an auxiliary signal in the media signal with reference to the non-linear contrast to gain mapping.

12. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory configured to store a media signal;

a processor configured to;

determine characteristics of a media signal including characteristics pertaining to perceptual sensitivity;

compute a control signal using the characteristics of the media signal, the control signal corresponding to portions or features of the media signal; and

embed a plural-bit message in the media signal according to the control signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein characteristics of the media signal further comprise directional characteristics of the media signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the characteristics pertaining to sensitivity comprise a contrast measurement.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the determining characteristics of a media signal determines characteristics in terms of luminance.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein embedding utilizes digital watermarking, wherein data representing the media signal is altered through the digital watermarking to convey the plural-bit message.

17. An apparatus comprising:

memory configured to store data representing a media signal;

a processor configured to;

calculate perceptibility characteristics of the media signal, wherein the perceptibility characteristics include contrast;

calculate a non-linear contrast to gain mapping using the perceptibility characteristics; and

embed an auxiliary signal in the data representing the media signal with reference to the non-linear contrast to gain mapping.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the perceptibility characteristics further comprise a measure of directional edges.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein embedding utilizes digital watermarking, wherein the data representing the media signal is altered through the digital watermarking to convey the auxiliary message.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the contrast comprises local contrast.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to filter the perceptible characteristics.