Method and system for image integrity determination

• US 8,306,268 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Jabri, Kadri Nizar
• Primary Examiner(s): Akhavannik, Hadi
• Application Number:
  US11/854,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382128-132, 382/104
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation

Abstract

A method and system for determining integrity of images is disclosed herein. The method includes determining the integrity of a non-image data of an image file. The method of protecting images comprises: obtaining an image file having both image data and non-image data and generating at least one code based on the non-image data at the time of creation of the image file. The code is incorporated into the image data of the image file in a visually non-detectable format. In an example, a digital watermarking technique is used to incorporate the code into the image data.

Claims

1. A method of determining integrity of images, comprising:

obtaining a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (“

DICOM”

) image file having both image data and non-image data;

generating at least one code based on the non-image data in the DICOM image file;

incorporating the code into the image data such that the code is not visually detectable; and

verifying the integrity of the image by regenerating the at least one code based on the non-image data available in the DICOM image file and comparing the code incorporated in the image data with the regenerated code.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the DICOM image file comprises:

acquiring an image and incorporating the image data in a DICOM image file.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the image data includes pixel information providing a visual image, and the non-image data includes image attributes and parameters.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of incorporating the code comprises:

stamping the code into the image data using digital image watermarking, the stamped code being visually non-detectable.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of verifying further comprises:

identifying manipulation of the image data and the non-image data in the DICOM image file.

6. A method of verifying the integrity of an image comprising:

reading a code from an image data, the code being created and incorporated in the image data at the time of creation of a DICOM image file, based on non-image data of the DICOM image file;

regenerating at least one code during the time of verification of the DICOM image file, based on the non-image data available in the DICOM image file; and

comparing the code incorporated in the image data of the DICOM image file with the regenerated code.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein the code read from the image data is incorporated in the image data using a digital image watermarking technique, in a visually non-detectable format.

8. A method as in claim 6, further comprising:

generating an indication upon detection of manipulation of the image data or the non-image data.

9. A method as in claim 8, further comprising:

generating the indication based on changes in the image data, including manipulation of the code incorporated in the image data and manipulation of pixel information conveyed in the image data.

10. A method as in claim 8, further comprising:

generating the indication upon identifying manipulation of the non-image data available in the DICOM image file at the time of verification of the DICOM image file.

11. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

a routine for generating a code based on the non-image data in a DICOM image file;

a routine for incorporating the code into the image data in a visually non-detectable form;

a routine for regenerating the code based on the non-image data in the DICOM image file, at the time of verification of the DICOM image file integrity; and

a routine for reading the incorporated code in the image data and comparing the read code with the regenerated code.

12. A computer program product as in claim 11, wherein the routine for generating the code comprises:

generating a unique code corresponding to the non-image data at the time of creation of the DICOM image file.

13. A computer program product as in claim 11, wherein the routine for incorporating the code includes a digital image watermarking technique.

14. A computer program product as in claim 11, further comprising:

a routine for verifying the integrity of the DICOM image file.