Pre-processed information embedding system

• US 8,321,679 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Original Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Inventors: Petrovic, Rade, Tehranchi, Babak, Winograd, Joseph M., Wong, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): LEMMA, SAMSON B
• Application Number:
  US12/630,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 382/232
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00137 involving measures which result in a restriction to contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier to authorised users
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• 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: H04K 1/02 by adding a second signal to make the desired signal unintelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00864 Modifying the reproduction, e.g. outputting a modified copy of a scanned original details of composing or otherwise geometrically modifying originals H04N1/387
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• 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 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Methods are provided for embedding auxiliary information in a host content signal which reduce the memory, bandwidth and computational complexity of the embedding and transmission systems. In one embodiment, a first reduced-scale signal is produced which corresponds to the host content embedded with a first logical value and producing a second reduced-scale signal corresponding to the host content embedded with a second logical value. A first set of segments from the first reduced-scale signal may be combined with a second set of segments from the second reduced-scale signal in a pre-defined manner to produce a composite embedded host content. Thus the storage and transmission requirements of the watermarking system are reduced to having to deal with only the original content plus two reduced-scale signals.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

embedding, by a preprocessing device, at least a portion of a host content with a first logical value to produce a full-scale content; and

producing, by the preprocessing device, a reduced-scale content comprising information necessary for modifying the full-scale content to contain a second logical value, wherein subsequent embedding of a particular watermark comprising a sequence of logical values is accomplished by;

selecting, by a selector device, a set of segments of the full-scale content in a predefined manner, and

modifying the set of segments in accordance with the reduced-scale content to produce an embedded content with the particular watermark.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined manner identifies at least one of an entity and a transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting and the modifying are carried out at separate locations.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein

the reduced-scale content comprises a gain parameter;

and

modifying the set of segments comprises applying the gain parameter to at least a portion of the set of segments to transform the portion of the set of segments to contain the second logical value.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein

the reduced-scale content comprises a difference content that is generated by determining a difference between a full-scale content containing the second logical value and the full-scale content containing the first logical value;

and

modifying the set of segments comprises transforming at least a portion of the set of segments to contain the second logical value by adding the corresponding difference content to the portion of the set of segments.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a pre-processor configured to embed at least a portion of a host content with a first logical value to produce a full-scale content, the pre-processor further configured to produce a reduced-scale content comprising information necessary for modifying the full-scale content to contain a second logical value, wherein subsequent embedding of a particular watermark comprising a sequence of logical values is accomplished by using;

a selector configured to select a set of segments of the full-scale content in a predefined manner, and

a hardware processor configured to modify the set of segments in accordance with the reduced-scale content to produce an embedded content with the particular watermark.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined matter identifies at least one of an entity and a transaction.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the selector and the hardware processor are located at different locations.

30. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the reduced-scale content comprises a gain parameter;

and

the hardware processor is configured to apply the gain parameter to at least a portion of the set of segments to transform the portion of the set of segments to contain the second logical value.

31. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the reduced-scale content comprises a difference content that is generated by determining a difference between a full-scale content containing the second logical value and the full-scale content containing the first logical value;

and

modifying the set of segments comprises transforming at least a portion of the set of segments to contain the second logical value by adding the corresponding difference content to the portion of the set of segments.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a receiver device, a full-scale content and a reduced-scale content, wherein at least a portion of the full-scale content is embedded with a first logical value and the reduced-scale content comprises information necessary to modify portions of the full-scale content to contain a second logical value; and

selecting, by a selector device, a set of segments of the full-scale content in a predefined manner corresponding to a particular watermark comprising a sequence of logical values, and

modifying the set of segments in accordance with the reduced-scale content to produce an embedded content with the particular watermark.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the particular watermark identifies at least one of an entity and a transaction.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting and the modifying are carried out at different locations.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting and modifying are carried out at more than one time or location to effect embedding of different watermarks.

32. The method of claim 7, wherein

the reduced-scale content comprises a gain parameter;

and

modifying the set of segments comprises applying the gain parameter to at least a portion of the set of segments to transform the portion of the set of segments to contain the second logical value.

33. The method of claim 7, wherein

the reduced-scale content comprises a difference content that is generated by determining a difference between a full-scale content containing the second logical value and the full-scale content containing the first logical value;

and

modifying the set of segments comprises transforming at least a portion of the set of segments to contain the second logical value by adding the corresponding difference content to the portion of the set of segments.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a full-scale and a reduced-scale content, wherein at least a portion of the full-scale content is embedded with a first logical value and the reduced-scale content comprises information necessary to modify portions of the first full-scale content to contain a second logical value; and

a selector configured to select a set of segments of the full-scale content in a predefined manner corresponding to a particular watermark comprising a sequence of logical values, and

a hardware processor configured to modify the set of segments in accordance with the reduced-scale content to produce an embedded content with the particular watermark.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the particular watermark identifies at least one of an entity and a transaction.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selector and the hardware processor are located at different locations.

34. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the reduced-scale content comprises a gain parameter;

and

the hardware processor configured to apply the gain parameter to at least a portion of the set of segments to transform the portion of the set of segments to contain the second logical value.

35. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the reduced-scale content comprises a difference content that is generated by determining a difference between a full-scale content containing the second logical value and the full-scale content containing the first logical value;

and

modifying the set of segments comprises transforming at least a portion of the set of segments to contain the second logical value by adding the corresponding difference content to the portion of the set of segments.

14. A method, comprising:

modifying, by a preprocessing device, at least one portion of a host content to produce a full-scale content in a pre-defined state that accommodates subsequent embedding of both a first and a second logical values at the at least one portion, wherein subsequent embedding of a particular watermark comprising a sequence of logical values within the host content is accomplished by;

selecting, by a selector device, a first set of segments of the full-scale content and a second set of segments of the full-scale content in a predefined manner corresponding to the sequence of logical values; and

processing the first set of segments to effect embedding of the first logical value and the second set of segments to effect embedding of the second logical value to produce an embedded content with the particular watermark.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the particular watermark identifies at least one of an entity and a transaction.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting and the processing are carried out at different locations.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting and processing are carried out at more than one time or location to effect embedding of different watermarks.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a pre-processor configured to modify at least one portion of a host content to produce a full-scale content in a pre-defined state that accommodates subsequent embedding of both a first and a second logical values at the at least one portion, wherein subsequent embedding of a particular watermark comprising a sequence of logical values within the host content is accomplished by using;

a selector configured to select a first set of segments of the full-scale content and a second set of segments of the full-scale content in a predefined manner corresponding to the sequence of logical values; and

a hardware processor configured to process the first set of segments to effect embedding of the first logical value and the second set of segments to effect embedding of the second logical value to produce an embedded content with the particular watermark.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the particular watermark identifies at least one of an entity and a transaction.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the selector and the hardware processor are located at different locations.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a receiver device, a full-scale content in a pre-defined state, the full-scale accommodating subsequent embedding of both a first and a second logical values at least one portion of a host content;

selecting, by a selector device, a first set of segments of the full-scale content and a second set of segments of the full-scale content in a predefined manner corresponding to a particular watermark comprising a sequence of logical values; and

processing the first set of segments to effect embedding of the first logical value and the second set of segments to effect embedding of the second logical value to produce an embedded content with the particular watermark.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the particular watermark identifies at least one of an entity and a transaction.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the selecting and the processing are carried out at different locations.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the selecting and processing are carried out at more than one time or location to effect embedding of different watermarks.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a full-scale content in a pre-defined state, the full-scale content accommodating subsequent embedding of both a first and a second logical values at least one portion of a host content;

a selector configured to select a first set of segments of the full-scale content and a second set of segments of the full-scale content in a predefined manner corresponding to a particular watermark comprising a sequence of logical values; and

a hardware processor configured to process the first set of segments to effect embedding of the first logical value and the second set of segments to effect embedding of the second logical value to produce an embedded content with the particular watermark.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the particular watermark identifies at least one of an entity and a transaction.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the selector and the processor are located at different locations.