Efficient and secure forensic marking in compressed domain

• US 8,346,567 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Original Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Inventors: Petrovic, Rade, Yang, Dai
• Primary Examiner(s): Abebe, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US13/567,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20120300977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 148 Days
• Field of Search: 704/500, 380/201, 380/203
• US Class Current: 704/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal

Abstract

Methods, devices, and computer program products enable the embedding of forensic marks in a host content that is in compressed domain. These and other features are achieved by preprocessing of a host content to provide a plurality of host content versions with different embedded watermarks that are subsequently compressed. A host content may then be efficiently marked with forensic marks in response to a request for such content. The marking process is conducted in compressed domain, thus reducing the computational burden of decompressing and re-compressing the content, and avoiding further perceptual degradation of the host content. In addition, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed that obstruct differential analysis of such forensically marked content.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a code that identifies a transaction at a marking device;

accessing a plurality of tributaries that are in compressed domain, one or more of the plurality of the tributaries having been produced by embedding a string of watermark symbols into a host content and compressing the embedded host content thereafter, wherein each watermark symbol spans an integer number of compression units of a first compression algorithm;

selecting a plurality of segments from the plurality of tributaries based on the received code such that a sequence of the selected segments corresponds to the received code; and

assembling the selected segments at the marking device to produce a forensically marked host content in compressed domain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is received through at least one of:

the Internet, a wired communication network and a wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is generated using metadata comprising at least one of:

a transaction identification,

an intended destination of the forensically marked host content,

a time of a request for the transaction,

a date of a request for the transaction, and

a source of a request for the transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tributaries comprise an unmarked host content in compressed domain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of tributaries comprise a first and a second tributary, the first tributary having been produced by embedding a first unique string of watermark symbols into the host content and compressing the host content embedded with the first unique string of watermark symbols thereafter, and the second tributary having been produced by embedding a second unique string of watermark symbols into the host content and compressing the host content embedded with the second unique string of watermark symbols thereafter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein corresponding sections of the host content embedded with the first unique string of watermark symbols, the host content embedded with the second unique string of watermark symbols, and the host content are perceptually similar.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the host content is one of:

a still image, a video content and an audio content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first compression algorithm is selected from a group of compression algorithms consisting of:

AAC, AACplus, MP3, JPEG, JPEG2000 and MPEG.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tributaries comprise at least one tributary having been produced by embedding a unique string of watermark symbols into portions of the host content and compressing only the embedded portions of the host content thereafter.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a code that identifies a transaction at a marking device;

accessing a plurality of tributaries that are in compressed domain, one or more of the plurality of the tributaries each having been produced by contiguously embedding a string of watermark symbols into a host content and compressing the embedded host content thereafter;

selecting a plurality of segments from the plurality of tributaries based on the received code such that a sequence of the selected segments corresponds to the received code; and

assembling the selected segments at the marking device to produce a forensically marked host content in compressed domain.

11. A device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a code that identifies a transaction at a marking device;

a communication port configured to allow access a plurality of tributaries that are in compressed domain, one or more of the plurality of the tributaries each having been produced by contiguously embedding a string of watermark symbols into a host content and compressing the embedded host content thereafter;

a selector configured to select a plurality of segments from the plurality of tributaries based on the received code such that a sequence of the selected segments corresponds to the received code; and

an assembly component configured to assemble the selected segments at the marking device to produce a forensically marked host content in compressed domain.

12. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

program code for receiving a code that identifies a transaction at a marking device;

program code for accessing a plurality of tributaries that are in compressed domain, one or more of the plurality of the tributaries each having been produced by contiguously embedding a string of watermark symbols into a host content and compressing the embedded host content thereafter;

program code for selecting a plurality of segments from the plurality of tributaries based on the received code such that a sequence of the selected segments corresponds to the received code; and

program code for assembling the selected segments at the marking device to produce a forensically marked host content in compressed domain.

13. A device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a code that identifies a transaction;

a communication port configured to allow access to a plurality of tributaries that are in compressed domain, one or more of the plurality of the tributaries having been produced by embedding a string of watermark symbols into a host content and compressing the embedded host content thereafter, wherein each watermark symbol spans an integer number of compression units of a first compression algorithm;

a selector configured to select a plurality of segments from the plurality of tributaries based on the received code such that a sequence of the selected segments corresponds to the received code; and

an assembly component configured to assemble the selected segments at the marking device to produce a forensically marked host content in compressed domain.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is configured to receive the code through at least one of:

the Internet, a wired communication network and a wireless communication network.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the code is generated using metadata comprising at least one of:

a transaction identification,

an intended destination of the forensically marked host content,

a time of a request for the transaction,

a date of a request for the transaction, and

a source of a request for the transaction.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tributaries comprise an unmarked host content in compressed domain.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of tributaries comprise a first and a second tributary, the first tributary having been produced by embedding a first unique string of watermark symbols into the host content and compressing the host content embedded with the first unique string of watermark symbols thereafter, and the second tributary having been produced by embedding a second unique string of watermark symbols into the host content and compressing the host content embedded with the second unique string of watermark symbols thereafter.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein corresponding sections of the host content embedded with the first unique string of watermark symbols, the host content embedded with the second unique string of watermark symbols, and the host content are perceptually similar.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the host content is one of:

a still image, a video content and an audio content.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the first compression algorithm is selected from a group of compression algorithms consisting of:

AAC, AACplus, MP3, JPEG, JPEG2000 and MPEG.

21. The device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tributaries comprise at least one tributary having been produced by embedding a unique string of watermark symbols into portions of the host content and compressing only the embedded portions of the host content thereafter.

22. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising processor executable code, the processor executable code when executed by the processor configures the device to;

receive a code that identifies a transaction;

access a plurality of tributaries that are in compressed domain, one or more of the plurality of the tributaries having been produced by embedding a string of watermark symbols into a host content and compressing the embedded host content thereafter, wherein each watermark symbol spans an integer number of compression units of a first compression algorithm;

select a plurality of segments from the plurality of tributaries based on the received code such that a sequence of the selected segments corresponds to the received code; and

assemble the selected segments at the marking device to produce a forensically marked host content in compressed domain.

23. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

program code for receiving a code that identifies a transaction at a marking device;

program code for accessing a plurality of tributaries that are in compressed domain, one or more of the plurality of the tributaries having been produced by embedding a string of watermark symbols into a host content and compressing the embedded host content thereafter, wherein each watermark symbol spans an integer number of compression units of a first compression algorithm;

program code for selecting a plurality of segments from the plurality of tributaries based on the received code such that a sequence of the selected segments corresponds to the received code; and

program code for assembling the selected segments at the marking device to produce a forensically marked host content in compressed domain.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the code is received through at least one of:

the Internet, a wired communication network and a wireless communication network.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the code is generated using metadata comprising at least one of:

a transaction identification,

an intended destination of the forensically marked host content,

a time of a request for the transaction,

a date of a request for the transaction, and

a source of a request for the transaction.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the plurality of tributaries comprise an unmarked host content in compressed domain.

27. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein:

the plurality of tributaries comprise a first and a second tributary, the first tributary having been produced by embedding a first unique string of watermark symbols into the host content and compressing the host content embedded with the first unique string of watermark symbols thereafter, and the second tributary having been produced by embedding a second unique string of watermark symbols into the host content and compressing the host content embedded with the second unique string of watermark symbols thereafter.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein corresponding sections of the host content embedded with the first unique string of watermark symbols, the host content embedded with the second unique string of watermark symbols, and the host content are perceptually similar.

29. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the host content is one of:

a still image, a video content and an audio content.

30. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the first compression algorithm is selected from a group of compression algorithms consisting of:

AAC, AACplus, MP3, JPEG, JPEG2000 and MPEG.

31. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the plurality of tributaries comprise at least one tributary having been produced by embedding a unique string of watermark symbols into portions of the host content and compressing only the embedded portions of the host content thereafter.