Digital watermark systems and methods

• US 8,364,966 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aye M.U. Myint, Digimarc Corporation, Harald Hampel, Manfred Schawaller, Markus J. Schwarz, Norbert Muller, Robert Verkerk
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Andrew, Biggar, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIE, OSCAR A
• Application Number:
  US11/877,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0061 Embedding of the watermark in each block of the image, e.g. segmented watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32154 Transform domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32165 using cosine transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32176 using Walsh, Hadamard or Walsh-Hadamard 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 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• 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 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes

Abstract

A digital watermark is added to audio or visual content. An illustrative embodiment permutes the content, alters the permuted content to encode a watermark, and inverse-permutes the content to return same to substantially its original form. Related watermark decoding methods are also detailed, as are ancillary features and techniques.

Claims

1. A method of watermark processing, the method comprising:

receiving content data representing audio, image, or video information;

receiving watermark data to be hidden in the content data;

permuting at least some of the content data;

transforming the permuted content data into a different domain;

altering the transformed content data to represent the watermark data therein; and

inverse-permuting the content data following the altering;

wherein at least one of the foregoing acts is performed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inverse-transforming the content data back to an original domain after the altering.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the permuting performs a spectral whitening operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the permuting comprises applying a pseudo-random function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transforming comprises using a Walsh Hadamard transform.

6. A method of watermark processing, the method comprising:

receiving content data representing audio, image or video information;

permuting at least some of the content data;

transforming the permuted content data into another domain;

decoding watermark data from the transformed content data, wherein the watermark data is encoded in the content data by previous alterations to the content data; and

inverse-permuting the content data following the decoding;

wherein at least one of the foregoing acts is performed by a processor.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive content data representing audio, image, or video information;

instructions to receive watermark data to be hidden in the content data;

instructions to permute at least some of the content data;

instructions to transform the permuted content data into another domain;

instructions to alter the transformed content data to represent the watermark data therein; and

instructions to inverse-permute the content data following the altering.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium method of claim 7, further comprising instructions to inverse-transform the content data back to an original domain after the altering.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium method of claim 7, wherein the instructions to permute at least some of the content data performs a spectral whitening operation.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium method of claim 7, wherein the instructions to permute comprises instructions to apply a pseudo-random function.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium method of claim 7, wherein the instructions to transform comprises instructions to perform a Walsh Hadamard transform.

12. An apparatus comprising:

an input configured to;

receive content data representing audio, image, or video information; and

receive watermark data to be hidden in the content data; and

an electronic processor configured to;

permute at least some of the content data;

transform the permuted content data into another domain;

alter the transformed content data to represent the watermark data therein; and

inverse-permute the content data following the altering.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to inverse-transform the content data back to an original domain after the altering.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to permute at least some of the content data by performing a spectral whitening operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to permute at least some of the content data by applying a pseudo-random function.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to transform at least some of the content data by performing a Walsh Hadamard transform.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive content data representing audio, image or video information;

instructions to permute at least some of the content data; and

instructions to transform the permuted content data into another domain;

instructions to decode watermark data from the transformed content data, wherein the watermark data is encoded in the content data by previous alterations to the content data; and

instructions to inverse-permute the content data following the decoding.

18. An apparatus comprising:

an input configured to receive content data representing audio, image or video information; and

an electronic processor configured to;

permute at least some of the content data;

transform the permuted content data into another domain;

decode watermark data from the transformed content data, wherein the watermark data is encoded in the content data by previous alterations to the content data; and

inverse-permute the content data following the decoding.