Method and system for tracking illegal distributor and preventing illegal content distribution

• US 8,824,728 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Woo, Lee, Yun-Kyung, Kim, Sin Hyo, Chung, Byung Ho, Mun, Hyeran, Lee, Sokjoon, Bae, Gun Tae, Hwang, Jung Yeon, Cho, Hyun Sook
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jayesh A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kholdebarin, Iman K
• Application Number:
  US13/332,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 726 26- 32, 713/176, 707/769, 705/59, 709/219
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/606 Traitor tracing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• 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

Abstract

A system for tracking an illegal distributor and preventing an illegal content distribution includes: a forensic mark generator for receiving content and a content identification code from a content providing apparatus to generate a forensic mark; a forensic mark database for storing the generated forensic mark; a forensic mark insertion unit for inserting the forensic mark into the content; and a content database for storing the content into which the forensic mark has been inserted. The system further includes a content transmitter for transmitting the content into which the forensic mark has been inserted to the content utilization apparatus.

Claims

1. A system for tracking an illegal distributor and preventing an illegal content distribution, the system comprising:

a forensic mark generator configured to receive content and a content identification code from a content providing apparatus to generate a forensic mark by combining the content identification code, a distributor identification code, and a user identification code, wherein the forensic mark generator includes;

a first balanced incomplete block design (BIBD) matrix generation module configured to receive a total number of distributors and a number of first detectable ones in collusion to generate the distributor identification code;

a second BIBD matrix generation module configured to receive a total number of users and a number of second detectable ones in collusion to generate the user identification code;

a forensic mark database configured to store the generated forensic mark and store content transaction information when requested to transmit the content information by a content utilization apparatus afterward;

a forensic mark insertion unit configured to insert the forensic mark into the content;

a content database configured to store the content into which the forensic mark has been inserted; and

a content transmitter configured to transmit the content into which the forensic mark has been inserted to the content utilization apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the forensic mark database stores content transaction information generated based on user information including a user authentication number or a device number transmitted from a content distribution apparatus.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the content transaction information includes at least one of the user information, a downloading time and location information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the forensic mark generator includes an identification code integrating module configured to connect the content identification code, the generated distributor identification code, and the user identification code adjacently to each other to generate a forensic mark.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the forensic mark insertion unit includes:

a synchronized bit stream generator configured to generate a synchronized bit stream to specify a position of an insertion start frame of the forensic mark;

a forensic mark encoder configured to perform error correction code (ECC) encoding on the forensic mark and repeatedly encoding an ECC encoded forensic mark;

a compression decoder configured to decompress the input content;

a watermark pattern generator configured to analyze a histogram of an image of the decompressed content and generating a watermark pattern by using the analysis result;

a modulator configured to modulate the content by inserting the repeatedly encoded forensic mark into a chrominance component frame of the content based on the synchronized bit stream and the watermark pattern; and

a compression encoder configured to compress the modulated content to generate forensic marked content.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a web hard server detects the content identification code to determine the forensic marked content as forensic marked illegal content and transmits the illegal content to the system by detecting a distributor identification code, and wherein the system further comprises a forensic mark detector configured to receive the illegal content and search the forensic mark database for the content identification code to identify the content transaction information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the forensic mark detector includes:

a compression decoder configured to receive and decompress the forensic marked illegal content;

a watermark pattern generator configured to analyzing a histogram of an image of the decompressed content and generating a watermark pattern by using the analysis result;

a correlation value calculating and bit determining unit configured to receive the decompressed content and the watermark pattern, and calculating a correlation value and determining watermark bit information; and

a message decoder configured to repeatedly decode a message bit output from the correlation value calculating and bit determining unit and perform ECC decoding on the repeatedly decoded message bit to extract a forensic mark.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a content transformer configured to transform the content to match a display method of the content utilization apparatus.

9. A method for tracking an illegal distributor and preventing an illegal content distribution, the method comprising:

receiving content and a content identification code from a content providing apparatus;

receiving a total number of distributors and a number of first detectable ones in collusion to generate a distributor identification code;

receiving a total number of users and a number of second detectable ones in collusion to generate a user identification code;

generating a forensic mark by combining the content identification code, the distributor identification code, and the user identification code;

storing the generated forensic mark in a forensic mark database;

inserting the forensic mark into the content;

storing the content into which the forensic mark has been inserted in a content database;

storing content transaction information in the forensic mark database when requested to transmit the content by a content utilization apparatus afterward; and

transmitting the content into which the forensic mark has been inserted to the content utilization apparatus.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the forensic mark database stores content transaction information generated based on user information including a user authentication number or a device number transmitted from a content distribution apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content transaction information includes at least one of the user information, a downloading time and location information.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising connecting the content identification code, the generated distributor identification code, and the user identification code adjacently to each other to generate a forensic mark.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the inserting includes:

generating a synchronized bit stream to specify a position of an insertion start frame of the forensic mark;

performing error correction code (ECC) encoding on the forensic mark and repeatedly encoding an ECC encoded forensic mark;

decompressing the received content;

analyzing a histogram of an image of the decompressed content and generating a watermark pattern by using the analysis result;

modulating the content by inserting the repeatedly encoded forensic mark into a chrominance component frame of the content based on the synchronized bit stream and the watermark pattern; and

compressing the modulated content to generate forensic marked content.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting, at a web hard server, the content identification code to determine the forensic marked content as forensic marked illegal content and detecting a distributor identification code corresponding to the illegal content, and searching the forensic mark database for the content identification code to identify the content transaction information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the searching includes:

receiving and decompressing the forensic marked illegal content;

analyzing a histogram of an image of the decompressed content and generating a watermark pattern by using the analysis result;

receiving the decompressed content and the watermark pattern;

calculating a correlation value and determining watermark bit information to output a message bit; and

repeatedly decoding the output message bit and performing an ECC decoding on the repeatedly decoded message bit to extract a forensic mark.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising transforming the content to match a display method of the content utilization apparatus.