Steganographic encoding and decoding

• US 8,983,120 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Reed, Alastair M., Sharma, Ravi K., Rodriguez, Tony F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US13/971,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20130336521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/162, 382/165, 382/176, 713/176
• US Class Current: 382/100
• 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 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• 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 1/32267 combined with processing of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32309 in colour image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6005 with luminance or chrominance signals, e.g. LC1C2, HSL or YUV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6008 with primary colour signals, e.g. RGB or CMY(K)
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3228 further additional information (metadata) being comprised in the identification information
• 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

This patent document relates generally to steganography and digital watermarking. One claim recites a method comprising: receiving data representing image or video, in which the data comprises first data corresponding to first color data, second data corresponding to second color data and third data corresponding to third color data, the image or video to host auxiliary information; weighting the first data, the second data and the third data according to at least the following two factors: i) a color direction biased toward an expected embedding direction; and ii) expected image or video distortion introduced to the first data, the second data or the third data through image capture or signal processing; determining, from weighted first data, weighted second data and weighted third data, changes in an image or video attribute; and transforming the data representing image or video with the changes, in which the auxiliary information is conveyed through the changes. Of course, other claims are provided too.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data representing image or video, in which the data comprises first data corresponding to first color data, second data corresponding to second color data and third data corresponding to third color data, the image or video to host auxiliary information;

weighting the first data, the second data and the third data according to at least the following two factors;

i) a color direction biased toward an expected embedding direction; and

ii) expected image or video distortion introduced to the first data, the second data or the third data through image capture or signal processing;

determining, from weighted first data, weighted second data and weighted third data, changes in an image or video attribute; and

transforming the data representing image or video with the changes, in which the auxiliary information is conveyed through the changes.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the data representing image or video is weighted for detection in a blue-yellow direction.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the first data, the second data and the third data respectively correspond to red, green and blue.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the expected image or video distortion is attributable to at least one of compression, signal processing or signal sampling.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, said instructions cause an electronic processor to perform the method of claim 1.

6. A programmed computing device comprising instructions stored in memory to cause said programmed computing device to perform the method of claim 1.

7. An apparatus comprising:

memory for storing data representing an image or video, in which the data comprises first data corresponding to first color data, second data corresponding to second color data and third data corresponding to third color data, the image or video to host auxiliary information;

a processor programmed for;

weighting the first data, the second data and the third data according to at least the following two factors;

i) a color direction biased toward an expected embedding direction; and

ii) expected image or video distortion introduced to the first data, the second data or the third data through image capture or signal processing;

determining, from weighted first data, weighted second data and weighted third data, changes in an image or video attribute; and

transforming the data representing image or video with the changes, in which the auxiliary information is conveyed through the changes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the data representing image or video is weighted for detection in a blue-yellow direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the first data, the second data and the third data respectively correspond to red, green and blue.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the expected image or video distortion is attributable to at least one of compression, signal processing or signal sampling.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a processor to perform the following:

controlling receipt of data representing image or video, in which the data comprises first data corresponding to first color data, second data corresponding to second color data and third data corresponding to third color data, the image or video to host auxiliary information;

weighting the first data, the second data and the third data according to at least the following two factors;

i) a color direction biased toward an expected embedding direction; and

ii) expected image or video distortion introduced to the first data, the second data or the third data through image capture or signal processing;

determining, from weighted first data, weighted second data and weighted third data, changes for the data representing image or video, in which the auxiliary information is conveyed through the changes; and

introducing the changes to the data representing the image or video.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 in which first data, the second data and the third data is weighted for detection in a blue-yellow direction.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 in which the first data, the second data and the third data respectively correspond to red, green and blue.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 in which the expected image or video distortion is attributable to at least one of compression, signal processing or signal sampling.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing data representing an image or video, in which the data comprises first data corresponding to first color data, second data corresponding to second color data and third data corresponding to third color data, the image or video to host auxiliary information;

means for weighting the first data, the second data and the third data according to at least the following two factors;

i) a color direction biased toward an expected embedding direction; and

ii) expected image or video distortion introduced to the first data, the second data or the third data through image capture or signal processing; and

means for determining, from weighted first data, weighted second data and weighted third data, changes for the data representing the image or video; and

means for transforming the data representing image or video with the changes, in which the auxiliary information is conveyed through the changes.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the data representing image or video is weighted for detection in a blue-yellow direction.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the first data, the second data and the third data respectively correspond to red, green and blue.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the expected image or video distortion is attributable to at least one of compression, signal processing or signal sampling.