Forensic marking using a common customization function

• US 9,009,482 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vobile Incorporated (Vobile Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Inventors: Winograd, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HERZOG, MADHURI R
• Application Number:
  US14/038,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20140029786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 726176-181, 713176-181, 380200-226, 380236-242, 382/100, 382181-231
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• 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 1/0085 Time domain based watermarking, e.g. watermarks spread over several images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0063 in relation to collusion attacks, e.g. collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus are disclosed which enable flexible insertion of forensic watermarks into a digital content signal using a common customization function. The common customization function flexibly employs a range of different marking techniques that are applicable to a wide range of forensic marking schemes. These customization functions are also applicable to pre-processing and post-processing operations that may be necessary for enhancing the security and transparency of the embedded marks, as well as improving the computational efficiency of the marking process. The common customization function supports a well-defined set of operations specific to the task of forensic mark customization that can be carried out with a modest and preferably bounded effort on a wide range of devices. This is accomplished through the use of a generic transformation technique for use as a “customization” step for producing versions of content forensically marked with any of a multiplicity of mark messages.

Claims

1. A method for producing a marked content, comprising:

receiving customization information and a plurality of tributaries, the plurality of tributaries having been produced by pre-processing an original content or content element; and

processing two or more of the received tributaries in accordance with the customization information using a common customization function to produce a marked content, wherein

the customization information and the plurality of the tributaries are sufficient for producing the marked content with any of a multiplicity of mark messages, without a further need for utilizing said original content, and

the customization information comprises instructions to the common customization function as to how the received tributaries should be combined to produce a marked content that comprises one or more of the mark messages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common customization function is responsive to instructions provided by the customization information to enable the production of the marked content in accordance with a plurality of different marking techniques.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the customization information specifies a mark encoding protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mark encoding protocol includes one or more message formation protocols.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more message formation protocols include one or more of the following:

an encryption protocol, a digital signature protocol, a hashing protocol, a channel coding protocol or an error correction code protocol.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the mark encoding protocol provides a mapping of each mark message into pre-defined mark sequences.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mark encoding protocol uses a look-up table for the mapping.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the received tributaries comprises instructions for generating an alternate version of the original content or content element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the marked content is a representation of the original content in which one or more segments of the original content is replaced with one or more alternate segments.

10. A device, comprising:

a receiver implemented at least partly in hardware and configured to receive customization information and a plurality of tributaries, the plurality of tributaries and customization information having been produced by preprocessing an original content or content element; and

a common customization component implemented at least partly in hardware and configured to process two or more of the received tributaries in accordance with the customization information to produce a marked content, wherein;

the customization information and the plurality of the tributaries are sufficient for producing the marked content with any of a multiplicity of mark messages, without a further need for utilizing said original content, and

the customization information comprises instructions to the common customization component as to how the received tributaries should be combined to produce a marked content that comprises one or more of the mark messages.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the common customization component is responsive to instructions provided by the customization information to enable the production of the marked content in accordance with a plurality of different marking techniques.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the customization information specifies a mark encoding protocol.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the mark encoding protocol includes one or more message formation protocols.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more message formation protocols include one or more of the following:

an encryption protocol, a digital signature protocol, a hashing protocol, a channel coding protocol or an error correction code protocol.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the mark encoding protocol provides a mapping of each mark message into pre-defined mark sequences.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the mark encoding protocol uses a took-up table for the mapping.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the received tributaries comprises instructions for generating an alternate version of the original content or content element.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the marked content is a representation of die original content in which one or more segments of the original content is replaced with one or more alternate segments.

19. A device, comprising:

a processor, and

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

receive customization information and a plurality of tributaries, the plurality of tributaries having been produced by pre-processing an original content or content element; and

process two or more of the received tributaries in accordance with the customization information using a common customization function to produce a marked content, wherein

the customization information and the plurality of the tributaries are sufficient for producing the marked content with any of a multiplicity of mark messages, without a further need for utilizing said original content, and

the customization information comprises instructions to the common customization function as to how the received tributaries should be combined to produce a marked content that comprises one or more of the mark messages.

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

program code for receiving customization information and a plurality of tributaries, the plurality of tributaries having been produced by pre-processing an original content or content element; and

program code for processing two or more of the received tributaries in accordance with the customization information using a common customization function to produce a marked content, wherein

the customization information and the plurality of the tributaries are sufficient for producing the marked content with any of a multiplicity of mark messages, without a further need for utilizing said original content, and

the customization information comprises instructions to the common customization function as to how the received tributaries should be combined to produce a marked content that comprises one or more of the mark messages.