Steganographic encoding and decoding

• US 9,185,260 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• 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:
  US14/565,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 an apparatus comprising: electronic memory for buffering samples corresponding to imagery; and a programmed processor. The processor is programmed for: analyzing the samples corresponding to the imagery to determine whether a color value comprises color saturation; adjusting the samples to adjust the color saturation into a linear region, the adjusting yielding adjusted samples; encoding the auxiliary information in the adjusted samples, said encoding adapted to an anticipated watermark detection. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.

Claims

1. In a digital watermark encoder, a method of encoding auxiliary information in imagery comprising:

using a programmed electronic processor, analyzing data representing the imagery to determine whether a color value comprises color saturation;

adjusting the data representing the imagery to adjust the color saturation into a linear region, said adjusting yielding adjusted data;

encoding the auxiliary information in the adjusted data, said encoding adapted to an anticipated watermark detection.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the anticipated watermark detection comprises a metric representing distortion attributable to an optical sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the distortion comprises at least one of compression, noise or signal sampling.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the encoding changes color values in the blue-yellow direction.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the changes are made to reduce watermark visibility.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the encoding introduces changes in chrominance, in which a set of changes are made to have an equivalent change in chrominance while being weighted differently among a plurality of color channels.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the method of claim 1.

8. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for buffering samples corresponding to imagery;

a processor programmed for;

analyzing the samples corresponding to imagery to determine whether a color value comprises color saturation;

adjusting the samples corresponding to imagery to adjust the color saturation into a linear region, the adjusting yielding adjusted samples;

encoding the auxiliary information in the adjusted samples, said encoding adapted to an anticipated watermark detection.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the anticipated watermark detection comprises a metric representing distortion attributable to an optical sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the distortion comprises at least one of compression, noise or signal sampling.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the encoding changes color values in the blue-yellow direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the changes are made to reduce watermark visibility.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the encoding introduces changes in luminance.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the encoding introduces changes in chrominance, in which a set of changes are made to have an equivalent change in chrominance while being weighted differently among a plurality of color channels.

15. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for buffering samples corresponding to imagery;

means for analyzing the samples conesponding to imagery to determine whether a color value comprises color saturation;

means for adjusting the samples conesponding to imagery to adjust the color saturation into a linear region, the adjusting yielding adjusted samples;

means for encoding the auxiliary information in the adjusted samples, the encoding adapted to an anticipated watermark detection.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the anticipated watermark detection comprises a metric representing distortion attributable to an optical sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the distortion comprises at least one of compression, noise or signal sampling.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the encoding changes color values in the blue-yellow direction.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the changes are made to reduce watermark visibility.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the encoding introduces changes in luminance.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the encoding introduces changes in chrominance, in which a set of changes are made to have an equivalent change in chrominance while being weighted differently among a plurality of color channels.