Conditional access using embedded watermarks

• US 9,323,902 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Original Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Inventors: Petrovic, Rade, Zhao, Jian, Winograd, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Jahangir
• Application Number:
  US13/324,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32154 Transform domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods, devices and computer program products facilitate conditional access to a content embedded with watermarks. For such a content, when copy control rules associated with an embedded watermark message prohibits unconditional access to the content, it is determined whether or not an exception to the copy control rules exists, and if an exception to the copy control rules exists, the content is conditionally accessed. Additional watermark messages can be extracted while the content is being conditionally accessed, and based on the additionally extracted watermark messages, it is verified that conditional access to the content has been fulfilled.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

extracting an embedded first watermark message from a content by a watermark extractor that is implemented at least partially in hardware, wherein the content includes the first embedded watermark message, a second embedded watermark message and additional watermark messages embedded therein, and wherein the embedded first watermark message is a copy control watermark and copy control rules associated with the extracted first watermark message prohibits unconditional access to the content;

extracting the embedded second watermark message from the content, wherein the second watermark message includes a different value than the first watermark message;

based on the extracted second watermark message, determining whether or not an exception to the copy control rules exists, and upon a determination that an exception to the copy control rules exists;

enabling a conditional access to the content;

extracting the additional watermark messages from the content while the content is being conditionally accessed; and

based on the additionally extracted watermark messages, verifying that the conditional access to the content has been fulfilled for at least the sections of the content that include the additionally extracted watermark messages, wherein verifying that the conditional access to the content has been fulfilled includes determining whether all or only sections of the content that are subject to the conditional access have been accessed, and triggering an additional action upon a determination that only sections of the content that are subject to the conditional access have been accessed, wherein the copy control rules associated with the first watermark message are applicable to the content as initially released to public, and the second watermark message enables the determination as to whether or not a new exception to the copy control rules exists based on elapsed time from the initial public release date of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of the extracted second watermark message and the additionally extracted watermark messages comprises a time-code; and

verifying that the conditional access has been fulfilled comprises determining whether or not all time-codes associated conditionally accessible portions of the content have been extracted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

each of the extracted second watermark message and the additionally extracted watermark messages comprises a time-code;

and

the exception to the copy control rules comprises allowing access to the content in exchange for viewing of an advertisement that is played back simultaneously with the content during a specific time interval as determined by the time-codes of the extracted second watermark message and the additionally extracted watermark messages.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the advertisement is selected based on the subject matter of the content during the specific time interval.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional action includes providing a refund or an incentive for the sections of the content that are subject to conditional access but have not been accessed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

an exception to the copy control rules does not exist; and

an alternative to accessing the content is offered to a user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the alternative comprises at least one of:

directing the user to a web site where a version of the content can be obtained, informing the user of content show times at one or more movie theatres, a recommendation of similar content, or a date on which the content becomes available for sale or rent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether or not an exception to the copy control rules exists comprises:

obtaining an identification value associated with the extracted second watermark message; and

obtaining information indicative of available exceptions to the copy control rules from a database that comprises metadata associated with the identification value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata is further used to carry out at least one of:

accessing additional information about the content using the Internet,

playing games,

interacting with other consumers of the content using a social network, or

purchasing merchandise related to the content.

10. A device, comprising:

a watermark extractor that is implemented at least partially in hardware and configured to extract an embedded first watermark message from a content, wherein the content includes the first embedded watermark message, a second embedded watermark message and additional watermark messages embedded therein and wherein the embedded first watermark message is a copy control watermark and copy control rules associated with the extracted first watermark message prohibits unconditional access to the content, the watermark extractor further configured to;

extract the embedded second watermark message from the content, wherein the second watermark message includes a different value than the first watermark message;

upon a determination that an exception to the copy control rules exists, enable a conditional access to the content;

extract the additional watermark messages from the content while the content is being conditionally accessed, and

based on the additionally extracted watermark messages, verify that the conditional access to the content has been fulfilled, wherein verification that the conditional access to the content has been fulfilled includes a determination as to whether all or only sections of the content that is subject to the conditional access has been accessed, and trigger of an additional action upon a determination that only sections of the content that are subject to the conditional access have been accessed; and

a watermark assessment component configured to determine, based on the extracted second watermark message, whether or not an exception to the copy control rules exists for at least the sections of the content that include the additionally extracted watermark messages, wherein the copy control rules associated with the first watermark message are applicable to the content as initially released to public, and the second watermark message enables the determination as to whether or not a new exception to the copy control rules exists based on elapsed time from the initial public release date of the content.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein:

each of the extracted second watermark message and the additionally extracted watermark messages comprises a time-code; and

the watermark extractor is configured to verify that the conditional access has been fulfilled by, at least in-part, determining whether or not all time-codes associated conditionally accessible portions of the content have been extracted.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein:

each of the extracted second watermark message and the additionally extracted watermark messages comprises a time-code; and

the exception to the copy control rules comprises allowing access to the content in exchange for viewing of an advertisement that is played back simultaneously with the content during a specific time interval as determined by the time-codes of the extracted second watermark message and the additionally extracted watermark messages.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the advertisement is selected based on the subject matter of the content during the specific time interval.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein:

an exception to the copy control rules does not exist; and

an alternative to accessing the content is offered to a user.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the alternative comprises at least one of:

directing the user to a web site where a version of the content can be obtained, informing the user of content show times at one or more movie theatres, a recommendation of similar content, or a date on which the content becomes available for sale or rent.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the watermark extractor is configured to determine whether or not an exception to the copy control rules exists by at least in-part:

obtaining an identification value associated with the extracted second watermark message; and

obtaining information indicative of available exceptions to the copy control rules from a database that comprises metadata associated with the identification value.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the metadata is further used to carry out at least one of:

accessing additional information about the content using the Internet,

playing games,

interacting with other consumers of the content using a social network, or

purchasing merchandise related to the content.

18. A device comprising:

a processor; and

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

extract an embedded first watermark message from a content, wherein the content includes the first embedded watermark message, a second embedded watermark message and additional watermark messages embedded therein and wherein the embedded first watermark message is a copy control watermark and copy control rules associated with the extracted first watermark message prohibits unconditional access to the content;

extract the embedded second watermark message from the content, wherein the second watermark message includes a different value than the first watermark message;

based on the extracted second watermark message, determine whether or not an exception to the copy control rules exists, and upon a determination that an exception to the copy control rules exists;

enable a conditional access to the content;

extract additional watermark messages from the content while the content is being conditionally accessed; and

based on the additionally extracted watermark messages, verify that the conditional access to the content has been fulfilled for at least the sections of the content that include the additionally extracted watermark messages, wherein verification that the conditional access to the content has been fulfilled includes a determination as to whether all or only sections of the content that is subject to the conditional access has been accessed, and trigger of an additional action upon a determination that only sections of the content that are subject to the conditional access have been accessed, wherein the copy control rules associated with the first watermark message are applicable to the content as initially released to public, and the second watermark message enables the determination as to whether or not a new exception to the copy control rules exists based on elapsed time from the initial public release date of the content.

19. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising a set of program codes, when executed by a processor, the set of program codes causes the processor to perform a set of operations, the operations comprising:

extracting an embedded first watermark message from a content, wherein the content includes the first embedded watermark message, a second embedded watermark message and additional watermark messages embedded therein and wherein the embedded first watermark message is a copy control watermark and copy control rules associated with the extracted first watermark message prohibits unconditional access to the content;

extracting the embedded second watermark message from the content, wherein the second watermark message includes a different value than the first watermark message;

based on the extracted second watermark message, determining whether or not an exception to the copy control rules exists, and upon a determination that an exception to the copy control rules exists;

enabling a conditional access to the content;

extracting the additional watermark messages from the content while the content is being conditionally accessed; and

based on the additionally extracted watermark messages, verifying that the conditional access to the content has been fulfilled for at least the sections of the content that include the additionally extracted watermark messages, wherein verifying that the conditional access to the content has been fulfilled includes determining whether all or only sections of the content that is subject to the conditional access has been accessed, and triggering an additional action upon a determination that only sections of the content that are subject to the conditional access have been accessed, wherein the copy control rules associated with the first watermark message are applicable to the content as initially released to public, and the second watermark message enables the determination as to whether or not a new exception to the copy control rules exists based on elapsed time from the initial public release date of the content.