Reconfiguring a watermark detector

• US 6,522,769 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Carr, J. Scott, Davis, Bruce L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, MARTIN E
• Application Number:
  US09/574,668
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 380/210, 380/252, 380/287, 713/176, 713/100
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• 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 1/32229 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes precedence
• 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

The invention relates to methods, devices and systems for reconfiguring a watermark detector. In many applications, it is useful to be able to change the operation of a watermark detector. Such changes may include changing how the watermark detector decodes or interprets a watermark embedded in a signal of a given media type, such as audio, video or still images.

Claims

1. A method for reconfiguring a watermark detector comprising:

decoding a watermark embedded in a signal of a media type, where the watermark includes a command signal used to trigger a change in operation of the watermark detector;

based on the command signal, changing operation of the watermark detector, including changing how the watermark detector decodes or interprets a watermark in a signal of the media type;

wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the command signal is represented as one or more bits in a payload of the watermark.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein changing operation of the watermark detector comprises re-programming the watermark detector.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein changing operation of the watermark detector includes transferring instructions from a remote location to the detector to replace instructions stored earlier in the detector.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein changing operation of the watermark detector includes changing the watermark detector in accordance with a preprogrammed rule in the watermark detector.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the preprogrammed rule defines a change in a watermark key.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein changing operation of the watermark detector includes changing a watermark key used to decode a watermark.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the watermark key comprises pseudo-random key data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the operation of the watermark detector includes changing how the detector interprets one or more bits of a watermark payload.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the operation of the watermark detector includes changing a response of a device to a watermark signal.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the command signal comprises a combination of bits of a watermark payload.

12. The method of claim 1 including:

changing the operation of the watermark detector with data provided in a watermark payload.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the command signal comprises a one or more bit trigger in the watermark payload.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the data comprises a watermark key in the watermark payload.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the watermark key comprises pseudo-random key data.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein successively-presented watermark payloads in the signal provide the data used to change the operation of the watermark detector.

17. A method for reconfiguring a watermark detector comprising:

receiving a media object and a command associated with the media object signaling that the watermark detector requires an upgrade to decode a watermark from the media object;

in response to the command, updating the watermark detector to create an updated watermark detector; and

decoding the watermark from the media object with the updated watermark detector.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the command is embedded into the media object in a watermark, wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the command is conveyed in channel different than a watermark channel in the media object, and the channel conveying the command is transmitted along with the media object.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the command is conveyed in a header of a file including the media object.

21. A re-programmable watermark detector comprising:

a watermark decoder for detecting a command to upgrade the detector; and

detector instructions that are replaceable in response to detecting the command to upgrade the detector;

wherein the detector instructions control decoding of watermarks embedded in media signals and are replaceable with a different set of instructions for controlling decoding of watermarks in response to the command to upgrade the detector.

22. The detector of claim 21 wherein new instructions are conveyed to the watermark detector along with a media object, wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

23. The detector of claim 22 wherein the new instructions are conveyed in a watermark payload to the watermark decoder for decoding.

24. The detector of claim 22 wherein the detector decodes watermarks embedded in media objects of a media type, and the new instructions are conveyed along with at least one media object of the media type in a channel different than a watermark embedded in the at least one media object.

25. The detector of claim 24 wherein the new instructions are provided in a media object file that includes a media object of the media type.

26. The detector of claim 25 wherein the media object comprises an image signal.

27. The detector of claim 25 wherein the media object comprises an audio signal.

28. A method of encoding an upgrade trigger in a watermark comprising:

receiving a media object of a given media type;

encoding a watermark into the media object, where the watermark includes a command signal used to trigger a change in operation of a watermark detector, the change being operable to change how the watermark detector decodes or interprets a watermark in a signal of the media type, wherein the watermark is perceptibly adapted to the signal such that the watermark is hidden in human perceptible portions of the signal.

29. The method of claim 28 including encoding the command in a payload of the watermark.

30. The method of claim 28 including encoding one or more instructions in the payload of the watermark.

31. The method of claim 28 including:

transmitting the encoded media object to one or more watermark detectors from a location remote to the one or more watermark detectors.