Method and system for preventing reproduction of professional photographs

• US 6,751,320 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2001
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US09/882,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20020048387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 380/201, 380/54, 380/59, 382/232, 382/286, 355/40, 355/41, 250/202
• US Class Current: 380/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0081 whereby both original and watermarked images are required at decoder, e.g. destination-based, non-blind, non-oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0662 : with particular pseudorandom sequence generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 : with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 : Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• 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 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 : based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 : Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus
• 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 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 : Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 : Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24876 : Intermediate layer contains particulate material [e.g., pigment, etc.]

Abstract

A reproduction apparatus (e.g., photo kiosk) includes a lens for imaging a customer-provided original onto an opto-electronic detector for producing image data, and a reproduction system for producing a copy therefrom. Images that are to be resistant against copying on such apparatuses can be printed on photographic emulsion medium having a subliminal marking. The marking can be detected from visible-light scan data corresponding to the medium, yet such marking is inconspicuous upon human inspection. The apparatus passes the scan data to a processor that looks for evidence of such a marking. If found, the processor issues a signal that interrupts a usual reproduction-making process of the apparatus. The system is useful, e.g., to prevent unauthorized copying of professional photographs, such as wedding portraits.

Claims

1. In a reproduction apparatus including a lens for imaging a customer-provided input medium onto an opto-electronic detector for producing image data, and a reproduction system for producing an output medium having an image formed thereon in accordance with said image data, an improvement comprising:

an input photographic emulsion medium having thereon a marking, said marking being discernable from image data produced by the opto-electronic detector when the input medium is scanned with visible light illumination, yet said marking is inconspicuous upon human inspection of said medium;

a memory for receiving said data from the opto-electronic detector and providing same to a processor; and

a control circuit responsive to a signal output from said processor, the control circuit interrupting a usual reproduction-making process of said reproduction system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the image data stored in the memory serves both as an input to the processor that interrupts said usual reproduction-making process if the marking is present, and also serves to define an image that is produced by the apparatus if the marking is absent.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the opto-electronic detector serves both in sensing said marking—

if present, and also capturing an image to be reproduced.

4. In a reproduction apparatus including a lens for imaging a customer-provided input medium onto an opto-electronic detector for producing image data, and a reproduction system for producing an output medium in accordance with said image data, an improved method of operation including:

providing to said apparatus an input photographic emulsion medium having thereon a marking, said marking being discernable from image data produced by the opto-electronic detector when the input medium is scanned with visible light illumination, yet said marking is inconspicuous upon human inspection of said medium;

providing said image data to a processor;

receiving from said processor a control signal indicating detection of said marking; and

interrupting a usual reproduction-making process of said reproduction system in response to said control signal.

5. The method of claim 4 in which said marking data encodes plural bits of auxiliary data.

6. The method of claim 4 that includes processing the image data to yield said control signal.

7. The method of claim 6 in which said processing discerns the presence of said marking notwithstanding a rotational misalignment of said medium from a correct alignment thereof.

8. The method of claim 6 in which said processing includes performing a plurality of statistical analyses on said image data.

9. The method of claim 6 in which said processing includes performing a spectral analysis of the image data to discern spectral components thereof.

10. The method of claim 6 in which said processing includes transforming the image data to a spatial frequency domain.

11. The method of claim 8 which further includes identifying a pattern in said frequency domain data.

12. The method of claim 4 in which said image data also serves to define an image that is produced by the apparatus if the marking is absent.