Watermarking with separate application of the grid and payload signals

• US 6,973,197 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choobin, Barry
• Application Number:
  US10/154,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20020145759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/151, 382/294, 358/3.28, 358/1.4, 358/3.3, 713/176, 283/113
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• 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 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32309 in colour image data
• 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 2201/3233 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

The watermark grid signal and the watermark payload signal are separately applied to an image. The process is particularly useful in situations where variable data such as serial numbers (or other image specific data) is being embedded in a series of images. In such situations the grid signal can be uniform over an entire sequence of images and only the payload signal need be changed before being printed on each image. The time, computational and labor intensive processes can be applied to the task of embedding the grid signal in the image to insure that visual artifacts are not created. After the image has been changed to embed the grid signal, the payload data can be inserted into at least a selected part of the image. Since the payload signal is less likely to create visual artifacts than the uniform grid signal, less effort need be used to avoid creating visual artifacts due to the payload signal. The relatively random nature of the payload data can be relied upon to avoid creating significant visual artifacts. The same bifurcated process can be used to apply digital watermarks to other media such as sound recordings where potential artifacts are in the nature of sound anomalies rather that visual artifacts.

Claims

1. A method of applying serialized data to a series of documents comprising:

creating a first watermark component including orientation information,

creating a series of second watermark components including serialized payload data,

embedding the first watermark component in a first image, printing each of a series of documents with the first image using a high quality printing process,

embedding the series of second watermark components respectively in a second series of images, and

printing the second series of images respectively on the series of documents using a fast printing process.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the orientation information is helpful in resolving at least one of scaling and rotation.

2. A method of printing a document with digital watermarking comprising:

first printing said document with a watermark including orientation information; and

then

second printing at least a portion of said document with a watermark including a payload signal.

3. The method recited in claim 2 where said first printing comprises a high quality printing process.

4. The method recited in claim 2 wherein said second printing comprises a high speed printing process.

5. A method of printing a watermarked document comprising:

receiving a first watermark component comprising orientation information,

printing the first watermark component on said document, receiving a second watermark component comprising plural-bit payload data,

separately printing the second watermark component on said document, said second watermark component being printed in alignment with the printing of said first watermark component,

whereby said plural-bit payload can be read from said document by first detecting said orientation information and using at least one of alignment and scale determined from said orientation information to read said plural-bit payload data.

6. The method recited in claim 5 wherein said first watermark component is printed with a high quality printing process.

7. The method recited in claim 5 wherein said plural-bit payload data comprises serialization information.

8. The method recited in claim 5 further comprising printing a plurality of different documents, wherein each of the documents comprises the first watermark component, with each of the documents then comprising a plurality of different plural-bit payloads.

9. The method recited in claim 5 wherein said second watermark component is printed using a high speed printing process.

10. The method recited in claim 6 wherein said plural-bit payload data comprises serialization information.

11. A method of printing a steganographically marked object comprising:

printing first indicia on an object surface, wherein the first indicia includes orientation information steganographically hidden therein; and

separately printing second indicia on the surface, wherein the second indicia includes plural-bit data steganographically hidden therein, wherein

said first indicia and second indicia are printed in alignment with each other.