Method and apparatus for embedding auxiliary information within original data

• US 7,197,156 B1
• Filed: 09/23/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Samir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kassa; Yosef
• Application Number:
  US09/404,292
• Time in Patent Office: 2,742 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/233, 382/235, 382250-251, 382/240, 380/210, 380/252, 380/287, 380/54, 380/51, 713/176, 713/179, 348/463, 704/200.1, 704/273, 381/731, 370/527, 370/529
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0202 whereby the quality of watermarked images is measured; Measuring quality or performance of watermarking methods; Balancing between quality and robustness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• 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 1/32299 using more than one embedding method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3232 Robust embedding or watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91342 the copy protection signal being an authentication signal
• 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 2201/328 Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to embedding and/or encoding auxiliary information within original data. For example, in one embodiment, a method of embedding auxiliary information in data is provided. The auxiliary information is not lost with compression of the embedded data. The embedded data initially includes a non-compressed form including the auxiliary information embedded therein. The method includes: (a) retrieving the auxiliary information from the non-compressed form of the embedded data; (b) compressing the non-compressed form of the embedded data; and (c) embedding the retrieved auxiliary information in the compressed embedded data, whereby the compressed embedded data comprises the auxiliary information embedded therein. Other embodiments are provided and claimed as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmarking a media signal by acts of;

detecting a first digital watermark in the media signal, the media signal being embedded with the first digital watermark using a first digital watermark embedding method;

embedding detected message information from the first digital watermark into a second digital watermark in the media signal before the media signal undergoes a transformation process such that the second digital watermark is adapted to survive the transformation process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second digital watermark is increased in amplitude relative to the first digital watermark to survive the transformation process.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second digital watermark is embedded using a different steganographic embedding method than the first digital watermark embedding method.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first digital watermark is at least partially removed before embedding the second digital watermark.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message information includes message symbols and further including:

decoding the message symbols from the first watermark; and

re-embedding the decoded message symbols from the first watermark into the second watermark.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the message symbols include an index to a database entry that stores information about the media signal.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the message symbols include a content identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second digital watermark is embedded using a robustness parameter that is used to control embedding so that the second digital watermark is adapted to survive the transformation process;

and the robustness parameter is specified by a rendering, editing or transmission process that is going to process the media signal after the second digital watermark is embedded in the media signal such that the second digital watermark is adapted to robustness constraints of the rendering, editing or transmission process.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the robustness parameter specifies watermark signal strength, redundancy, or frequency domain locations of the second digital watermark so that the second digital watermark is more likely to survive the transformation process than the first digital watermark.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second digital watermark is embedded using a perceptual quality parameter that is used to control embedding so that the second digital watermark has a perceptual quality adapted for the transformation process;

and wherein the perceptual quality parameter is specified by a rendering, editing or transmission process that is going to process the media signal after the second digital watermark is embedded in the media signal such that the second digital watermark is adapted to perceptual quality constraints of the rendering, editing or transmission process.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the second digital watermark is embedded using a feedback process that repeatedly embeds at least portions of the second digital watermark and selectively adjusts the strength of the second digital watermark in portions of the media signal according to degradation of the watermark measured after applying a degradation process to the watermarked signal or according to perceptual quality measurements.

12. A computer readable medium on which is stored software for performing the method of claim 1.

13. A method of transmarking a media signal previously embedded with a first digital watermark using a first digital watermark embedding method, comprising:

detecting the first digital watermark in the media signal;

converting the media signal to a different format;

embedding detected message information from the first digital watermark into a second digital watermark in the converted media signal such that the second digital watermark is adapted to robustness or perceptibility parameters associated with the new format.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the new format is a compressed format of the media signal.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the second digital watermark is encoded with greater signal strength than the first digital watermark to survive transformation of the media signal in the new format.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the second digital watermark is encoded with lesser signal strength than the first digital watermark so as to be less perceptible in the new format of the media signal.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the first digital watermark is removed before converting the media signal to the different format.

18. A computer readable medium comprising software for performing the method of claim 13 stored thereon.

19. A transmarker for transmarking a media signal previously embedded with a first digital watermark using a first digital watermark embedding method, comprising:

means for detecting the first digital watermark in the media signal;

means for embedding detected message information from the first digital watermark into a second digital watermark in the media signal before the media signal undergoes a transformation process such that the second digital watermark is adapted to survive the transformation process.

20. A transmarker for transmarking a media signal previously embedded with a first digital watermark using a first digital watermark embedding method, comprising:

means for detecting the first digital watermark in the media signal;

means for converting the media signal to a different format;

means for embedding detected message information from the first digital watermark into a second digital watermark in the converted media signal such that the second digital watermark is adapted to robustness or perceptibility parameters associated with the new format.