Method and apparatus for generating, sensing, and adjusting watermarks

• US 7,272,240 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Purkayastha, Debashish, Goldberg, Steven Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta; Bhavesh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kuhn; Jordan
• Application Number:
  US11/286,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100
• 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 2201/0202 whereby the quality of watermarked images is measured; Measuring quality or performance of watermarking methods; Balancing between quality and robustness

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating and adjusting a watermark in a watermarking system comprising a watermark generator and a watermark detector includes the watermark generator emitting the watermark. The watermark detector detects the watermark. The watermark detector transmits a signal to the watermark generator. The watermark generator then adjusts the generated watermark based on the signal received from the watermark detector.

Claims

1. A method for generating and adjusting a watermark in a watermarking system comprising a watermark generator and a watermark detector, the method comprising:

the watermark generator emitting the watermark into an environment;

the watermark detector detecting the watermark;

the watermark detector transmitting a signal to the watermark generator; and

the watermark generator adjusting the generated watermark based on the signal received from the watermark detector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark generator emits a watermark onto a pre-selected object or area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the watermark generator emits a watermark onto the pre-selected object when the pre-selected object enters the pre-selected area, tracks the pre-selected object as the pre-selected object moves within the pre-selected area, and ceases to emit the watermark when the pre-selected object exits the pre-selected area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark generator emits the watermark upon a subject.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the watermark generator is disposed upon the subject.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark generator emits the watermark onto a screen.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the screen is a mist screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark detector and the watermark generator are collocated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark detector and the watermark generator are located distant to one another.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the watermark detector are in wireless communication with one another.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of the watermark detector sensing the environment without the presence of the watermark.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the watermark detector determines no adjustment is necessary in the generated watermark.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the watermark detector determines an adjustment for the watermark.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising a sensing device, capable of sensing the environment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the watermark detector emits a light, into the environment and senses the reflected light.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the watermark detector estimates the location of the sensing device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the watermark detector determines the adjustment to the watermark based upon the estimate of the location of the sensing device, and the reflected light.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the watermark detector transmits an adjustment signal to the watermark generator.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the watermark generator adjusts the watermark based on the adjustment signal received from the watermark detector.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the adjustment includes increasing or decreasing the intensity of the emitted watermark.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the watermark detector detecting the adjusted watermark.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark detector and the watermark generator are a single entity.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark contains metadata about a subject.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark generator emits an audible watermark.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark generator emits a visual watermark.

26. In a watermarking system comprising a watermark generator generating a watermark into an environment and a watermark detector detecting the watermark, the watermark detector comprising:

a transmitter;

a sensor; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter and the sensor. wherein an application runs on the processor, the sensor senses the watermark, the processor determines an adjustment for the watermark, and the processor transmits an adjustment signal to the watermark generator through the transmitter.

27. The watermark detector of claim 26, wherein the watermark detector further comprises an emitter, wherein the emitter emits a light, the sensor senses the light and forwards the sensed light to the processor, and the processor determines the adjustment signal based on the sensed light and watermark.

28. The watermark detector of claim 26, further comprising an antenna in communication with the transmitter.

29. The watermark detector of claim 26, wherein the watermark detector and the watermark generator further comprise a global position system (GPS), wherein the GPS tracks the relative location of the watermark generator and the watermark detector to one another.

30. In a watermarking system comprising a watermark generator generating a watermark into an environment and a watermark detector detecting the watermark. the watermark detector including an integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a transmitter;

a sensor; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter and the sensor, wherein an application runs on the processor, the sensor senses the watermark, the processor determines an adjustment for the watermark, and the processor transmits an adjustment signal to the watermark generator through the transmitter.

31. The IC of claim 30, wherein the IC further comprises an emitter, wherein the emitter emits a light, the sensor senses the light and forwards the sensed light to the processor, and the processor determines the adjustment signal based on the sensed light and watermark.

32. The IC of claim 30, further comprising an antenna in detector to one another.

33. the IC of claim 30, wherein the watermark detector and the watermark generator further comprise a global position system (GPS), wherein the GPS tracks the relative location of the watermark generator and the watermark detector to one another.