Methods for monitoring audio and images on the internet

• US 7,486,799 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso; Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US11/668,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20070286451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/306, 235/494, 356/71, 340/5.6, 340/5.86, 348/460, 358/3.28, 380/42, 380/51, 380/54, 380/200, 380232-234, 380/247, 380/255, 380275-285, 705/44, 705/58, 704/273, 707/9, 707/101, 713/168
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• 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 2201/323 for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies

Abstract

An Internet monitoring method identifies content on the Internet through embedded data and pattern matching, determines the owners of the content and notifies the owners of this use of their audio or images on the Internet.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring distribution of digital image or audio signals on the Internet, the method comprising:

automatically obtaining audio or image signals from the Internet;

automatically identifying plural of the obtained signals in which digital watermark data is imperceptibly embedded and decoding the digital watermark data from the obtained signals;

by reference to said decoded digital watermark data, determining owners of the audio or image signals;

creating a report identifying the audio or image signals; and

providing the report to the owners.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital watermark data includes public and private codes imperceptibly embedded in the audio or image signals.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the image signals include video signals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio or image signals are automatically obtained by downloading files including the audio or image signals from the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically obtaining includes randomly downloading audio or image signals from one or more Internet sites.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining owners includes consulting a registry that associate identification codes carried in the digital watermark data with owner information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital watermark data includes an identification code from which distribution information about the audio or image signals is obtained.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital watermark data includes a pattern robust to scale or rotation changes to facilitate detection in scaled or rotated signals.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the pattern comprises a symmetric pattern.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the pattern comprises a frequency domain pattern.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital watermark data includes an index into a registry database storing information identifying an owner associated with the audio or image signal from which the watermark data is decoded.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital watermark data includes an index into a registry database storing information identifying distribution information associated with the audio or image signal from which the watermark data is decoded.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the obtaining includes obtaining the audio or image signals from an Internet channel through which the audio or image signals are transmitted.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the obtaining includes obtaining the audio or image signals in an Internet tollgate that flags recognition of the audio or image signals passing through the tollgate.

15. A method of monitoring distribution of digital image or audio signals on the Internet, the method comprising:

automatically obtaining audio or image signals from the Internet;

automatically identifying plural of the obtained signals by performing plural pattern matching between the obtained audio or image signals and plural stored patterns to generate identification data;

by reference to said identification data, determining owners of the audio or image signals;

creating a report identifying the audio or image signals; and

providing the report to the owners.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the audio or image signals are automatically obtained by downloading files from the Internet that includes the audio or image signals.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein automatically obtaining includes randomly downloading audio or image signals from one or more Internet sites.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein determining owners includes consulting a registry that associates identification data with owner information.

19. A method of monitoring distribution of digital image or audio signals on the Internet, the method comprising:

automatically obtaining audio or image signals from the Internet;

processing the obtained audio or image signals to produce processed data;

automatically identifying plural of the obtained signals by performing plural pattern matching operations between the processed data and plural stored patterns;

by reference to the identification of said audio or image signals, determining proprietors thereof;

creating a report identifying the audio or image signals; and

providing the report to the proprietors.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the audio or image signals are automatically obtained by downloading files from the Internet that include the audio or image signals.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein automatically obtaining includes randomly downloading audio or image signals from one or more Internet sites.

22. The method of claim 19 that includes consulting a registry that asociates identification data with proprietor information.