Watermark embedder and reader

• US 7,720,249 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Seth; Manav
• Application Number:
  US10/274,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20030128861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,769 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 380/210, 380/252, 380/287, 380/54, 713/176, 704/200.1, 704/273, 381/73.1, 348/460, 348/463
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/333 Watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• 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 19/18 Constructional details
• 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 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30144 Printing quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 : visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 : using holograms
• 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 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• 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: G07F 7/1016 : Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 : Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00094 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00115 : wherein the record carrier stores a unique medium identifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00181 : using a content identifier, e.g. an international standard recording code [ISRC] or a digital object identifier [DOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 : involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00507 : wherein consecutive physical data units of the record carrier are encrypted with separate encryption keys, e.g. the key changes on a cluster or sector basis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00557 : wherein further management data is encrypted, e.g. sector headers, TOC or the lead-in or lead-out areas
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 : involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/665 : using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 : Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• 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 1/00092 : relating to the original or to the reproducing medium, e.g. imperfections or dirt detecting properties of a sheet H04N1/00681
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• 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 1/32154 : Transform domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• 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 1/32219 : involving changing the position of selected pixels, e.g. word shifting, or involving modulating the size of image components, e.g. of characters H04N1/32224 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32261 : in binary data H04N1/32256 takes precedence
• 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 1/32304 : 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 19/467 : characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 : the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 : the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 : involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3239 : using a plurality of different authentication information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3284 : for error correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

A watermark system includes an embedder, detector, and reader. The watermark embedder encodes a watermark signal in a host signal to create a combined signal. The detector looks for the watermark signal in a potentially corrupted version of the combined signal, and computes its orientation. Finally, a reader extracts a message in the watermark signal from the combined signal using the orientation to approximate the original state of the combined signal. While adapted for images, video and audio, the watermark system applies to other electronic and physical media. For example, it can be applied to mark graphical models, blank paper, film and other substrates, texturing objects for ID purposes, etc.

Claims

1. An image processing method comprising:

using a processor programmed to perform acts of;

detecting first information, including a registration signal used to determine the geometrical distortion of an image; and

in response to determining at least a candidate registration from the first information, employing results obtained from detecting the first information to extract second information from a digital watermark embedded in said image.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first information and said second information are embedded in said image as invisible or less visible electronic watermarks.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a division step of dividing said image into at least one block; and

a selection step of selecting said block.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second information is additional information.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first information and said second information are added to components of said image that are less easily discerned by a human'"'"'s eyes.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed by a printer driver.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of said first information is smaller than the amount of said second information.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the embedding strength of said first information relative to said image is greater than the embedding strength of said second information.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the time required for the extraction of said first information is shorter than the time required for the extraction of said second information.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the number of sets of said first information present in a unit area is greater than the number of sets of said second information.

11. An image processing method comprising:

an input step of inputting image data;

a block division step of dividing said image data into at least one first block, and at least one second block;

a block selection step of selecting said first block, and selecting said second block;

a first information extraction step of extracting first information from said first block that is selected;

an information extraction judgment step of employing said first information to determine whether second information is to be extracted;

a second information extraction step of extracting said second information in accordance with the determination at said information extraction judgment step; and

a control step of controlling an apparatus in accordance with the result obtained at said second information extraction step.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first information and said second information are embedded as electronic watermark information.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the amount of said first information is smaller than the amount of said second information.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the embedding strength of said first information relative to said image is greater than the embedding strength of said second information.

15. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

a color spatial transformation step of employing the determination at said information extraction judgment step to perform a color spatial transformation, or a tone transformation step of employing the determination at said information extraction judgment step to perform a tone transformation.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first information is one-bit electronic watermark information indicating a specific image is included.

17. An image processing method comprising:

using a processor programmed to perform steps of;

a first information extraction step of extracting, from an image, first information indicating candidate attributes of an embedded signal; and

a determination step of employing the candidate attributes obtained at said first information extraction step to determine whether second information, which is additional information steganographically embedded in said image, is to be extracted from said image.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said first information and said second information are embedded in said image as invisible or less visible electronic watermarks.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

a division step of dividing said image into at least one block; and

a selection step of selecting at least one block.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the amount of said first information is smaller than the amount of said second information.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein the embedding strength of said first information relative to said image is greater than the embedding strength of said second information.

22. A method according to claim 17, wherein the information steganographically embedded in the image indicates that the image has been obtained from paper currency or securities.

23. A method according to claim 17, wherein said first information and said second information are added to components of said image that are less easily discerned by a human'"'"'s eyes.

24. A method according to claim 17, wherein information steganographically embedded in the image indicates at least either an issuance country or the value of said paper currency.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein an image process is performed based on said image when information steganographically embedded in the image indicates that the image has been obtained from paper currency or securities.

26. A method according to claim 17, which is performed by a printer driver.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the information extraction step and the determination step are performed by a computer processor.

28. An image processing system, the system comprising:

an electronic memory for storing an electronic image;

a processor in communication with the electronic memory for accessing the electronic image and for detecting first information, including a registration signal used to determine the geometrical distortion of the electronic image; and

in response to determining at least a candidate registration from the first information, the processor employing results obtained from detecting the first information to extract second information from a digital watermark embedded in the electronic image.

29. The image processing device of claim 28 wherein the processor comprises a dedicated hardware processor.

30. An image processing device comprising:

a memory for storing image data;

a first information extraction means in communication with the memory for extracting, from an image, first information indicating candidate attributes of an embedded signal; and

a determination means in communication with the memory and the first information extraction means for employing the candidate attributes obtained at said first information extraction means to determine whether second information, which is additional information steganographically embedded in said image, is to be extracted from said image.

31. An image processing method comprising:

using a programmed processor to perform the acts of;

extracting first information from an electronic image indicating registration attributes of an embedded signal; and

employing the registration attributes obtained from the first information to determine whether second information, which is information steganographically embedded in the electronic image, is to be extracted from the electronic image.

32. A computer readable medium on which is stored instructions, which when executed by the programmed processor, perform the method of claim 31.

33. An image processing system comprising:

an electronic memory for storing an electronic image;

a processor in communication with the electronic memory for extracting first information from an electronic image indicating registration attributes of an embedded signal, and for employing the registration attributes obtained from the first information to determine whether second information, which is information steganographically embedded in the electronic image, is to be extracted from the electronic image.