Content objects with computer instructions steganographically encoded therein, and associated methods

• US 7,760,902 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• 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): Le; Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, CLAIRE X
• Application Number:
  US10/857,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20050031159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,244 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 375/200, 375/206, 370/493, 370/495, 370/497
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1418 the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure
• 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: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• 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 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• 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 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0057 Compression invariant watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• 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: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 : visually
• 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 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: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• 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: 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 1/32122 : 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 1/32149 : Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32187 : with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected frequency coefficients
• 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 1/32229 : with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 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 1/32277 : Compression
• 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 1/32352 : 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 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 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• 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

Abstract

Various improvements to digital watermarking are disclosed. For example, a digitally watermarked object can steganographically convey a payload that includes computer instructions (e.g., JAVA, ActiveX, or HTML) that—when decoded—control some manner of operation of an associated instruction processor. One application is a digital movie that, when double-clicked, automatically executes a watermark-embedded Java applet which links through a browser to the movie'"'"'s distributor. The user is then prompted to input a credit card number. After the number has been verified and a charge made, the applet releases the content of the file to the computer'"'"'s viewer for viewing of the movie.

Claims

1. In a method of steganographically encoding content object data to include auxiliary information, the content object data representing visual information or audio information to be rendered to a user, the encoding comprising altering samples of the content object data in accordance with a representation of the auxiliary information so that the encoding is imperceptible when the encoded content object data is rendered, an improvement wherein the auxiliary information comprises computer instructions, and the method includes using said computer instructions, in conjunction with a computing device, to control presentation of information to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said computer instructions cause a processor acting thereon to establish an internet link.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the content object represents visual information and not audio information.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the content object represents audio information and not visual information.

18. The method of claim 1 that includes using said computer instructions to control presentation of content object information to the user.

3. In a method of processing content object data that is to be rendered for sensing by a human, to decode auxiliary information steganographically encoded therein, an improvement wherein the auxiliary information comprises computer instructions, and the method includes providing said computer instructions to an instruction processor, and performing said instructions using said processor to control presentation of information to a user.

4. The method of claim 3 in which said instructions cause the processor to establish an internet link.

5. The method of claim 4 that includes logging information at a remote site using data transmitted using said link.

6. The method of claim 4 that includes presenting to a user a graphical interface soliciting a payment associated with the content object.

7. The method of claim 6 that includes rendering the content object for the user after the user has effected said payment.

19. The method of claim 3 wherein the content object data represents visual information and not audio information.

20. The method of claim 3 wherein the content object data represents audio information and not visual information.

21. The method of claim 3 wherein said instructions control presentation of the content object to the user.

8. A laser-readable storage medium having stored thereon content object data to be rendered for sensing by a human, said data having computer instructions steganographically encoded therein, the computer instructions serving to control presentation of information to a user of said storage medium.

9. The storage medium of claim 8 wherein said content object comprises image data.

10. The storage medium of claim 9 wherein said content object comprises video data.

11. The storage medium of claim 8 wherein said content object comprises a collection of individual objects, and the computer instructions specify how the individual objects are to be collectively rendered.

12. The storage medium of claim 11 wherein the computer instructions include layout instructions and text with which an image content object is to be rendered.

13. A method comprising:

inputting digital data, the data comprising plural-bit values representing audio media content to be rendered;

slightly altering the plural-bit values to steganographically encode auxiliary data therein, yielding encoded audio media content; and

delivering the encoded audio media content to a recipient;

wherein the auxiliary data comprises computer instructions useful to control an operational aspect of a recipient device.

14. In a method of steganographically encoding content object data to include auxiliary information, the content object data representing audio information to be rendered to a user, the encoding comprising altering samples of the content object data in accordance with a representation of the auxiliary information so that the encoding is imperceptible when the encoded content object data is rendered, an improvement wherein the auxiliary information comprises computer instructions.

15. A method of controlling an aspect of operation of a user device, comprising:

receiving audio data object at the user device, audio data of said audio data object being represented by plural-bit values;

analyzing the plural-bit values to decode computer instructions steganographically encoded as slight modifications to said plural-bit values; and

executing the computer instructions;

wherein the computer instructions control an aspect of operation of said user device.