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

• US 8,144,924 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• 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): Wang, Claire X
• Application Number:
  US12/839,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20110013802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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. A method comprising:

encoding content object data to include auxiliary information,

wherein the encoding comprises altering at least a portion of the content object data to include a representation of the auxiliary information,

wherein the encoding is imperceptible in a rendered version of the content object data, and

wherein the auxiliary information comprises at least one computer instruction configured to cause a computer system to perform an action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer instruction causes the computer system to establish a network link.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the content object data as digital data that includes at least one plural-bit value representing audio or video content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the encoding comprises altering the at least one plural-bit value to steganographically encode the auxiliary information in the audio or video content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the encoded content object data to the computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer instruction comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) instruction.

7. A method, comprising:

decoding content object data having auxiliary information steganographically encoded therein, wherein the auxiliary information includes at least one computer instruction;

and executing, using a processor, the at least one computer instruction, wherein the at least one computer instruction causes the processor to perform an action.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the action comprises establishing a network link.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising logging information based at least in part on data transmitted through the network link.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating a graphical user interface configured to receive a payment associated with the content object data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising rendering the content object data upon receipt of the payment.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the content object data comprises at least one plural-bit value associated with video content, and wherein the decoding comprises analyzing the at least one plural-bit value to decode the at least one computer instruction.

13. A device, comprising:

a memory configured to store content object data; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to encode the content object data to include auxiliary information,

wherein the encoding comprises altering at least a portion of the content object data to include a representation of the auxiliary information,

wherein the encoding is imperceptible in a rendered version of the content object data, and

wherein the auxiliary information includes at least one computer instruction configured to cause a computer system to perform an action.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a receiver operatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive the content object data as digital data that includes at least one plural-bit value representing audio or video content.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to encode content object data to include auxiliary information,

wherein the encoding comprises altering at least a portion of the content object data to include a representation of the auxiliary information,

wherein the encoding is imperceptible in a rendered version of the content object data, and

wherein the auxiliary information comprises at least one computer instruction configured to cause a computer system to perform an action.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one computer instruction causes the computer system to establish a network link.

17. A device comprising:

a memory configured to store content object data having auxiliary information steganographically encoded therein, wherein the auxiliary information includes at least one computer instruction; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to;

decode the content object data to obtain the at least one computer instruction; and

execute the at least one computer instruction to perform an action.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a graphical user interface configured to receive a payment associated with the content object data; and

render the content object data upon receipt of the payment.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive content object data having auxiliary information steganographically encoded therein, wherein the auxiliary information includes at least one computer instruction;

instructions to decode the content object data to obtain the at least one computer instruction; and

instructions to execute the at least one computer instruction to perform an action.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the content object data comprises at least one plural-bit value associated with video content, and wherein the instructions to decode comprise instructions to analyze the at least one plural-bit value to decode the at least one computer instruction.