Control signals in streaming audio or video indicating a watermark

• US 8,442,264 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Levy, Kenneth L., McKinley, Tyler J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US13/089,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20110194730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100
• 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 25/21 for multiple purposes
• 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 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• 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 20/341 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 2201/0053 Embedding of the watermark in the coding stream, possibly without decoding; Embedding of the watermark in the compressed domain
• 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 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• 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 20/00086 : 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 20/00884 : 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 1/32122 : 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 1/3216 : 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 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• 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 1/32352 : 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 19/20 : using video object coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 : characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• 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 2201/3225 : 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 2201/3246 : of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images
• 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 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for searching for a control signal in streaming video or streaming audio that indicates the presence of a watermark in the streaming video or streaming audio. The streaming video or streaming audio is received and searched for a control signal. The detection of a control signal indicates the presences of a digital watermark in the streaming video or streaming audio. An indicator is triggered based upon detecting the control signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving streaming video or streaming audio;

searching, using a processor, the streaming video or the streaming audio for a control signal, wherein the control signal indicates a presence of a digital watermark in the streaming video or the streaming audio; and

triggering an indicator based upon detecting the control signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating decoding of the digital watermark in response to detecting the control signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a visual icon.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the visual icon; and

initiating decoding of the digital watermark based in part upon the receipt of the selection of the visual icon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the watermark comprises a multi-bit payload, and wherein the multi-bit payload comprises the control signal and an object identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising accessing information based in part upon the object identifier.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising taking an action based in part upon the object identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises audio data.

9. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive streaming video or streaming audio;

search the streaming video or the streaming audio for a control signal, wherein the control signal indicates a presence of a digital watermark in the streaming video or the streaming audio; and

trigger an indicator based upon the control signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate decoding of the digital watermark in response to detecting the control signal.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a display configured to display the indicator, wherein the indicator comprises a visual icon.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a selection of the visual icon; and

initiate decoding of the digital watermark based in part upon the receipt of the selection of the visual icon.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the watermark comprises a multi-bit payload, and wherein the multi-bit payload comprises the control signal and an object identifier.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to access information based in part upon the object identifier.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to take an action based in part upon the object identifier.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a speaker to produce sound based upon the indicator, wherein the indicator comprises audio data.

17. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive streaming video or streaming audio;

instructions to search the streaming video or the streaming audio for a control signal, wherein the control signal indicates a presences of a digital watermark in the streaming video or the streaming audio; and

instructions to trigger an indicator based upon the control signal.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions to initiate decoding of the digital watermark in response to detecting the control signal.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

instructions to receive a selection of a visual icon, wherein the indicator comprises the visual icon; and

instructions to initiate decoding of the digital watermark based in part upon the receipt of the selection of the visual icon.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions to take an action based in part on an object identifier, wherein the watermark comprises a multi-bit payload, and wherein the multi-bit payload comprises the control signal and the object identifier.