Noise influenced watermarking methods and apparatus

• US 8,565,473 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Tony F., Brundage, Trent J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/564,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20100008538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency 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 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data

Abstract

The present disclosure describes, e.g., methods, system and apparatus for steganographically encoding information in image or video data. One claim recites a method including: determining one or more noise characteristics of a device; based at least on the one or more noise characteristics, influencing a steganographic embedding process associated with the device; and using a programmed electronic processor, steganographically embedding plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the influenced steganographic embedding process. Of course, other claims are provided too.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining one or more noise characteristics of a device, wherein the one or more noise characteristics comprise fixed pattern noise characteristics, wherein the fixed pattern noise characteristics result from a predetermined pattern corresponding to an orientation component, and wherein the orientation component comprises a set of impulse functions in a transform domain each with a pseudorandom phase;

influencing a steganographic embedding process associated with the device by guiding or masking embedding locations based at least upon the fixed pattern noise characteristics; and

steganographically embedding, using a processor, plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the influenced steganographic embedding process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more noise characteristics are associated with image formation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining employs a human visual system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein influencing a steganographic embedding process comprises identifying locations to embed the plural-bit auxiliary data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein influencing a steganographic embedding process comprises changing a signal strength of the plural-bit auxiliary data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein influencing a steganographic embedding process comprises decreasing the perceptibility of the plural-bit auxiliary data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed pattern noise characteristics comprise the orientation component.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining one or more noise characteristics of a device, wherein the one or more noise characteristics comprise fixed pattern noise characteristics, wherein the fixed pattern noise characteristics result from a predetermined pattern corresponding to an orientation component, and wherein the orientation component comprises a set of impulse functions in a transform domain each with a pseudorandom phase;

influencing a steganographic embedding process associated with the device by guiding or masking embedding locations based at least upon the fixed pattern noise characteristics; and

steganographically embedding plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the influenced steganographic embedding process.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein influencing a steganographic embedding process comprises identifying locations to embed the plural-bit auxiliary data.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein influencing a steganographic embedding process comprises changing a signal strength of the plural-bit auxiliary data.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the fixed pattern noise characteristics comprise the orientation component.

12. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory configured to store noise characteristics associated with a device, wherein the noise characteristics comprise fixed pattern noise characteristics, wherein the fixed pattern noise characteristics result from a predetermined pattern corresponding to an orientation component, and wherein the orientation component comprises a set of impulse functions in a transform domain each with a pseudorandom phase; and

a processor configured to;

influence a steganographic embedding process associated with the device by guiding or masking embedding locations based at least on the fixed pattern noise characteristics stored in the electronic memory; and

steganographically embed plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the influenced steganographic embedding process.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the noise characteristics are associated with image formation.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the noise characteristics are determined with a human visual system.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein influencing a steganographic embedding process comprises identifying locations to embed the plural-bit auxiliary data.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein influencing a steganographic embedding process comprises changing a signal strength of the plural-bit auxiliary data.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the fixed pattern noise characteristics comprise the orientation component.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing noise characteristics associated with a device, wherein the noise characteristics comprise fixed pattern noise characteristics, wherein the fixed pattern noise characteristics result from a predetermined pattern corresponding to an orientation component, and wherein the orientation component comprises a set of impulse functions in a transform domain each with a pseudorandom phase;

means for influencing a steganographic embedding process associated with the device by guiding or masking embedding locations based at least on the fixed pattern noise characteristics; and

means for steganographically embedding plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the influenced steganographic embedding process.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the noise characteristics are associated with image formation.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for determining noise characteristics which utilizes a human visual system.