Recoverable digital content degradation

• US 8,681,980 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): DADA, BEEMNET W
• Application Number:
  US13/013,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20110182564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 380/210, 380/227, 380/228, 380/201, 713/176, 713/180, 713/181
• US Class Current: 380/228
• 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: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64715 Protecting content from unauthorized alteration within the network verifying the information received for network security in communication control or processing H04L63/12; integrity in wireless network security H04W12/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The disclosure relates generally to processing audio and video signals. One claim recites an apparatus comprising: electronic memory for storing a media signal, the media signal comprising degradation introduced through use of a key, in which the key corresponds to detection criteria in the media signal, and in which the degradation comprises human perceptible degradation, the media signal further comprising the key embedded therein; and a processor programmed for: analyzing the media signal to obtain the key; and removing some of the degradation through use of the key, in which said removing utilizes different detection criteria relative to a process that introduced the degradation into the media signal. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for storing a media signal, the media signal comprising embedded degradation data therein, the degradation data having a signal level that is perceptible to a human observer of the media signal when rendered unless removed, in which the media signal remains perceptibly discernible to the human observer despite embedded degradation data,

an input to receive a specific key, the specific key providing self-synchronization allowing for removal of the degradation data including removal when the media signal is accessed randomly;

a processor programmed for removing the embedded degradation data using the specific key to reduce the perceptibility of the degradation data at rendering.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the media signal comprises audio or video.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the removing the embedded degradation data restores the media signal to an original form prior to embedding of the degradation data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said processor is programmed for controlling rendering of the media signal.

5. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for storing a media signal, the media signal comprising degradation introduced through use of a key, in which the key corresponds to detection criteria in the media signal, and in which the degradation comprises human perceptible degradation, the media signal further comprising the key embedded therein;

a processor programmed for;

analyzing the media signal to obtain the key;

removing some of the degradation through use of the key, in which said removing utilizes different detection criteria relative to a process that introduced the degradation into the media signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the media signal comprises audio or video.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said processor is programmed for controlling rendering of the media signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the media signal including the degradation comprises a signal suitable as a preview of the media signal.