Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080310673 | System reactions to the detection of embedded watermarks in a digital host content - Methods for adapting the operation of a system in response to the detection of embedded watermarks from a digital host content are provided. A digital host content is received and examined for the presence of watermarks. In response to the detection of embedded watermarks and in accordance with the value, type, density or spacing of the detected watermarks, one or more system reactions may take place. These reactions include conditionally allowing the system to resume its normal operation, prohibiting the system from resuming its normal operation, degrading the quality of the digital host content or changing the security status of the digital host content. In response to the extraction of weak watermarks that do not meet the desired system requirements, the extraction operation may be modified or extended to enable the detection of strong watermarks. | 12-18-2008 |
20090326961 | EFFICIENT AND SECURE FORENSIC MARKING IN COMPRESSED DOMAIN - Methods, devices, and computer program products enable the embedding of forensic marks in a host content that is in compressed domain. These and other features are achieved by preprocessing of a host content to provide a plurality of host content versions with different embedded watermarks that are subsequently compressed. A host content may then be efficiently marked with forensic marks in response to a request for such content. The marking process is conducted in compressed domain, thus reducing the computational burden of decompressing and re-compressing the content, and avoiding further perceptual degradation of the host content. In addition, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed that obstruct differential analysis of such forensically marked content. | 12-31-2009 |
20100146286 | Pre-Processed Information Embedding System - Methods are provided for embedding auxiliary information in a host content signal which reduce the memory, bandwidth and computational complexity of the embedding and transmission systems. In one embodiment, a first reduced-scale signal is produced which corresponds to the host content embedded with a first logical value and producing a second reduced-scale signal corresponding to the host content embedded with a second logical value. A first set of segments from the first reduced-scale signal may be combined with a second set of segments from the second reduced-scale signal in a pre-defined manner to produce a composite embedded host content. Thus the storage and transmission requirements of the watermarking system are reduced to having to deal with only the original content plus two reduced-scale signals. | 06-10-2010 |
20100228857 | MEDIA MONITORING, MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION SYSTEM - Systems and methods are provided for monitoring transmissions of media content (such as audio and audiovisual content) in order to obtain independent and objective data regarding the use of specific media content recordings or works within the transmissions. Processing and reporting of such data is provided in various ways to serve a variety of business needs. Methods for employing content identification technology to efficiently and automatically obtain reliable, accurate, and precise monitoring data are also disclosed. Various information products and services based on such monitoring systems are proposed. | 09-09-2010 |
20100287579 | MEDIA MONITORING, MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION SYSTEM - Systems and methods are provided for monitoring transmissions of media content (such as audio and audiovisual content) in order to obtain independent and objective data regarding the use of specific media content recordings or works within the transmissions. Processing and reporting of such data is provided in various ways to serve a variety of business needs. Methods for employing content identification technology to efficiently and automatically obtain reliable, accurate, and precise monitoring data are also disclosed. Various information products and services based on such monitoring systems are proposed. | 11-11-2010 |
20110068898 | REMOTE CONTROL SIGNALING USING AUDIO WATERMARKS - A system for using a watermark embedded in an audio signal to remotely control a device. Various devices such as toys, computers, and appliances, equipped with an appropriate detector, detect the hidden signals, which can trigger an action, or change a state of the device. The watermarks can be used with a “time gate” device, where detection of the watermark opens a time interval within which a user is allowed to perform an action, such as pressing a button, typing in an answer, turning a key in a lock, etc. | 03-24-2011 |
20110286625 | SYSTEM REACTIONS TO THE DETECTION OF EMBEDDED WATERMARKS IN A DIGITAL HOST CONTENT - Methods, devices and computer program products for enabling secure and efficient extraction of embedded watermarks from digital host content are provided. Upon the reception of a multi-channel digital host content with embedded watermarks, a subset of the received channels are selected and combined together to from a composite content. The composite content is then examined to recover embedded watermarks. The particular subset of channels can be selected according to a probability value. Further, a set of new channels can be selected and combined after a particular time interval has elapsed. The number of selected channels can also be varied each time a new selection is made. | 11-24-2011 |
20120017091 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THWARTING WATERMARK DETECTION CIRCUMVENTION - Methods and apparatus for thwarting circumvention of watermark detection are provided. When content is received at a device that is equipped with a watermark extractor, an attacker may disguise the form of the received content in an attempt to circumvent detection of watermarks that are embedded in the content. A signal processing operation is performed on the received content such that the signal processing operation does not significantly degrade the perceptual quality of the content if the content is indeed in the form that is purported to be. The signal processing operation, however, significantly degrades the perceptual quality of the content if the content is in a different form, thereby discouraging the attacker's attempts to thwart watermark detection. | 01-19-2012 |
20120026393 | MEDIA MONITORING, MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION SYSTEM - Systems and methods are provided for monitoring transmissions of media content (such as audio and audiovisual content) in order to obtain independent and objective data regarding the use of specific media content recordings or works within the transmissions. Processing and reporting of such data is provided in various ways to serve a variety of business needs. Methods for employing content identification technology to efficiently and automatically obtain reliable, accurate, and precise monitoring data are also disclosed. Various information products and services based on such monitoring systems are proposed. | 02-02-2012 |
20120072729 | WATERMARK EXTRACTION AND CONTENT SCREENING IN A NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT - Methods, devices, and computer program products facilitate the application of a content use policy based on watermarks that are embedded in a content. Watermark extraction and content screening operations, which can include the application of content usage enforcement actions, may be organized such that some or all of the operations can be conducted at different times by different devices. The watermark extraction results can be stored in a secure location and accessed by other devices at different times. These operations can be conducted by one or more trusted devices that reside in a home network. The home network can also include a gateway device that can coordinate the operations of the various network devices and/or delegate the various watermark extraction and content screening operations. | 03-22-2012 |
20120072730 | CONTEXT ACCESS MANAGEMENT USING WATERMARK EXTRACTION INFORMATION - Methods, devices, and computer program products facilitate the application of a content use policy based on watermarks that are embedded in a content. Watermark extraction and content screening operations, which can include the application of content usage enforcement actions, may be organized such that some or all of the operations can be conducted at different times by different devices. These operations can be conducted by one or more trusted devices that reside in a networked environment. Real-time access to a content can also be facilitated by utilizing existing watermark extraction records. To facilitate real-time access to the content, the extraction records may contain segmented authentication information that correspond to particular segments of the content that is being accessed. Additionally, or alternatively, new watermark extraction operations can be conducted in real-time to produce new watermark extraction records. | 03-22-2012 |
20120072731 | SECURE AND EFFICIENT CONTENT SCREENING IN A NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT - Methods, devices, and computer program products facilitate the application of a content use policy based on watermarks that are embedded in a content. Watermark extraction and content screening operations, which can include the application of content usage enforcement actions, may be organized such that some or all of the operations can be conducted at different times by different devices. These operations can be conducted by one or more trusted devices that reside in a networked environment. The authenticity of various devices can be verified through the exchange of certificates that can further enable such devices to ascertain capabilities of one another. Based on the ascertained capabilities, an operational configuration for conducting watermark extraction and content screening can be determined. | 03-22-2012 |
20120084870 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EMBEDDING AND EXTRACTING INFORMATION IN ANALOG SIGNALS USING DISTRIBUTED SIGNAL FEATURES AND REPLICA MODULATION - Apparatus and methods are provided for embedding or embedding digital data into an analog host or cover signal. A distributed signal feature of the cover signal in a particular domain (time, frequency or space) is calculated and compared with a set of predefined quantization values corresponding to an information symbol to be encoded. The amount of change required to modify the signal feature to the determined target quantization value is calculated and the cover signal is modified accordingly to so change the feature value over a predefined interval. Information symbols are extracted by the opposite process. In one embodiment, the predefined value is a short term auto correlation value of the cover signal. | 04-05-2012 |
20120130719 | REMOTE CONTROL SIGNALING USING AUDIO WATERMARKS - A system for using a watermark embedded in an audio signal to remotely control a device. Various devices such as toys, computers, and appliances, equipped with an appropriate detector, detect the hidden signals, which can trigger an action, or change a state of the device. The watermarks can be used with a “time gate” device, where detection of the watermark opens a time interval within which a user is allowed to perform an action, such as pressing a button, typing in an answer, turning a key in a lock, etc. | 05-24-2012 |
20120300977 | EFFICIENT AND SECURE FORENSIC MARKING IN COMPRESSED DOMAIN - Methods, devices, and computer program products enable the embedding of forensic marks in a host content that is in compressed domain. These and other features are achieved by preprocessing of a host content to provide a plurality of host content versions with different embedded watermarks that are subsequently compressed. A host content may then be efficiently marked with forensic marks in response to a request for such content. The marking process is conducted in compressed domain, thus reducing the computational burden of decompressing and re-compressing the content, and avoiding further perceptual degradation of the host content. In addition, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed that obstruct differential analysis of such forensically marked content. | 11-29-2012 |
20130007462 | CIRCUMVENTION OF WATERMARK ANALYSIS IN A HOST CONTENT - Methods and devices are provided to thwart analysis of a watermarking system by preventing analysis of watermarks in a host content. Upon receiving a content at a watermark embedding device, the content is analyzed to ascertain whether one or more test features are present in at least a first portion of the received content. When the analysis reveals that one or more test features are present, embedding of watermarks in at least the first portion of the received content is disabled. The test features of interest include a temporal, a spatial and/or a frequency characteristic such that, if a region of the content that includes test feature is embedded with a watermark, at least one characteristic of the embedded watermark is detectable upon analysis of that region. The test feature can, for example, approximate an impulse signal, a step function signal or a pure sinusoidal signal. | 01-03-2013 |
20130011006 | ASYMMETRIC WATERMARK EMBEDDING/EXTRACTION - Methods and devices are provided to embed imperceptible watermarks into a host content and to subsequently extract embedded watermarks in a manner so as to achieve desired levels of robustness, transparency and security. For a particular host content, a first number of embedding opportunities are used to insert watermarks, which is less than a number of all embedding opportunities within the host content. Watermarks are extracted from a first number of watermark extraction opportunities, which is less than a number of all watermark extraction opportunities associated with the host content. The relationship between the first number of embedding opportunities, the first number of watermark extraction opportunities and the number of all watermark extraction opportunities is such that a circumvention attempt that overwrites watermarks at all extraction opportunities degrades perceptual quality of the host content below a desired perceptual quality level. | 01-10-2013 |
20130108101 | EFFICIENT AND SECURE FORENSIC MARKING IN COMPRESSED DOMAIN | 05-02-2013 |
20130114847 | EXTRACTION OF EMBEDDED WATERMARKS FROM A HOST CONTENT USING A PLURALITY OF TENTATIVE WATERMARKS - Methods, devices and computer program products facilitate the extraction of embedded watermarks in the presence of content distortions. Distortion of the content is estimated using two or more detected watermarks with an associated probability of false detection that is above a desired level. The estimated content distortion is used to obtain pre-distorted synchronization templates and to reevaluate the detected watermarks. The use of pre-distorted synchronization templates results in obtaining better estimations of content distortion, and improved reliability of watermark detections. | 05-09-2013 |
20130114848 | EFFICIENT EXTRACTION OF EMBEDDED WATERMARKS IN THE PRESENCE OF HOST CONTENT DISTORTIONS - Methods, devices and computer program products facilitate the extraction of embedded watermarks in the presence of content distortions. Coarse estimates of a distortion or combination of distortions, present in the host content are obtained by detecting a tentative watermark, or a portion thereof, utilizing coarse pre-distorted watermark templates. Supplementary pre-distorted watermark templates are then selected in the neighborhood of the coarse distortion estimate to further re-evaluate the tentative watermark. The use of coarse and supplementary pre-distorted watermark templates results in obtaining better estimations of content distortions, and improved reliability of watermark detections in an efficient manner. | 05-09-2013 |
20130117570 | WATERMARK EXTRACTION BASED ON TENTATIVE WATERMARKS - Methods, devices and computer program products facilitate the extraction of embedded watermarks in the presence of content distortions. Pre-distorted synchronization templates are used to detect synchronization portions of embedded watermark frames. A pre-distorted synchronization template that best matches the synchronization portion of the embedded watermark frame produces an estimation of one or more distortions that are present in the content. The remainder of watermark frame can be evaluated based on the outcome of the comparison. | 05-09-2013 |
20130117571 | EXTRACTION OF EMBEDDED WATERMARKS FROM A HOST CONTENT BASED ON EXTRAPOLATION TECHNIQUES - Methods, devices and computer program products facilitate the extraction of embedded watermarks in the presence of content distortions. Subsequent to the detection of a tentative watermark, particular sections of the content are examined to form one or more extrapolated watermarks or watermark segments. Weights are assigned to the extrapolated watermarks or watermark segments, and used in combination with the detected tentative watermark to collectively assess if a desired probability of false detection is satisfied. | 05-09-2013 |
20130132727 | ENHANCED CONTENT MANAGEMENT BASED ON WATERMARK EXTRACTION RECORDS - Content screening operations are facilitated in devices that receive a content that is subject to screening obligations. When such a content is received at a device, a watermark extraction record is obtained and accessed to fulfil content screening obligations. Upon the receipt of such an extraction record, verification of the received extraction record is carried out based on a verification rate. If the verification is successful for an extraction record with permissive information, the verification rate is decreased, thereby reducing the processing load of the device. If the verification is unsuccessful, the verification rate is increased, which can adversely affect the processing load of the device. | 05-23-2013 |
20130142382 | PRE-PROCESSED INFORMATION EMBEDDING SYSTEM - Methods and devices are provided for embedding auxiliary information in a host content in a manner that reduces memory, bandwidth and computational complexity of the embedding and transmission systems. One methodology relates to receiving a set of watermark embedding parameters produced at a pre-processing node by pre-processing the host content. The watermark embedding parameters enable embedding each of a plurality of host content segments with any one of at least two different logical values. To embed the auxiliary information, the host content is modified on a segment-by-segment basis using the set of watermark embedding parameters and in accordance with a control signal that designates one of the at least two logical values for embedding into a selected segment of the host content. The generation of watermark embedding parameters at a pre-processing node reduces storage, transmission and computational complexity of embedding operations that can occur at locations other than the pre-processing node. | 06-06-2013 |
20130151855 | WATERMARK EMBEDDING WORKFLOW IMPROVEMENTS - Methods, devices and computer program products facilitate embedding and extraction of watermarks into and from a host content. Embedded watermarks include an automatically generated portion that is associated with metadata. The metadata, which includes one or more identifiers of the host content, is stored at a database and can be accessible to both the watermark embedder and a watermark extractor. The automatically generated portion of the payload can be a serial number is changed for each watermark embedding session. | 06-13-2013 |
20130151856 | CONDITIONAL ACCESS USING EMBEDDED WATERMARKS - Methods, devices and computer program products facilitate conditional access to a content embedded with watermarks. For such a content, when copy control rules associated with an embedded watermark message prohibits unconditional access to the content, it is determined whether or not an exception to the copy control rules exists, and if an exception to the copy control rules exists, the content is conditionally accessed. Additional watermark messages can be extracted while the content is being conditionally accessed, and based on the additionally extracted watermark messages, it is verified that conditional access to the content has been fulfilled. | 06-13-2013 |
20130152210 | COORDINATED WATERMARKING - Methods, devices and computer program products enable embedding and extraction of multiple watermark messages in a coordinated fashion to improve watermark transparency, robustness against impairments, security, and computational complexity of embedding and extraction of watermarks. Coordinated watermark embedding and extraction operations take advantage of a pre-defined relationship between the symbols of two watermark messages. The improved aspects of the watermarking system provide significant value to content owners, content distributors, and consumers at a small incremental cost. | 06-13-2013 |
20130283402 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EMBEDDING AND EXTRACTING INFORMATION IN ANALOG SIGNALS USING DISTRIBUTED SIGNAL FEATURES AND REPLICA MODULATION - Apparatus and methods are provided for embedding or embedding digital data into an analog host or cover signal. A distributed signal feature of the cover signal in a particular domain (time, frequency or space) is calculated and compared with a set of predefined quantization values corresponding to an information symbol to be encoded. The amount of change required to modify the signal feature to the determined target quantization value is calculated and the cover signal is modified accordingly to so change the feature value over a predefined interval. Information symbols are extracted by the opposite process. In one embodiment, the predefined value is a short term autocorrelation value of the cover signal. | 10-24-2013 |
20130339029 | REMOTE CONTROL SIGNALING USING AUDIO WATERMARKS - A system for using a watermark embedded in an audio signal to remotely control a device. Various devices such as toys, computers, and appliances, equipped with an appropriate detector, detect the hidden signals, which can trigger an action, or change a state of the device. The watermarks can be used with a “time gate” device, where detection of the watermark opens a time interval within which a user is allowed to perform an action, such as pressing a button, typing in an answer, turning a key in a lock, etc. | 12-19-2013 |
20140075465 | TIME VARYING EVALUATION OF MULTIMEDIA CONTENT - Methods, systems, devices and computer program products are provided to facilitate enhanced use and interaction with multimedia content that is based on a time-varying evaluation of the multimedia content. While a content is being presented on a first device, timing information identifying temporal locations of content segments are extracted and transmitted to a database along with a user's evaluation feedback of the multimedia content. The user then receives a response corresponding to feedback provided by a plurality of consumers of the multimedia content on a segment-by-segment basis. | 03-13-2014 |
20140237628 | ENHANCED CONTENT MANAGEMENT BASED ON WATERMARK EXTRACTION RECORDS - Content screening operations are facilitated in devices that receive a content that is subject to screening obligations. When such a content is received at a device, a watermark extraction record is obtained and accessed to fulfil content screening obligations. Upon the receipt of such an extraction record, verification of the received extraction record is carried out based on a verification rate. If the verification is successful for an extraction record with permissive information, the verification rate is decreased, thereby reducing the processing load of the device. If the verification is unsuccessful, the verification rate is increased, which can adversely affect the processing load of the device. | 08-21-2014 |
20140267907 | MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION TRACKING IN NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT - Methods, devices, systems and computer programs facilitate presentation of a second content in synchronization with a first content. In one method, at least a portion of a first content that is being presented by a first device is received at a second device. The first content includes substantially imperceptible watermarks that are embedded in one or more components of the first content. A first watermark detection result is obtained by performing a watermark detection operation. Additionally, a second watermark detection result associated with the first content is received at the second device from a device other than the second device. The first watermark detection result and the second watermark detection result are augmented to obtain a combined watermark detection result, and the combined detection result is used to enable presentation of a second content in synchronization with the first content. | 09-18-2014 |
20140279296 | REFERRED SALE SYSTEM - Methods, devices, systems and computer program products use watermarks to allow a user to explore to obtain desired content and related items. One device includes an extended payload (EP) watermark extractor coupled to an audio input and to an enhanced response coordinator (ERC). The device also includes a copy control information (CCI) watermark detector coupled to the audio input and coupled to a copy management compliance logic component. The ERC is further coupled to the EP extractor and to a communication component. The device also includes a referred sale logic component coupled to the ERC to receive referral information that is indicative of one or more alternative options. The device further includes a digital service provider (DSP) client component coupled to the referred sale logic and also coupled to the communication component that allows the DSP client to communicate with DSPs and to receive one of the alternative options. | 09-18-2014 |
20140279549 | REFERRED SALE SYSTEM - Methods, devices, systems and computer program products utilized watermarks that are embedded in a content to facilitate content access, and to enhance a user's experience by allowing the user to explore additional options for obtaining the desired content and related items of interest. In one method, an indication for an access to a content is received that includes one or more copy management watermarks and one or more enhanced payload watermarks. At least one copy management watermark and at least one enhanced payload watermark are extracted from the content. Upon a determination, based on the at least one copy management watermark, that access rights to the content is restricted, the enhanced payload watermark is used to present one or more alternative options. | 09-18-2014 |
20140325550 | REAL-TIME ANTI-PIRACY FOR BROADCAST STREAMS - Systems, devices, methods and computer program products respond to real-time piracy of broadcast streams. One method includes receiving requests from a requesting device for a plurality segments of a real-time content, where at least one of the requested content segments differs from another segment of the plurality of segments in at least one characteristic. In response to the request, a particular version of the requested segments is transmitted to the requesting device such that a unique sequence of the transmitted segments identifies the requesting device or a user or a transaction. A communication network is then monitored to obtain a disseminated version of the real-time content, and based on the at least one characteristic of the obtained real-time content, it is determined if the real-time content includes the unique sequence of segments, and if so, one or more actions are initiated to thwart further dissemination of the real-time content. | 10-30-2014 |
20140325673 | LIVE BROADCAST CONTENT PROTECTION BASED ON WATERMARKING - Techniques for thwarting piracy of real-time content such as broadcast streams are described. In one technique, when portions of a real-time content is received at a user device, the device embeds a particular code in the received content that associates the real-time content to that user device. When further portions of the real-time content that has one or more codes is received at the user device, the device determines if the particular code matches the one or more codes that are incorporated into the real-time content, and if a match if found, one of more actions is initiated at the user device to thwart further dissemination of the real-time content. The initiated actions can interfere with the playback of the real-time content or provide warning messages, and thus eliminate or discourage the use of the user device as a source of real-time content piracy. | 10-30-2014 |
20140376723 | STEGO KEY MANAGEMENT - Systems, methods, devices and computer program products are provided that improve stego key management of watermarking systems and reduce the impact of leaked secrets related to watermark embedding and extraction operations. In the event that a watermark extractor is compromised and its extraction stego key is revealed, new extraction stego key sets are generated and assigned to a particular group of devices with similar security features. The new extraction stego key sets have significant overlap with one another, and can be retired once a device within the particular group of devices is compromised. The described techniques are complementary to other security enhancement practices, such as obfuscation and tamper resistant techniques, to strengthen the security of a watermarking system. | 12-25-2014 |
20150016228 | REMOTE CONTROL SIGNALING USING AUDIO WATERMARKS - A system for using a watermark embedded in an audio signal to remotely control a device. Various devices such as toys, computers, and appliances, equipped with an appropriate detector, detect the hidden signals, which can trigger an action, or change a state of the device. The watermarks can be used with a “time gate” device, where detection of the watermark opens a time interval within which a user is allowed to perform an action, such as pressing a button, typing in an answer, turning a key in a lock, etc. | 01-15-2015 |
20150016663 | WATERMARKING IN AN ENCRYPTED DOMAIN - Methods, apparatus and systems for embedding auxiliary information in encrypted host signals are provided. The present invention enables secure application of digital watermarks at any point in the transmission and/or distribution of digital content by enabling the insertion of a plurality of digital watermarks, without the knowledge of the encryption/decryption keys, into a digital host content that has been encrypted with an encryption key. The embedded watermarks persist throughout the content subsequent to the decryption of the content. The disclosed techniques are applicable to content that has been encrypted using a variety of different encryption techniques and algorithms, including stream ciphers, block ciphers, symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms. These methods are further adapted to enable the insertion of watermarks into a content that is compressed prior to encryption. | 01-15-2015 |
20150030200 | WATERMARK EXTRACTOR ENHANCEMENTS BASED ON PAYLOAD RANKING - Methods, devices, systems and computer program products improve the detection of watermarks that are embedded in a host content by providing information indicative of a ranking of watermark payloads to watermark extractors. A watermark extractor device obtains information indicative of a ranking of a plurality of watermark payload values, where such information designates each watermark payload value within a first subset of the plurality of watermark payload values as having an associated rank value. Based at least in-part on the information indicative of the ranking, the watermark extractor device is configured to prioritize resource allocation for extraction of payload values that are designated as belonging to the first subset over payload values that are not designated as belonging to the first subset. The watermark extractor then extracts a payload value, designated as belonging to the first subset, from one or more watermarks embedded in the host content. | 01-29-2015 |
20150036873 | CIRCUMVENTION OF WATERMARK ANALYSIS IN A HOST CONTENT - Methods and devices are provided to thwart analysis of a watermarking system by preventing analysis of watermarks in a host content. Upon receiving a content at a watermark embedding device, the content is analyzed to ascertain whether one or more test features are present in at least a first portion of the received content. When the analysis reveals that one or more test features are present, embedding of watermarks in at least the first portion of the received content is disabled. The test features of interest include a temporal, a spatial and/or a frequency characteristic such that, if a region of the content that includes test feature is embedded with a watermark, at least one characteristic of the embedded watermark is detectable upon analysis of that region. The test feature can, for example, approximate an impulse signal, a step function signal or a pure sinusoidal signal. | 02-05-2015 |