EP0952728A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for watermarking data sets
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1999-04-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2019-04-09
Abstract
Abstract A watermarking scheme which allows the watermarked image to be authenticated by an authentication agent without revealing the human-readable content of the image. There is disclosed an approach which combines privacy control with watermarking and authentication mechanisms. The watermark can be made to be imperceptible to humans. Public key cryptography allows the authentication agent to authenticate without being able to watermark an image.
Inventors
- 👤 Don Coppersmith
- 👤 Frederick Cole Mintzer
- 👤 Charles P. Tresser
- 👤 Chai Wah Wu
- 👤 Minerva Ming-Yee Yeung
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 15:42
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T9/00; G06T1/00; G06T1/0021; G06T1/005; G06T1/0064; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32144; H04N1/32149; H04N1/32203; H04N1/32208; H04N1/32213; H04N1/32309; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N21/238; H04N21/2389; H04N21/23892; H04N21/80; H04N21/83; H04N21/835; H04N21/8358; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3212; H04N2201/3214; H04N2201/3215; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/3226; H04N2201/3233; H04N2201/3235; H04N2201/3269; H04N2201/327
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
46 words
A method for using watermarks to distribute and authenticate a human-perceptible source data set, comprising the steps of: obtaining an identifier of a privacy encoding method; creating a watermarked version of said source data set; and transforming said watermarked version with said identified privacy encoding method.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1, comprising the further steps of: extracting a watermark from said privacy encoded watermarked version of said source data set; and authenticating said watermark.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said obtaining step is accomplished by generating said identifier.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said obtaining step is accomplished by receiving said identifier from a data requestor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 3, wherein said transforming step further comprises the steps of: distributing said watermarked version of said source data set with said identifier of a privacy encoding method; applying said identified privacy encoding method to said watermarked version to create a privacy encoded watermarked version.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said transforming step further comprises the steps of: distributing said watermarked version of said source data set to said data requestor; applying said identified privacy encoding method to said watermarked version to create a privacy encoded watermarked version.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 3, wherein said transforming step further comprises the steps of: applying said identified privacy encoding method to said watermarked version to create a privacy encoded watermarked version; distributing said privacy encoded watermarked version of said source data set with said identifier of a privacy encoding method.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of removing said privacy encoding by using said identifier to recreate said watermarked version.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said transforming step further comprises the steps of: applying said identified privacy encoding method to said watermarked version to create a privacy encoded watermarked version; distributing said privacy encoded watermarked version of said source data set.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of removing said privacy encoding by using said identifier to recreate said watermarked version.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for using watermarks to distribute and authenticate a human-perceptible source data set, comprising the steps of: extracting higher order bits from said source data set; generating a watermark based on said higher order bits; and inserting said watermark into the least significant bits of said source data set, thereby creating a watermarked version of said source data set.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 11, comprising the further steps of: distributing said watermarked version of said source data set; and authenticating said watermarked version of said source data set.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said authenticating step further comprises the steps of: extracting the higher order bits from said watermarked version and computing an extracted watermark from said higher order bits; comparing said extracted watermark with the least significant bits from said watermarked version.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 13, wherein said higher order bits are encrypted before said watermark is generated and before said extracted watermark is computed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 13, wherein said watermark is encrypted before being inserted into said least significant bits of said source data set, and wherein said least significant bits of said watermarked version are decrypted before being compared with said extracted watermark.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said watermark is encrypted before being inserted into said least significant bits of said source data set, and wherein said least significant bits of said watermarked version are decrypted before being compared with said extracted watermark.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for generating a watermark and using said watermark to authenticate a human-perceptible source data set, comprising the steps of: extracting higher order bits from said source data set; generating a watermark depending on said higher order bits and also depending on additional information; and inserting said watermark into the least significant bits of said source data set, thereby creating a watermarked version of said source data set.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 17, comprising the further steps of: authenticating and/or allowing other parties to authenticate that said watermark corresponds to said human-perceptible source data set; and extracting and/or allowing other parties to extract some or all of said additional information used to create said watermark.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said authenticating step is performed on a cropped version of said watermarked version.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said cropping is detected by said authenticating step.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said authenticating step can determine the approximate location of any alteration in said source data set.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said authenticating step can be performed using said watermarked version alone.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 18, wherein a third party having said watermarked version alone cannot feasibly extract said watermark to apply said watermark to additional source data sets.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for using watermarks to distribute and authenticate human perceptible source data sets, comprising the steps of: digitizing and segmenting a human perceptible source data set into a plurality of non-overlapping digitized segments and a corresponding plurality of overlapping digitized segments; creating a watermarked version of said source data set; and distributing said watermarked data set.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 24, comprising the further steps of: applying a privacy release algorithm to said watermarked data set; and authenticating said watermarked data set.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method of claim 24, wherein each non-overlapping segment is embedded within its corresponding overlapping segment in the same manner, and wherein said digitizing comprises a digital representation of said human perceptible source data set, said digital representation consisting of digital elements, each said element being divided into high order bits and low order bits, said high order bits being sufficient to preserve the human perceptibility of said source data set.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
121 words
The method of claim 26, wherein said step of creating a watermarked version of said source data set further comprises, for each of said plurality of corresponding segments: adding privacy control to said high order bits of said overlapping segment, resulting in a data set consisting of encrypted high order bits; applying a watermarking algorithm to said privacy-enhanced truncated segment, said algorithm resulting in a data set reduced in size; mapping said reduced data set onto the low order bits of said non-overlapping segment, thereby replacing said low order bits, said reduction in size being sufficient that said mapping results in spare low order bits being left over, some of said spare low order bits being used to indicate watermark attributes.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 27, wherein said mapping modifies a portion of said low order bits, said portion being adjustable downward to achieve higher fidelity and adjustable upward to achieve higher security.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 27, wherein said watermark attributes are the same for all said segments, and wherein spare low order bits containing said watermark attributes are dispersed within said segments in a standardized way so as to be usable as locators.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 29, wherein said authenticating step is performed on a cropped portion of said watermarked data set, said watermark attributes being used to align said over-lapping segments.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 27, wherein said authenticating step is performed on a cropped portion of said watermarked data set, and wherein a small fixed synchronization pattern is embedded in said spare low order bits for use in aligning said over- lapping segments.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
69 words
An apparatus for using watermarks to distribute and authenticate a human-perceptible source data set, comprising: means for obtaining an identifier of a privacy encoding method; means for creating a watermarked version of said source data set; means for transforming said watermarked version with said identified privacy encoding method; means for extracting a watermark from said privacy encoded watermarked version of said source data set; means for authenticating said watermark.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
84 words
An apparatus for using watermarks to distribute and authenticate a human-perceptible source data set, comprising: means for extracting higher order bits from said source data set; means for generating a watermark based on said higher order bits; means for inserting said watermark into the least significant bits of said source data set, thereby creating a watermarked version of said source data set; means for distributing said watermarked version of said source data set; means for authenticating said watermarked version of said source data set.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
113 words
An apparatus for generating a watermark and using said watermark to authenticate a human-perceptible source data set, comprising: means for extracting higher order bits from said source data set; means for generating a watermark depending on said higher order bits and, optionally, also depending on additional information; means for inserting said watermark into the least significant bits of said source data set, thereby creating a watermarked version of said source data set; means for authenticating and/or allowing other parties to authenticate that said watermark corresponds to said human-perceptible source data set; and means for extracting and/or allowing other parties to extract some or all of said additional information used to create said watermark.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
80 words
An apparatus for using watermarks to distribute and authenticate human perceptible source data sets, comprising: means for digitizing and segmenting a human perceptible source data set into a plurality of non- overlapping digitized segments and a corresponding plurality of overlapping digitized segments; means for creating a watermarked version of said source data set; means for distributing said watermarked data set; means for applying a privacy release algorithm to said watermarked data set; and means for authenticating said watermarked data set.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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