US5530751A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Embedded hidden identification codes in digital objects
Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Co LP
•
Filing: 1994-06-30
•
Granted: 1996-06-25
•
Expires: 2014-06-30
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for encoding identification information into a stream of digital data representing an object. The digital data representing an object is modified to add embedded identification information into the data. This modification is done such that the resultant changes to the object are not objectionable to the user. By comparing the original digital data to the modified data, the possessor of the original data can recover the embedded identification information. However the identification information is effectively unavailable to anyone not possessing the original data.
Inventors
- 👤 Dale C. Morris
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 20:38
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T1/00; G06T1/0021; G06T1/0028; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/10; G06F21/16; G11; G11B; G11B20/00; G11B20/00086; G11B20/0071; G11B20/00884; G11B20/10; G11B20/10527; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32144; H04N1/32149; H04N1/32203; H04N1/32208; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/91; H04N5/913; G06F2211/00; G06F2211/007; G06T2201/00; G06T2201/005; G06T2201/0051; G06T2201/0081; H04N2005/91307; H04N2005/91328; H04N2005/91335; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/3233; H04N2201/3269; H04N2201/327
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
218 words
An apparatus implemented in a programmable machine for creating a modified digital object and for recording said modified digital object on a digital storage medium, said apparatus encoding an identification number, into a copy of an original digital object that is recorded on an original storage medium to create said modified digital object, where the identification number includes at least one discrete value, and where the original digital object and the copy of the digital object consist of a plurality of discrete values, said apparatus comprising: a combiner operative to combine a first discrete value of the identification number with a first discrete value of the digital object thereby creating a first modified value, wherein said first modified value is temporarily stored in a first temporary storage medium, a copier operative to make a copy of the original digital object, wherein said copy is temporarily stored in a second temporary storage location, a modifier operative to substitute the first modified value for a discrete value in the copy of the original digital object that corresponds to the first discrete value in the original digital object and for recording the copy of the original digital object with the substituted modified value on said digital storage medium as said modified digital object having said encoded identification number embedded within it.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
218 words
An apparatus implemented in a programmable machine for creating a modified digital object and for recording said modified digital object on a digital storage medium, said apparatus encoding an identification number, into a copy of an original digital object that is recorded on an original storage medium to create said modified digital object, where the identification number includes at least one discrete value, and where the original digital object and the copy of the digital object consist of a plurality of discrete values, said apparatus comprising: a combiner operative to combine a first discrete value of the identification number with a first discrete value of the digital object thereby creating a first modified value, wherein said first modified value is temporarily stored in a first temporary storage medium, a copier operative to make a copy of the original digital object, wherein said copy is temporarily stored in a second temporary storage location, a modifier operative to substitute the first modified value for a discrete value in the copy of the original digital object that corresponds to the first discrete value in the original digital object and for recording the copy of the original digital object with the substituted modified value on said digital storage medium as said modified digital object having said encoded identification number embedded within it.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
94 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein: the identification number has a plurality of discrete values; the combiner operates to combine the plurality of discrete values of the identification number with a plurality of discrete values of the original digital object creating a plurality of modified values; and the modifier operates to substitute the plurality of modified values for the plurality of discrete values in the copy of the original digital object that correspond to the plurality of discrete values in the original digital object that were combined with values from the identification number.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the identification number is comprised of a plurality of digits, in a particular number base, and each digit is a discrete value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as in claim 3 wherein the digits of the identification number are binary digits and each binary number is a discrete value of the identification number.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
104 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein: the combiner is operative to combine a first discrete value of the identification number with a second discrete value of the digital object thereby creating a second modified value; and the modifier is operative to substitute the second modified value for a discrete value, in the copy of the original digital object, that corresponds to the second discrete value in the original digital object; whereby the copy of the original digital object with the substituted first and second modified values constitutes a modified digital object having an encoded identification number embedded within it a plurality of times.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
240 words
An apparatus implemented in a programmable machine for recovering an embedded identification number from within a modified digital object that is recorded on a digital storage medium comprising: said modified digital object created by: a. utilizing a combiner operative to combine a discrete value of an identification number with a discrete value of an original digital object that is recorded on an original storage medium and thereby create a first modified value, wherein said first modified value is temporarily stored in a first temporary storage medium; and b. utilizing a copier operative to make a copy of the original digital object, wherein said copy is temporarily stored in a second, and c. utilizing a modifier operative to substitute the first modified value for a discrete value of the copy of the original digital object that corresponds to the first discrete value in the original digital object and to record the copy of the original digital object with the substituted modified value on said digital storage medium as said modified digital object having said embedded identification number; and an extractor operative to receive a value from the modified digital object recorded on said digital storage medium and to receive a value from the original digital object recorded on said original storage medium; and the extractor is operative to recover the identification number embedded within the modified digital object recorded on said digital Storage medium to uniquely identify said modified digital object.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
240 words
An apparatus implemented in a programmable machine for recovering an embedded identification number from within a modified digital object that is recorded on a digital storage medium comprising: said modified digital object created by: a. utilizing a combiner operative to combine a discrete value of an identification number with a discrete value of an original digital object that is recorded on an original storage medium and thereby create a first modified value, wherein said first modified value is temporarily stored in a first temporary storage medium; and b. utilizing a copier operative to make a copy of the original digital object, wherein said copy is temporarily stored in a second, and c. utilizing a modifier operative to substitute the first modified value for a discrete value of the copy of the original digital object that corresponds to the first discrete value in the original digital object and to record the copy of the original digital object with the substituted modified value on said digital storage medium as said modified digital object having said embedded identification number; and an extractor operative to receive a value from the modified digital object recorded on said digital storage medium and to receive a value from the original digital object recorded on said original storage medium; and the extractor is operative to recover the identification number embedded within the modified digital object recorded on said digital Storage medium to uniquely identify said modified digital object.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein: the extractor subtracts a value of the original digital object from a value of the modified digital object if the combiner added a value of the identification number to a value of the original digital object; and the extractor subtracts a value of the modified digital object from a value of the original digital object if the combiner subtracted a value of the identification number to a value of the original digital object.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
99 words
An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein: the combiner combines a plurality of discrete values of an identification number with a plurality of discrete values of the original digital object thereby creating a plurality of modified values; the modifier operates to substitute the plurality of modified values for a plurality of discrete values in the copy of the digital object that correspond to the plurality of discrete values in the original digital object that were combined with values from the identification number; and the extractor is operative to recover the identification number values embedded within the modified digital object.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3609697A
Cited
US4120030A
Cited
US4658093A
Cited
EP0366381A2
Cited
EP0418964A1
Cited
US5212728A
Cited
EP0496607A1
Cited
WO1992016944A1
Cited
US5208853A
Cited
US5371792A
Cited
EP0580367A2
Cited
US5293422A
Cited
EP0589459A1
Cited
US5398285A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-06-25 | 1999-12-25 | 2000-06-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-06-25 | 2003-12-25 | 2004-06-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-06-25 | 2007-12-25 | 2008-06-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |