US5809160A — Method for encoding auxiliary data within a sourc…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 72 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal being comprised of samples, each having a binary value, the method including: increasing the values of certain source signal samples; decreasing the values of other source signal samples; the foregoing steps changing the values of more than N samples, wherein redundant encoding of at least part of said auxiliary data is effected.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 72 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal being comprised of samples, each having a binary value, the method including: increasing the values of certain source signal samples; decreasing the values of other source signal samples; the foregoing steps changing the values of more than N samples, wherein redundant encoding of at least part of said auxiliary data is effected.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 1, wherein the source signal represents image data, and said increasing and decreasing is slight enough to make said changes inconspicuous.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 1 wherein the source signal represents still image data.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 1 in which N is at least two.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method of claim 1 which includes increasing values of source signal samples adjoining the certain source signal samples whose values are increased, and decreasing values of source signal samples adjoining the certain source signal samples whose values are decreased.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 5 in which the values of the adjoining source signal samples are changed in value less than the certain source signal samples adjacent thereto.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 1 including identifying portions of the source signal having a predetermined data hiding attribute, and selecting said certain source signal samples from the identified portions.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 116 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal being comprised of samples, each having a binary value, the method including, for each bit of the auxiliary data: mapping said bit to at least one sample of the source signal; changing the value of said source signal sample in accordance with the bit of the auxiliary data; and also changing the values of at least two adjoining source signal samples in accordance with said bit of the auxiliary data; wherein changes to the source signal are effected in groups of samples, yielding a more robust encoding that better withstands corruption of the encoded source signal.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 116 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal being comprised of samples, each having a binary value, the method including, for each bit of the auxiliary data: mapping said bit to at least one sample of the source signal; changing the value of said source signal sample in accordance with the bit of the auxiliary data; and also changing the values of at least two adjoining source signal samples in accordance with said bit of the auxiliary data; wherein changes to the source signal are effected in groups of samples, yielding a more robust encoding that better withstands corruption of the encoded source signal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 8 which includes mapping by a random function.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 8 in which the mapping includes identifying portions of the source signal having a predetermined data hiding attribute, and selecting from said identified portions.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 10 in which the predetermined data hiding attribute is an area of relative maxima or minima.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 8, wherein the mapping comprises mapping said bit to plural samples of the source signal.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method of claim 8 in which the sample to which the bit is mapped is a first sample, and the changes to said adjoining source signal samples are smaller than the change to said first sample.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 8, further including changing the value of said source signal sample in accordance with another factor not related to the bit of the auxiliary data.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 79 words

In a method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal being comprised of samples, each having a binary value, the method including--for each bit of the auxiliary data--changing the value of a source signal sample in accordance therewith, an improvement comprising employing a random function to randomize the locations within the source signal at which said bits of auxiliary data change said values of the source signal samples.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 79 words

In a method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal being comprised of samples, each having a binary value, the method including--for each bit of the auxiliary data--changing the value of a source signal sample in accordance therewith, an improvement comprising employing a random function to randomize the locations within the source signal at which said bits of auxiliary data change said values of the source signal samples.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 15 in which the source signal represents image data.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 67 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal representing image data, the method including: evaluating data hiding characteristics of plural locations in the source signal; and encoding the auxiliary data in the source signal, avoiding the locations that have poor data hiding characteristics; wherein the auxiliary data is encoded where it is relatively less perceptible.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 67 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal representing image data, the method including: evaluating data hiding characteristics of plural locations in the source signal; and encoding the auxiliary data in the source signal, avoiding the locations that have poor data hiding characteristics; wherein the auxiliary data is encoded where it is relatively less perceptible.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 70 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal representing image data, the method including: identifying portions of the source signal having a predetermined data hiding attribute; and changing the source signal in at least certain of said portions to effect encoding of the auxiliary data therein; wherein the auxiliary data is encoded where it is relatively less perceptible.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 70 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least one, the source signal representing image data, the method including: identifying portions of the source signal having a predetermined data hiding attribute; and changing the source signal in at least certain of said portions to effect encoding of the auxiliary data therein; wherein the auxiliary data is encoded where it is relatively less perceptible.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 111 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least two, the source signal representing an image and including plural pixels, pseudo-randomly identifying plural signature point pixels within the image; for a selected first group of said signature point pixels, increasing values of said pixels, and pixels in a region associated therewith; and for a second group of said signature point pixels, distinct from the first, decreasing values of said pixels, and pixels in a region associated therewith; wherein said selected increasing and decreasing of pixel values at said signature points and in the regions associated therewith serves to mark the image for later identification.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 111 words

A method of encoding N-bits of auxiliary data within a source signal, N being at least two, the source signal representing an image and including plural pixels, pseudo-randomly identifying plural signature point pixels within the image; for a selected first group of said signature point pixels, increasing values of said pixels, and pixels in a region associated therewith; and for a second group of said signature point pixels, distinct from the first, decreasing values of said pixels, and pixels in a region associated therewith; wherein said selected increasing and decreasing of pixel values at said signature points and in the regions associated therewith serves to mark the image for later identification.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 19 in which each of said regions comprises pixels contiguous with the signature point pixel.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 68 words

The method of claim 19 which includes: assigning each of said N-bits to at least one of said pseudo-randomly identified signature points; defining one of said first or second groups of pixels as those to which a "1" bit of auxiliary data is assigned; and defining the other of said first or second groups of pixels as those to which a "0" bit of auxiliary data is assigned.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 60 words

In a method of marking an image to encode auxiliary data therein, the method including changing the image at plural points thereof, an improvement comprising defining a bounding area within which certain changes to the image are to be confined, said bounding area being less than the entirety of the image, and only making said certain changes within said area.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 60 words

In a method of marking an image to encode auxiliary data therein, the method including changing the image at plural points thereof, an improvement comprising defining a bounding area within which certain changes to the image are to be confined, said bounding area being less than the entirety of the image, and only making said certain changes within said area.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 22 where the bounding area is rectangular in shape.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 47 words

The method of claim 22 in which each of said changes is made at a predetermined point, and the method includes changing the image at first and second points adjoining at least certain of said predetermined points in accordance with the change to the adjoining predetermined point.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method of claim 24 which includes changing image luminance at said predetermined points, and changing the luminance at each of said first and second points by an amount less than the luminance change to the adjoining predetermined point.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method of claim 22 including identifying portions of the image having a predetermined data hiding attribute, and making said certain changes only in portions identified as having said predetermined data hiding attribute.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 44 words

In a method of marking an image to encode auxiliary data therein, the method including changing the image at plural points thereof, an improvement wherein the image is comprised of pixels, and the method includes randomly selecting pixels where changes are to be made.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 44 words

In a method of marking an image to encode auxiliary data therein, the method including changing the image at plural points thereof, an improvement wherein the image is comprised of pixels, and the method includes randomly selecting pixels where changes are to be made.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 44 words

The method of claim 27 which includes both changing values of said randomly selected pixels, and increasing or decreasing the value of each pixel adjoining said randomly selected pixels, depending on whether the change to each selected pixel was an increase or a decrease.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method of claim 28 in which the values of pixels adjoining each randomly selected pixel are increased or decreased by an amount less than the value the randomly selected pixel is changed.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method of claim 27 including defining a bounding area within which changes to the image are to be confined, said bounding area being less than the entirety of the image, and only changing the image within said bounding area.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 27 including identifying portions of the image having a predetermined data hiding attribute, and selecting said randomly selected pixels from said identified portions.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 74 words

In a method of marking an image to encode auxiliary data therein, the method including changing the image at plural points thereof, an improvement wherein the image is comprised of pixels, the changes increase or decrease a value of a signature pixel at each said point, and the method further includes increasing or decreasing the value of each pixel adjoining said signature pixels to correspond to the change of the signature pixel adjacent thereto.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 74 words

In a method of marking an image to encode auxiliary data therein, the method including changing the image at plural points thereof, an improvement wherein the image is comprised of pixels, the changes increase or decrease a value of a signature pixel at each said point, and the method further includes increasing or decreasing the value of each pixel adjoining said signature pixels to correspond to the change of the signature pixel adjacent thereto.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 32 in which the changing includes increasing or decreasing the value of each signature pixel in accordance with the value of a corresponding bit of said auxiliary data.

Claim 43

Independent Claim 80 words

A method of marking an image to encode auxiliary data therein, said data facilitating later identification of said image, the method comprising: randomly selecting plural signature points in the image; increasing a value of the image at a first subset of said randomly selected signature points, and at points surrounding said randomly selected signature points; decreasing a value of the image at a second subset of said randomly selected signature points, and at points surrounding said randomly selected signature points.

Claim 44

Independent Claim 80 words

A method of marking an image to encode auxiliary data therein, said data facilitating later identification of said image, the method comprising: randomly selecting plural signature points in the image; increasing a value of the image at a first subset of said randomly selected signature points, and at points surrounding said randomly selected signature points; decreasing a value of the image at a second subset of said randomly selected signature points, and at points surrounding said randomly selected signature points.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 80 words

A method of decoding a suspect image to determine whether it was marked in accordance with the method of claim 34, comprising: determining the value of the suspect image at a first of said signature points; subtracting from said value a second value to yield a difference; repeating the foregoing steps for others of the signature points in the image and other second values to yield plural differences; and assessing said plural differences to indicate whether the image was marked.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 35 in which each second value is an original value of said image at said signature point, prior to performing the marking method of claim 34.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 34 which includes increasing and decreasing each of said values by less than 10 percent.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 34 which includes increasing and decreasing said values in accordance with bits of said auxiliary data.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-09-14	2002-03-16	2002-09-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-09-14	2006-03-16	2006-09-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-09-14	2010-03-16	2010-09-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method for encoding auxiliary data within a source signal

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