US6282299B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for video watermarking using perceptual masks
Assignee: Digimarc Corp
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Filing: 1997-08-27
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Granted: 2001-08-28
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Expires: 2017-08-27
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for the watermarking of video data is disclosed. In one embodiment, discrete objects are extracted from the video host data. Each is assigned and embedded with a watermark. The watermark is embedded by generating the watermark, applying it to a perceptual mask of the block, spatially masking the resulting block, and re-adding the block to the result. The objects are collected into a database so that an object may be tracked as it is transformed from frame to frame of the video host data.
Inventors
- 👤 Ahmed H. Tewfik
- 👤 Mitchell D. Swanson
- 👤 Bin Zhu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 21:43
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T1/00; G06T1/0021; G06T1/0028; G06T1/005; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32144; H04N1/32149; H04N1/32154; H04N1/3217; H04N1/32187; H04N1/32192; H04N19/00; H04N19/10; H04N19/102; H04N19/117; H04N19/132; H04N19/134; H04N19/154; H04N19/169; H04N19/17; H04N19/172; H04N19/176; H04N19/46; H04N19/467; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N21/238; H04N21/2389; H04N21/23892; H04N21/80; H04N21/83; H04N21/835; H04N21/8358; G06T2201/00; G06T2201/005; G06T2201/0052; G06T2201/0063; G06T2201/0065; G06T2201/0202
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
53 words
A computerized method for embedding data representing a watermark into host data relating to video: generating the data representing the watermark; embedding the data into the host data in accordance with a perceptual mask conducted in the frequency domain; and, subjecting the host data, including the data embedded therein, to a non-frequency mask.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
53 words
A computerized method for embedding data representing a watermark into host data relating to video: generating the data representing the watermark; embedding the data into the host data in accordance with a perceptual mask conducted in the frequency domain; and, subjecting the host data, including the data embedded therein, to a non-frequency mask.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the data representing the watermark comprises a pseudo-random sequence.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein generating the data representing the watermark uses a pseudo-random generator and two keys to generate the data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computerized method of claim 3 , wherein the pseudo-random generator is selected from the group comprising RSA, Rabin, Blum/Micali, and Blum/Blum/Shub.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
76 words
The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the perceptual mask comprises a model in which a contrast threshold at a frequency f is expressed as a function of the frequency f, a masking frequency f m and a masking contrast c m , c ( f,f m )= c o ( f )·Max{1 ,[f ( f/f m ) c m ] α }, where c o (f) is a detection threshold at the frequency f.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the non-frequency mask comprises a spatial mask.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
165 words
A computerized system for watermarking host data relating to video comprising: a processor; a computer-readable medium; computer-executable instructions executed by the processor from the computer-readable medium comprising: segmenting a video frame of the video into blocks; applying a discrete cosine transform (DCT) to each block to generate a frequency block corresponding to the block; applying a perceptual mask to each frequency block; applying the DCT to a watermark for each frequency block; scaling each frequency block, as to which the perceptual mask has been applied, by the watermark for frequency block, to which the DCT has been applied, to generate an scaler block corresponding to the frequency block; applying an inverse DCT to each scaler block to generate a time-domain block corresponding to the frequency block to which the scalar block corresponds; scaling each time-domain block by a spatial mask; and, adding each time-domain block as scaled by the spatial mask with the block having a corresponding frequency block to which the time-domain block corresponds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
165 words
A computerized system for watermarking host data relating to video comprising: a processor; a computer-readable medium; computer-executable instructions executed by the processor from the computer-readable medium comprising: segmenting a video frame of the video into blocks; applying a discrete cosine transform (DCT) to each block to generate a frequency block corresponding to the block; applying a perceptual mask to each frequency block; applying the DCT to a watermark for each frequency block; scaling each frequency block, as to which the perceptual mask has been applied, by the watermark for frequency block, to which the DCT has been applied, to generate an scaler block corresponding to the frequency block; applying an inverse DCT to each scaler block to generate a time-domain block corresponding to the frequency block to which the scalar block corresponds; scaling each time-domain block by a spatial mask; and, adding each time-domain block as scaled by the spatial mask with the block having a corresponding frequency block to which the time-domain block corresponds.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computerized system of claim 7 , further comprising before segmenting a video frame of the video into blocks: tracking blocks of the video by comparing the blocks of the video frame with corresponding blocks of a second video frame of the video immediately preceding the video frame.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
62 words
The computerized system of claim 7 , further comprising after scaling each time-domain block by a spatial mask: determining a distortion level; replacing the watermark for a block in the video frame with a watermark for the block from a second video frame of the video immediately preceding the video frame upon determining the distortion level as less than a predetermined threshold.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
196 words
A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon to cause a suitable equipped computer to perform a method comprising: segmenting a video frame of the video into blocks; applying a discrete cosine transform (DCT) to each block to generate a frequency block corresponding to the block; applying a perceptual mask to each frequency block; applying the DCT to a watermark for each frequency block; scaling each frequency block, as to which the perceptual mask has been applied, by the watermark for frequency block, to which the DCT has been applied, to generate an scaler block corresponding to the frequency block; applying an inverse DCT to each scaler block to generate a time-domain block corresponding to the frequency block to which the scalar block corresponds; scaling each time-domain block by a spatial mask; determining a distortion level; replacing the watermark for a block in the video frame with a watermark for the block from a second video frame of the video immediately preceding the video frame upon determining the distortion level as less than a predetermined threshold; and, adding each time-domain block with the block having a corresponding frequency block to which the time-domain block corresponds.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
196 words
A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon to cause a suitable equipped computer to perform a method comprising: segmenting a video frame of the video into blocks; applying a discrete cosine transform (DCT) to each block to generate a frequency block corresponding to the block; applying a perceptual mask to each frequency block; applying the DCT to a watermark for each frequency block; scaling each frequency block, as to which the perceptual mask has been applied, by the watermark for frequency block, to which the DCT has been applied, to generate an scaler block corresponding to the frequency block; applying an inverse DCT to each scaler block to generate a time-domain block corresponding to the frequency block to which the scalar block corresponds; scaling each time-domain block by a spatial mask; determining a distortion level; replacing the watermark for a block in the video frame with a watermark for the block from a second video frame of the video immediately preceding the video frame upon determining the distortion level as less than a predetermined threshold; and, adding each time-domain block with the block having a corresponding frequency block to which the time-domain block corresponds.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable medium is a floppy disk.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-08-27 | 2005-02-26 | 2005-08-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-08-27 | 2009-02-26 | 2009-08-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-08-27 | 2013-02-26 | 2013-08-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |