Tuesdays the USPTO issues new patents. Both of today's Spotlight Patents entail the use of watermarking techniques. Assigned to Intertrust, the first patent concerns watermarking as one technique used for data protection. Assigned to Nikon, the second patent describes image signal analysis for watermark detection and decoding.
7,406,603, "Data protection systems and methods," assigned to Intertrust.
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for protecting electronic content from the time it is packaged through the time it is experienced by an end user. Protection against content misuse is accomplished using a combination of encryption, watermark screening, detection of invalid content processing software and hardware, and/or detection of invalid content flows. Encryption protects the secrecy of content while it is being transferred or stored. Watermark screening protects against the unauthorized use of content. Watermark screening is provided by invoking a filter module to examine content for the presence of a watermark before the content is delivered to output hardware or software. The filter module is operable to prevent delivery of the content to the output hardware or software if it detects a predefined protection mark. Invalid content processing software is detected by a monitoring mechanism that validates the software involved in processing protected electronic content. Invalid content flows can be detected by scanning the information passed across system interfaces for the attempted transfer of bit patterns that were released from an application and/or a piece of content management software.
7,404,083, "Image signal analysis for watermark detection and decoding," assigned to Nikon (JP).
Abstract
An image processing apparatus records an input image signal into another recording medium or displays the input image signal on a display device. When a digital image signal having superimposed thereupon an electronic watermark is input, an identification circuit identifies the method employed to superimpose the electronic watermark. A decode circuit decodes the electronic watermark by employing the electronic watermark superimposing method identified by the identification circuit.
