Tuesdays the USPTO issues new patents. Both of today's Spotlight Patents address various aspects of watermarking. Assigned to Toshiba, the first patent concerns techniques for embedding and analyzing watermarks. Assigned to Sony, the second patent concerns watermarking and transferring material.
7,443,999, "Digital watermark embedding apparatus and method, and digital watermark analysis apparatus, method and program," assigned to Toshiba.
Abstract
A digital watermark embedding apparatus comprises below units. A first generation unit generates a plurality of symbol sequences each of which includes a plurality of symbols including ranks, each of the ranks being uniquely numbered among each of the symbol sequences, each of the symbol sequences uniquely corresponding to each of a plurality of identification information items to be embedded as digital watermark information into each of copies of digital contents. A second generation generates a plurality of to-be-embedded codes corresponding to each of the symbols in each of the symbol sequences. An embedding unit embeds the to-be-embedded codes in each of the copies.
7,443,982, "Watermarking and transferring material," assigned to Sony.
Abstract
A system for watermarking and transferring watermarked material comprises a transaction server, first and second clients, first apparatus for applying a perceptible watermark to the material and second apparatus for removing the watermark. The server, clients and first and second apparatus are linked by one or more communications networks. The system is arranged to implement the steps of: transferring from the transaction server to the first apparatus (i) data for creating a watermark, the creating data including (a) data defining an invertible algorithm and (b) data for creating at least one security key associated with the algorithm and (ii) data for creating a material identifier; using the said first apparatus to apply a material identifier to the material and applying a watermark to the material, using the said creating data; transferring from the first client to the transaction server the said material identifier and data for inverting the algorithm including the said at least one key; transferring the watermarked material to the second apparatus; deriving the said material identifier from the material; transferring the identifier from the second client to the transaction server; subject to predetermined conditions being satisfied, transferring from the transaction server to the second apparatus watermark removal data associated with the said material identifier, the removal data including at least one key and data defining an algorithm for removing the watermark in conjunction with the key; and using the second apparatus to remove the watermark using the said removal data.
Abstract
A digital watermark embedding apparatus comprises below units. A first generation unit generates a plurality of symbol sequences each of which includes a plurality of symbols including ranks, each of the ranks being uniquely numbered among each of the symbol sequences, each of the symbol sequences uniquely corresponding to each of a plurality of identification information items to be embedded as digital watermark information into each of copies of digital contents. A second generation generates a plurality of to-be-embedded codes corresponding to each of the symbols in each of the symbol sequences. An embedding unit embeds the to-be-embedded codes in each of the copies.
7,443,982, "Watermarking and transferring material," assigned to Sony.
Abstract
A system for watermarking and transferring watermarked material comprises a transaction server, first and second clients, first apparatus for applying a perceptible watermark to the material and second apparatus for removing the watermark. The server, clients and first and second apparatus are linked by one or more communications networks. The system is arranged to implement the steps of: transferring from the transaction server to the first apparatus (i) data for creating a watermark, the creating data including (a) data defining an invertible algorithm and (b) data for creating at least one security key associated with the algorithm and (ii) data for creating a material identifier; using the said first apparatus to apply a material identifier to the material and applying a watermark to the material, using the said creating data; transferring from the first client to the transaction server the said material identifier and data for inverting the algorithm including the said at least one key; transferring the watermarked material to the second apparatus; deriving the said material identifier from the material; transferring the identifier from the second client to the transaction server; subject to predetermined conditions being satisfied, transferring from the transaction server to the second apparatus watermark removal data associated with the said material identifier, the removal data including at least one key and data defining an algorithm for removing the watermark in conjunction with the key; and using the second apparatus to remove the watermark using the said removal data.
