Tuesdays the PTO issues new patents. Both of this week's Spotlight Patents concern aspects of digital watermarking. Assigned to Alcatel Lucent, the first patent addresses a watermarking scheme for digital video. Assigned to Samsung (KR), the second patent addresses techniques for reproducing video using watermark inserting function.
8,861,922, "Watermarking scheme for digital video," assigned to Alcatel Lucent (FR).
Abstract
Watermark data is effectively placed in at least one of the bit positions, e.g., of the integer portion, of the average value of at least a selected one of the chrominance portions of up to each block, on up to a frame-by-frame basis. Values of the selected chrominance portion of individual pixels in a block may be adjusted if necessary in order to cause the resulting substitution of the selected bit of the average. The bit position replaced may be a function of the block's busyness. A "margin" value may also be added to the average value in order to better ensure that the bit of watermark data survives any MPEG encoding, while minimizing resulting artifacts. A receiver extracts the bit of watermark data from the selected bit position of the average value of the chrominance portion.8,861,931, "Method and apparatus for reproducing video using watermark inserting function," assigned to Samsung (KR).
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reproducing a video using a watermark inserting function. The method of inserting a watermark into a video being reproduced, using an on-screen-display (OSD) data mixer included in a video reproduction apparatus, includes determining a watermark pattern indicating information on reproduction of the original video. The watermark pattern is converted into watermark data capable of being recognized by an OSD data mixer and synthesized with the video being reproduced, using the OSD data mixer.
