Encrypted and watermarked temporal and resolution layering in advanced television
A method and apparatus for image compression using temporal and resolution layering of compressed image frames, and which provides encryption and watermarking capabilities. In particular, layered compression allows a form of modularized decomposition of an image that supports flexible encryption and watermarking techniques. Using layered compression, the base layer and various internal components of the base layer can be used to encrypt a compressed layered movie data stream. By using such a layered subset of the bits, the entire picture stream can be made unrecognizable by encrypting only a small fraction of the bits of the entire stream. A variety of encryption algorithms and strengths can be applied to various portions of the layered stream, including enhancement layers. Encryption algorithms or keys can be changed at each slice boundary as well, to provide greater intertwining of the encryption and the picture stream. Watermarking tracks lost or stolen copies back to the source, so that the nature of the method of theft can be determined and so that those involved in a theft can be identified. Watermarking preferably uses low order bits in certain coefficients in certain frames of a layered compression movie stream to provide reliable identification while being invisible or nearly invisible to the eye. An enhancement layer can also have its own unique identifying watermark structure.
1. A method for watermarking a data stream of video information encoded and compressed into a base layer and at least one enhancement layer, including the steps of:
(a) selecting at least one watermarking technique;
(b) selecting at least one unit of one of the base layer or at least one enhancement layer to watermark;
(c) applying at least one selected watermarking technique to watermark each selected unit as a watermarked unit; and
(d) applying a first unique selected watermarking technique to selected units from the base layer and a second unique selected watermarking technique to selected units from the at least one enhancement layer.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the at least one selected watermarking technique to add forensic tracing data to the data stream of video information to track a copy of the data stream back to a source of the data stream.
3. The method of claim 1 , further including instructions for causing a computer to select units to watermark that have low influence on non-watermarked units to minimize a visibility of the watermark.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a multi-frame unit.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a frame unit.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a sub-frame unit.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a distributed unit.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data stream of video information includes displayable frames, and further including instructions for causing a computer to apply the selected watermark techniques to watermark a periphery of each displayable frame to minimize visibility of the watermarks.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique is a noise-tolerant watermarking technique.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique applies a uniquely identifying symbol or code to the data stream of video information.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique applies a uniquely identifying symbol or code to at least one of the layers of the data stream of video information.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses non-optimum motion vectors as a watermark.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses minor rate control variations as a watermark.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses low-order bit variations in DC coefficients or AC coefficients of the data stream of video information as a watermark.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses low amplitude blurry symbols uniquely added to the data steam of video information during compression to uniquely watermark the data steam.
16. The method of claim 1 , further including the steps of:
(e) selecting at least one encryption algorithm;
(f) selecting at least unit of one of the base layer or at least one enhancement layer to encrypt; and
(g) applying at least one selected encryption algorithm to encrypt each selected unit into an encryption unit.
17. A system for watermarking a data steam of video information encoded and compressed into a base layer and at least one enhancement layer, including at least one processing device and a storage unit, the storage unit includes instructions for causing the at least one processing device to perform the operations including:
(a) selecting at least one watermarking technique;
(b) selecting at least one unit of one of the base layer or at least one enhancement layer to watermark;
(c) applying at least one selected watermarking technique to watermarking technique to watermark each selected unit as watermarked unit; and
(d) applying a first unique selected watermarking technique to selected units from the base layer and a second unique selected watermarking technique to selected units from the at least one enhancement layer.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the storage further includes instructions for causing the at least one processing device to perform the operation of applying the at least one selected watermarking technique to add forensic tracing data to the data stream of video information to track a copy of the data stream back to a source of the data stream.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the storage further includes instructions for causing the at least one processing device to perform the operation of selecting units to watermark that have low influence on non-watermarked units to minimize a visibility of the watermark.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a multi-frame unit.
21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a frame unit.
22. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a sub-frame unit.
23. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a distributed unit.
24. The system of claim 17 , wherein the data stream of video information includes displayable frames, and the storage further includes instructions for causing the at least one processing device to perform the operation of applying the selected watermark techniques to watermark a periphery of each displayable frame to minimize visibility of the watermarks.
25. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one watermarking technique is a noise-tolerant watermarking technique.
26. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique applies a uniquely identifying symbol or code to the data stream of video information.
27. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique applies a uniquely identifying symbol or code to each layer of the data stream of video information.
28. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses non-optimum motion vectors as a watermark.
29. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses minor rate control variations as a watermark.
30. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses low-order bit variations in DC coefficients or AC coefficients of the data stream of video information as a watermark.
31. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses low amplitude blurry symbols uniquely added to the data stream of video information during compression to uniquely watermark the data stream.
32. The system of claim 17 , wherein the storage further includes instructions for causing the at least one processing device to perform the following operations:
(e) selecting at least one encryption algorithm;
(f) selecting at least unit of one of the base layer or at least one enhancement layer to encrypt; and
(g) applying at least one selected encryption algorithm to encrypt each selected unit into an encryption unit.
33. A computer program, stored on a computer-readable medium, for watermarking a data stream of video information encoded and compressed into a base layer and at least one enhancement layer, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to:
(a) select at least one watermarking technique;
(b) select at least one unit of one of the base layer or at least one enhancement layer to watermark;
(c) apply at least one selected watermarking technique to watermark each selected unit as a watermarked unit; and
(d) to apply a first unique selected watermarking technique to selected units from the base layer and a second unique selected watermarking technique to selected units from the at least one enhancement layer.
34. The computer program of claim 33 , further including instructions for causing the computer to apply the at least one selected watermarking technique to add forensic tracing data to the data stream of video information to track a copy of the data stream back to a source of the data stream.
35. The computer program of claim 33 , further including instructions for causing the computer to select units to watermark that have low influence on non-watermarked units to minimize a visibility of the watermark.
36. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a multi-frame unit.
37. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a frame unit.
38. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a sub-frame unit.
39. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected unit is a distributed unit.
40. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the data stream of video information includes displayable frames, and further including instructions for causing the computer to apply the selected watermark techniques to watermark a periphery of each displayable frame to minimize visibility of the watermarks.
41. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique is a noise-tolerant watermarking technique.
42. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique applies a uniquely identifying symbol or code to each data stream of video information.
43. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique applies a uniquely identifying symbol or code to each layer of the data stream of video information.
44. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses non-optimum motion vectors as a watermark.
45. The computer program of claim 44 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses minor rate control variations as a watermark.
46. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses low-order bit variations in DC coefficients or AC coefficients of the data stream as a watermark.
47. The computer program of claim 33 , wherein the at least one selected watermarking technique uses low amplitude blurry symbols uniquely added to the data stream of video information during compression to uniquely watermark the data stream.
48. The computer program of claim 33 , further comprising instructions for causing the computer to:
(e) select at least one encryption algorithm;
(f) select at least unit of one of the base layer or at least one enhancement layer to encrypt; and
(g) apply at least one selected encryption algorithm to encrypt each selected unit into an encryption unit.