Systems and methods of fingerprinting and identifying video objects
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are provided for identifying a video object using digital fingerprints. The digital fingerprints are generated from information extracted from the video object including encoded video. The digital fingerprints can be calculated in a manner that permits identification of both the video object and operational characteristics of the video object based on matching calculated digital fingerprints with known fingerprints of known video objects. Systems and methods are described that allow a DVD to be uniquely identified and identify whether the DVD is original, copied or pirated. Systems and methods are described for computing digital fingerprints from strings of bits in which certain additional data is optionally embedded. Systems and methods are described that permit media players to access known signatures of known video objects maintained on one or more databases and to identify video objects presented for playing on the media player.
1. A method of fingerprinting a video object comprising:
extracting data from the video object, the extracted data including encoded video, Content Scrambling System bits, Region Protection Code bits and Analog Protection System bits;
generating a plurality of digital fingerprints from the extracted data, wherein generating the plurality of digital fingerprints includes:
calculating a first digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the first digital fingerprint is operative to distinguish between the video object and copies of the video object;
masking one or more bits of the extracted data;
calculating, subsequent to masking, a second digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the one or more masked bits include at least one bit that has a first value in an original version of the video object and a second value in a copy of the video object, wherein the second digital fingerprint uniquely identifies a portion of the encoded video and is operative to identify the video object and copies of the video object; and
maintaining, in a database, a copy of the plurality of digital fingerprints in association with information identifying the video object.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video object comprises a Digital
Versatile Disc (DVD) comprising a plurality of information (IFO) files.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracted data further includes a plurality of information (IFO) files and calculating a third digital fingerprint from the extracted data including the information (IFO) files.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presence or absence of the one or more masked bits identifies copied versions of the video object.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of digital fingerprints identify content and origin of the video object and further comprising providing the plurality of digital fingerprints and information identifying the video object to a repository of digital fingerprints.
6. A Digital Versatile Disc media encoded with instructions for fingerprinting a video object, the instructions causing an apparatus to:
extract data from the video object, the extracted data including encoded video, Content Scrambling System bits, Region Protection Code bits and Analog Protection System bits;
generate a plurality of digital fingerprints from the extracted data, wherein generating the plurality of digital fingerprints includes:
calculating a first digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the first digital fingerprint is operative to distinguish between the video object and copies of the video object;
masking one or more bits of the extracted data;
calculating, subsequent to masking, a second digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the one or more masked bits include at least one bit that has a first value in an original version of the video object and a second value in a copy of the video object, wherein the second digital fingerprint uniquely identifies a portion of the encoded video and is operative to identify the video object and copies of the video object; and
maintain, in a database, a copy of the plurality of digital fingerprints in association with information identifying the video object.
7. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 6 , wherein the video object includes said Digital Versatile Disc comprising a plurality of information (IFO) files.
8. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 6 , wherein the extracted data further includes a plurality of information (IFO) files and calculating a third digital fingerprint from the extracted data including the information (IFO) files.
9. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 6 , wherein the presence or absence of one or more masked bits identifies origin of the Digital Versatile Disc.
10. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of digital fingerprints identify content, structure and origin of the Digital Versatile Disc.
11. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 10 , further encoded with instructions causing the apparatus to provide the plurality of digital fingerprints and information identifying the Digital Versatile Disc to a repository of digital fingerprints.
12. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of digital fingerprints identify content and origin of the video object and wherein the Digital Versatile Disc media is further encoded with the instructions causing the apparatus to provide the one or more digital fingerprints and information identifying the video object to a repository of digital fingerprints.
13. A method of identifying a video object comprising:
extracting data from the video object, the extracted data including encoded video, Content Scrambling System bits, Region Protection Code bits and Analog Protection System bits;
generating a plurality of digital fingerprints from the extracted data, wherein generating the plurality of digital fingerprints includes:
calculating a first digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the first digital fingerprint is operative to distinguish between the video object and copies of the video object;
masking one or more bits of the extracted data;
calculating, subsequent to masking, a second digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the one or more masked bits include at least one bit that has a first value in an original version of the video object and a second value in a copy of the video object, wherein the second digital fingerprint uniquely identifies a portion of the encoded video and is operative to identify the video object and copies of the video object;
identifying the video object by matching at least one of the one or more calculated digital fingerprints with corresponding digital fingerprints of a known video object; and
determining whether the video object is a copy of the known video object based on a comparison of the calculated digital fingerprint with a corresponding one of the known digital fingerprints.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising identifying the video object based on information associated with the corresponding known digital fingerprints.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the video object comprises a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) comprising a plurality of information (IFO) files.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the extracted data further includes a plurality of information (IFO) files and calculating a third digital fingerprint from the extracted data including the information (IFO) files.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein a match of fewer than all of the plurality of digital fingerprints to corresponding digital fingerprints of a previously fingerprinted video object is indicative of a copied video object.
18. A Digital Versatile Disc media encoded with instructions for identifying a video object, the instructions causing an apparatus to:
extract data from the video object, the extracted data including encoded video, Content Scrambling System bits, Region Protection Code bits and Analog Protection System bits;
generate a plurality of digital fingerprints of the extracted data, wherein generating the plurality of digital fingerprints includes:
calculating a first digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the first digital fingerprint is operative to distinguish between the video object and copies of the video object;
masking one or more bits of the extracted data;
calculating, subsequent to masking, a second digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the one or more masked bits include at least one bit that has a first value in an original version of the video object and a second value in a copy of the video object, wherein the second digital fingerprint uniquely identifies a portion of the encoded video and is operative to identify the video object and copies of the video object;
match at least one of the one or more calculated digital fingerprints with corresponding digital fingerprints of a known video object, wherein one or more of the calculated digital fingerprints uniquely identifies a portion of the encoded video; and
determine whether the video object is a copy of the known video object based on a comparison of the calculated digital fingerprint with a corresponding one of the known digital fingerprints.
19. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 18 , further encoded with instructions that cause the apparatus to identify the video object based on information associated with the corresponding known digital fingerprints.
20. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 18 , wherein the video object comprises said Digital Versatile Disc further comprising a plurality of information (IFO) files.
21. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 18 , wherein the extracted data further includes a plurality of information (IFO) files and calculating a third digital fingerprint from the extracted data including the information (IFO) files.
22. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 18 , further encoded with instructions that cause the apparatus to determine the origins of the Digital Versatile Disc, wherein the Digital Versatile Disc is determined to be an original Digital Versatile Disc when certain of the plurality of digital fingerprints are identical to corresponding digital fingerprints of a previously fingerprinted Digital Versatile Disc.
23. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 18 , wherein the known digital fingerprints are maintained in a digital fingerprint repository.
24. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 23 , wherein the digital fingerprint repository is maintained in a database.
25. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is a Digital Versatile Disc player.
26. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is a computer.
27. The Digital Versatile Disc media of claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is a digital video recorder.
28. A system for identifying a video object, said system comprising:
a computing device, the computing device comprising a media player and a processor,
extracting, by the media player, data from the video object, the extracted data including encoded video, Content Scrambling System bits, Region Protection Code bits and Analog Protection System bits;
generating, by the processor, a plurality of digital fingerprints from the extracted data, wherein generating the plurality of digital fingerprints includes:
calculating a first digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the first digital fingerprint is operative to distinguish between the video object and copies of the video object;
masking one or more bits of the extracted data;
calculating, subsequent to masking, a second digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the one or more masked bits include at least one bit that has a first value in an original version of the video object and a second value in a copy of the video object, wherein the second digital fingerprint uniquely identifies a portion of the encoded video and is operative to identify the video object and copies of the video object;
accessing by the media player known digital fingerprints of a corresponding known video object;
identifying, by the processor, the video object by matching at least one of the one or more calculated digital fingerprints with the known digital fingerprints of the corresponding known video object; and
determining, by the processor whether the video object is a copy based on a comparison of the calculated digital fingerprint with the corresponding one of the known digital fingerprints.
29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the known digital fingerprints are maintained in a digital fingerprint repository.
30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the digital fingerprint repository is maintained in a locally accessible.
31. The system of claim 29 , wherein the digital fingerprint repository is maintained in a database accessible through a network.
32. The system of claim 28 , wherein the computing device is a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player.
33. The system of claim 28 , wherein the computing device is a computer.
34. The system of claim 28 , wherein the computing device is a digital video recorder.
35. The system of claim 28 , wherein the video object comprises a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) comprising a plurality of information (IFO) files and wherein the extracted data further includes a plurality of information (IFO) files and calculating, by the processor, a third digital fingerprint from the extracted data including the information (IFO) files.
36. A system for fingerprinting a video object, said system comprising:
a computing device, the computer device comprising a processor and storage accessible to the processor;
extracting, by the processor, data from the video object, the extracted data including encoded video, Content Scrambling System bits, Region Protection Code bits and Analog Protection System bits;
generating, by the processor, a plurality of digital fingerprints from the extracted data, wherein generating the plurality of digital fingerprints includes:
calculating a first digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the first digital fingerprint is operative to distinguish between the video object and copies of the video object;
masking one or more bits of the extracted data;
calculating, subsequent to masking, a second digital fingerprint from the extracted data, wherein the one or more masked bits include at least one bit that has a first value in an original version of the video object and a second value in a copy of the video object, wherein the second digital fingerprint uniquely identifies a portion of the encoded video and is operative to identify the video object and copies of the video object; and
storing in the storage accessible to the processor, in a database, a copy of the generated plurality of digital fingerprints in association with information identifying the video object.
37. The system of claim 36 , wherein the video object is a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) comprising a plurality of information (IFO) files.
38. The system of claim 36 , wherein the digital fingerprints identify content, structure and origin of said video object.