Method and systems for inserting watermarks in digital signals
View Patent ↗The presently claimed invention relates generally to digital watermarking and steganographic encoding. One claim recites a method of encoding a watermark in a digital signal. The method includes generating varying key bits; and encoding the varying watermark key bits in the digital signal as a watermark with reference to at least characteristics of the digital signal. The “digital signal” may represent audio, video or imagery. Another claim recites a system for encoding a watermark in a digital signal. The system includes a processor: i) to map pseudo-random key and processing state information to effect an encode/decode map; and ii) to encode a watermark in a digital signal using the encode/decode map and characteristics of the digital signal. Of course other combinations are provided and claimed as well.
1. A method of encoding a watermark in a digital signal, the method comprising:
generating varying key bits; and
encoding the varying key bits in the digital signal as a watermark with reference to at least characteristics of the digital signal.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital signal represents audio, imagery or video.
3. A method of steganographically encoding bits in a digital signal, the method comprising:
generating varying key bits; and
steganographically encoding the digital signal using the varying key bits.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the digital signal represents audio, imagery or video.
5. A method of encoding a watermark in a digital signal, the method comprising:
mapping key information to effect an encode/decode map; and
encoding the watermark in the digital signal using the encode/decode map and characteristics of the digital signal.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the digital signal represents audio, imagery or video.
7. A method of generating a noise signal to produce watermark information, the method comprising:
generating a noise signal as a function of at least one variable which depends on key and processing state information; and
providing the generated noise signal as watermark information.
8. A system for encoding a watermark in a digital signal, the system comprising:
a generator configured to generate a pseudo-random key; and
an encoder configured to encode a watermark in the digital signal using: i) the pseudo-random key; and ii) characteristics of the digital signal.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the generator is selected from a non-linear generator or a scrambling generator.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the characteristics of the digital signal comprise mathematically defined functions of the digital signal.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the digital signal represents audio, imagery or video.
12. A system for encoding a watermark in a digital signal, the system comprising:
a processor configured to: map pseudo-random key and processing state information to effect an encode/decode map; and encode a watermark in the digital signal using the encode/decode map and characteristics of the digital signal.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor maps the pseudo-random key and processing state information to effect an encode/decode map using a non-linear generator or a scrambling generator.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the characteristics of the digital signal comprise mathematically defined functions of the digital signal.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the digital signal represents audio, imagery or video.
16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to generate varying key bits; and instructions to encode the varying key bits in a digital signal as a watermark with reference to at least characteristics of the digital signal.
17. A system comprising:
a generator configured to generate varying key bits; and
an encoder configured to steganographically encode a digital signal using the varying key bits.
18. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to generate varying key bits; and instructions to steganographically encode a digital signal using the varying key bits.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to map key information to effect an encode/decode map; and instructions to encode a watermark in a digital signal using the encode/decode map and characteristics of the digital signal.
20. A system comprising:
a generator configured to generate a noise signal as a function of at least one variable which depends on key and processing state information; and
a provider configured to provide the generated noise signal as watermark information.
21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to generate a noise signal as a function of at least one variable which depends on key and processing state information; and instructions to provide the generated noise signal as watermark information.