Methods and systems for steganographic processing
View Patent ↗The present claims utilize steganographic embedding to help facilitate tracing of unauthorized copies to a location and particular time. One claim recites a method including: obtaining data representing audio or video, the audio or video to be communicated to an audience assembled at a location at a particular time; and steganographic embedding binary information in the data with a programmed electronic processor, said steganographic embedding modifies portions of the data to hide the binary information in the data, the binary information is associated with the location and particular time of communicating the audio or video to the audience assembled at the location at the particular time. The binary information enables an unauthorized version of the communicated audio or video to be traced back to the location and particular time. Of course, other combination and claims are provided too.
1. A method comprising:
obtaining data representing audio or video, wherein the audio or video to be communicated to an audience assembled at a location at a particular time; and
steganographic embedding, using a processor, binary information in the data by modifying portions of the data to hide the binary information in the data, wherein the binary information is associated with the location and particular time of communicating the audio or video to the audience assembled at the location at the particular time, and wherein the binary information enables an unauthorized version of the communicated audio or video to be traced back to the location and particular time.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio or video comprises audio, and wherein the data represents audible portions of the audio.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio or video comprises video, and wherein the data represents picture elements of the video.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steganographic embedding is carried out in real time as the data is received.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising logging the binary information in a database or memory.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising decrypting the data prior to steganographic embedding the binary information in the data.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steganographic embedding comprises encoding the binary information to be robust to signal distortion.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the signal distortion comprises scaling.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steganographic embedding comprises encoding the binary information so as to be robust to compression.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steganographic embedding comprises encodes a unique identifier.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steganographic embedding utilizes a unique encoding key.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binary information comprises at least two portions, wherein a first portion is more redundantly encoded in the data relative to a second portion.
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, the instructions comprising:
instructions to obtain data representing audio or video, wherein the audio or video to be communicated to an audience assembled at a location at a particular time; and
instructions to steganographically embed binary information in the data by modifying portions of the data to hide the binary information in the data, wherein the binary information is associated with the location and particular time of communicating the audio or video to the audience assembled at the location at the particular time, and wherein the binary information enables an unauthorized version of the communicated audio or video to be traced back to the location and particular time.
14. An apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to buffer data representing audio or video, wherein the audio or video is to be communicated to an audience assembled at a location at a particular time; and
a processor configured to steganographically embed binary information in the data by modifying portions of the data to hide the binary information in the data, wherein the binary information is associated with the location and particular time of communicating the audio or video to the audience assembled at the location at the particular time, and wherein the binary information enables an unauthorized version of the communicated audio or video to be traced back to the location and particular time.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the audio or video comprises audio, and wherein the data represents audible portions of the audio.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the audio or video comprises video, and wherein the data represents picture elements of the video.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to steganographically embed the binary information in real time.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to log the binary information in a database or memory.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to decrypt the data prior to the steganographic embedding.
20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to encode the binary information to be robust to signal distortion.
21. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the signal distortion comprises scaling.
22. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to encode the binary information to be robust to compression.
23. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to encode a unique identifier.
24. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to utilize a unique encoding key to steganographically embed the digital information.
25. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the binary information comprises at least two portions, wherein a first portion is more redundantly encoded in the data relative to a second portion.