Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system of recognizing an ear by locating an invariant point in a representation X of ear geometry. An idea of the present invention is the improve the well known Iannarelli algorithm in that the scheme of the present invention captures and processes all pixels values along an axis and may use an arbitrary number of axes to combine these pixel values to a complete feature vector with a sufficient level of discrimination. The prior art Iannarelli method is improved by performing a Fourier transformation of a polar representation e[?, p] of the ear, whereby a transformed E[?/P] polar representation is created. This transformed representation is sampled to create an ear feature vector XF.

Abstract: A method of dynamically allocating payload bits in a watermarking system (10) is provided. The method including steps of: (a) determining one or more parameters to be conveyed in bits of a payload to be included in watermark information for embedding in programme content; (b) dynamically allocating the bits to corresponding of the one or more parameters so as to represent the one or more parameters in the payload; (c) including the payload in the watermark information; and (d) embedding the watermark information including the payload into the programme content. Such dynamic allocation of payload bits is capable of providing more effective use of payload capacity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, apparatus and computer program product enabling at least identification the presence data symbols that have been embedded in a media signal. A transmitted media signal is obtained (step 22), which comprises a possibly distorted version of a host signal in which data symbols have been embedded by quantisation using a certain quantisation step size and to which dither with a set of dither values has been added. Several dither value intervals within the set are provided, where each interval corresponds to one dither value (step 26). A histogram is determined for each interval (step 30), where a histogram is determined for all sample values of a set of signal samples of the transmitted media signal and having a dither value in the corresponding interval. The separate histograms are combined and a rescaling factor is determined based on the combined histogram (step 32) in order to estimate the quantisation step size.

Abstract: There is provided a method of counteracting copying of digital information comprising the steps of: (a) providing a system (10) comprising at least one content provider (40), at least one consumer having one or more devices (50) for replaying digital information, a first distribution arrangement (30) for distributing authorized copies of said digital information from said at least one content provider (40) to said at least one consumer, and a second distribution arrangement (20) susceptible to distributing unauthorized copies of said digital information from said at least one content provider (40) to said atleast one consumer, (b) arranging for said at least one content provider (40) tobe susceptible to providing authorized copies of said digital information to said at least one customer via the first distribution arrangement (30); (c) arranging for distribution via the second distribution arrangement (20) of copies of said digital information from said at least one content provider (40) wherein at least a po

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for embedding and for detecting digital watermarks in information signals. The method of embedding a watermark comprises the steps of providing a watermark secret (106), embedding (107) a digital watermark in an information signal (101) where said embedding is controlled by the watermark secret, calculating (102) a digital fingerprint (103) from the information signal, and storing (104) the calculated digital fingerprint as a reference digital fingerprint and storing, in relation to the reference digital fingerprint, a identifier data item from which the watermark secret can be derived.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, devices and a signal related to simplifying the embedding of watermarks in different copies of a media signal (x). The watermarking process is split into two parts, one that is based on signal dependent properties and one that is based on watermark specific properties. The signal dependent properties are determined in advance, while the watermark specific properties are determined at the time of delivery of the media signal. The signal dependent watermarking properties (p) of a media signal (x) are determined in a properties determining unit (14) and stored in a signal properties store (16), such that the signal dependent properties can be used for embedding more than one watermark (WA, WB, WC) in different copies of the media signal. In this way it is possible to embed watermarks in multiple copies of the same media signal with small time delays.

Abstract: Watermark-detection in the graphics card of a personal computer, for the purpose of copy-protection, has recently started to draw a lot of attention in standardization. Detection in the graphics card has problems completely different from the formerly considered detection in the DVD-drive, having to do with high data-rates, large scale-ranges and presence of multiple video-streams in the display area. This invention proposes conversion (32) of the computer's RGB output into a luminance signal (Y) prior to watermark detection by a conventional watermark detector (31) being arranged to detect the watermark in a such a luminance signal. The resolution of the monitor image to be inspected is preferably converted (33) to the conventional TV resolution of the (MPEG2-compressed) contents being played back on the computer's DVD drive. In graphic cards providing multiple outputs (VGA, TV, DVI), the same watermark detector may be time-sequentiall connected (34) to each of the outputs.

Abstract: Watermark-detection in the graphics card of a personal computer, for the purpose of copy-protection, has recently started to draw a lot of attention in standardization. Detection in the graphics card has problems completely different from the formerly considered detection in the DVD-drive, having to do with high data-rates, large scale-ranges and presence of multiple video-streams in the display area This invention proposes examining (36) the video signal being generated by the computer system to locate image areas in which the video signal changes from frame to frame, and defining (37) a bounding box around said image areas and considering an area of interest this found as being a window in which an application is running. After approriate scale conversion (32), conventional watermark detection (31) is subsequently applied to said window. This prevents hackers from rendering illegal contents in one window while playing back a compliant disk in the DVD drive (10).

Abstract: Many methods for reversible watermarking (embedding schemes that allow perfect reconstruction of the original host signal) are highly fragile in the sense that the slightest modification of watermarked content prohibits the recovery of both the original signal as well as the embedded auxiliary data. In order to obtain robustness against transmission or channel errors, the embedding method according to the invention accommodates error correction data in a portion of the data embedding capacity. In an advantageous embodiment, the host signal (36) is segmented in segments, and error correction data (p(n)) for a segment (S(n)) is accommodated in data (37) being embedded in a subsequent segment (S(n+1)) along with restoration data (r(n)) for reconstructing the host signal. The remaining portion of the embedding capacity is used for payload (w).

Abstract: In order to enable a data signal, such as an audio or video signal, to be marked with multiple watermarks a set of different codes or keys is used within a given application field. The set of codes/keys is known to a watermark embedder (20) and a watermark detector (22). In each watermark embedding step, whether it is a first embedding step or a subsequent embedding step, a different key is used. The embedder (22) includes a data extractor (24) for determining which key or keys has or have been used previously. A data generator (26) then selects a new key from the set of known keys.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and arrangement for extracting a fingerprint from a multimedia signal, particularly an audio signal, which is invariant to speed changes of the audio signal. To this end, the method comprises extracting (12,13) a set of robust perceptual features from the multimedia signal, for example, the power spectrum of the audio signal. A Fourier-Mellin transform (15) converts the power spectrum into Fourier coefficients that undergo a phase change only if the audio playback speed changes. Their magnitudes or phase differences (16) constitute a speed change-invariant fingerprint. By a thresholding operation (19), the fingerprint can be represented by a compact number of bits.

Abstract: A method of regulating sharing of a multimedia object (200) by a device (100), comprising registering usage information for the multimedia object (200) upon sharing of the multimedia object (200), and after the registering, billing a user of the device (100) for a certain amount in accordance with the registered usage information for the multimedia object (200). Registration preferably takes place in a client (101) arranged for sharing of the multimedia object (200). The usage information could for instance comprise the number of times a multimedia object has been shared, or the duration of the object. If a sufficient number of objects have been shared, or if the total time exceeds a maximum, the client (101) reports the usage information to a third party (130) for billing purposes.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and arrangements for processing a signal using a digital processor having a given word length.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating a hash signal representative of a multimedia signal are described. The method includes receiving a bit-stream comprising a compressed multimedia signal, selectively reading from the bit-stream predetermined parameters, and deriving a hash function from the parameters.

Abstract: A digital media recorder and method of controlling such is shown. During attempts to copy media content such as audio or a video sequences, sub-sequences are extracted from an input media sequence. A digital fingerprint of the sub-sequence is calculated and compared with at least one first reference fingerprint from a database. The outcome of the comparison determines the action to take in the further processing. Recording of the input media sequence on the media carrier is either allowed or obstructed, e.g. disallowed. In the case recording of the sequence is allowed, the database is updated with information that the digital media sequence has been recorded. This has the effect of a “speed bump,” which limits the rate at which those copies of media content can be made, i.e. the effect is that of prohibiting more than a given number of copies within a given time frame.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of processing an information signal. The method comprises the steps of determining (302) a fingerprint of the information signal; obtaining (308) at least a first property value of a predetermined first property of the information signal, the at least first property value being stored in relation to a first one of a plurality of stored fingerprints, the first property value corresponding to the determined fingerprint; and controlling (313), at least in part, processing of the information signal responsive to the obtained at least first property value, the processing resulting in a processed information signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a signal comprising a runlength limited (RLL) encoded binary d,k channel bitstream 3, wherein parameter d defines a minimum number and parameter k defines a maximum number of zeroes between any two ones of said bitstream 3 or vice versa, comprising a number of sections of respectively N successive RLL channel bits, called RLL rows 8-13, 45, each RLL row 8-13, 45 representing a parity-check code-word, called row parity-check code-word, in which a so-called row-based parity-check constraint for said RLL row 8-13. 45 has been realized, characterized in that K sections of respectively N successive channel bits, called column parity-check rows 21, 22, 43, 44, 46, are located at predetermined positions of a group of M RLL rows 8-13.

Abstract: A robust fingerprinting system is disclosed. Such a system can recognize unknown multimedia content (U(t)) by extracting a fingerprint (a series of hash words) from said content, and searching a resembling fingerprint in a database in which fingerprints of a plurality of known contents (K(t)) are stored. In order to more efficiently store the fingerprints in the database and to speed up the search, the hash words (H(n)) of known signals (K(t)) are sub-sampled (13) by a factor M prior to storage in the database (14). The hash words (H(n)) of unknown signals (U(t)) are divided (16) into M interleaved sub-series (H0(n) . . . HM?1(n)). The interleaved sub-series are selectively (17) applied to the database (14) under the control of a computer (15). If only one of the sub-series sufficiently matches a stored fingerprint, the signal is identified.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of embedding a watermark pattern with a payload in a time dependent information signal, comprising the steps of determining a number of robust signatures in the information signal, creating the payload being dependent of at least one of the number of robust signatures and a predefined message, embedding the watermark pattern according to the payload in the information signal. The invention also relates to a corresponding method and arrangement for detecting a watermark pattern in an information signal.

Abstract: Watermark embedding is often used to identify multiple copies (Qi) of the same content (Q). Each copy (Qi) is provided with a different private watermark (Wi) which, for example, identifies the player on which that copy may be reproduced. Private watermarks can be hacked. Averaging two or more watermarked copies may cause any of the private watermarks to become undetectable. The watermark embedder (10) in accordance with the invention embeds a global (fixed) watermark (W) in addition to the private watermark (Wi). The global watermark is the same in each copy and therefore remains detectable. Its presence indicates that a private watermark shall be present as well. It can be used in a protocol like: no playback allowed if the global watermark is present and a private watermark is not found.