Abstract: An apparatus including a transformer for transforming transform domain data into time domain data and a combiner for receiving material and combining said time domain data with said material to form data embedded material. Hence, the material is not subject any transformation at all.

Abstract: A material distribution apparatus, comprising a material server including a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into material to be distributed with the effect that the introduced data is at least difficult to perceive in the material, and a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible impairment into the material. A communications network distributes the impaired material to at least one client processor which includes an impairment reversing processor operable to reverse the impairment of the material to produce client restored material.

Abstract: An apparatus including a transformer for transforming transform domain data into time domain data and a combiner for receiving material and combining said time domain data with said material to form data embedded material. Hence, the material is not subject any transformation at all.

Abstract: The present invention relates to embedding data in material. Material means one or more of video material, audio material and data material. Video material in this context may be still images or moving images. There is provided an apparatus comprising a transformer for transforming transform domain data into spatial domain data and a combiner for receiving material and combining said spatial domain data with said material to form data embedded material. Hence, the material is not subject any transformation at all.

Abstract: An encoding data processing apparatus is arranged to generate a marked copy of an item of material by introducing at least one code word into a copy of the material item, the code word being arranged to identify a payload data word. The encoding apparatus comprises an encryption circuit operable to receive a payload encryption key and to receive the payload data word, and to encrypt the payload data word using the payload encryption key. A pseudo random number generator receives the encrypted payload data and a finger print key and generates the code word having a plurality of code word coefficients using the encrypted payload as a seed for the pseudo random number generator and the finger print key. A combiner combines the code word with the material to form the marked copy of the material item. The encoding apparatus may form part of a media terminal for marking material items with the code words, when the material items are to be reproduced.

Abstract: A spatial domain using image produced by a source is combined with watermark data Ri to produce a spatial domain watermarked image. The watermarked image is produced by an embedder according to equation: Ci?=Ci+?. Ri, where Ci and Ci? are wavelet transform coefficients of the image, and ? is a scaling factor. ? is chosen so that the watermark is imperceptible in the image and to resist removal of the watermark by unauthorized processing. It is desirable that a has the smallest value which achieves that. If ? is too big the watermark is perceptible in the image. If ? is too small the mark may not survive processing of the image.

Abstract: A data processing method for detecting a watermark codeword in a received image signal representing a watermarked image is described. The watermarked image comprises a plurality of signal samples each of which represents a pixel value of the image, to which a watermark codeword coefficient value has been added. The method comprises the steps of low pass filtering the received image signal to generate, for each signal sample, a local mean value, subtracting the local mean from the received image signal to generate a residual signal comprising, for each signal sample, a residual value, and determining, from the residual signal, a local standard deviation for each signal sample. The method also comprises the step of generating, for each signal sample, a watermark strength value providing an estimate of the magnitude with which the watermark codeword coefficient has been added to the received image signal sample.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus detects a code word, which has been embedded in a water marked image. The apparatus recovers a code word estimate from the water marked image and correlates the estimated code word with each code word from a set of possible code words. The apparatus detects whether a code word is present from a result of the correlation. In order to improve a likelihood of correctly detecting a code word, which may be present in a water marked image, the data processing apparatus includes a registration processor. The registration processor includes an image analyser operable to divide the water marked image into a plurality of image blocks, a vector estimator, a forward probability estimator and a backward probability estimator. The vector estimator generates for each of the image blocks a probability distribution of distortion vectors representing an observed shift of the image block with respect to a position of the block in the original version of the image.

Abstract: An encoding data processing apparatus is arranged to generate a marked copy of an image by introducing a code word into a copy of the image. The apparatus comprises a code word generator operable to generate the code word having a plurality of code word coefficients. The encoding apparatus includes an image perception analyser and a strength adapter. The image perception analyser is operable to receive the image and to generate weighting factors for scaling the code word coefficients with respect to parts of the image with which the code word coefficients are to be combined. The strength adapter is operable to combine the weighting factors with the code word coefficients, and a combiner is operable to combine the weighted code word with the image. The image perception analyser includes a contrast masking engine, a smoothness compensation engine and a compensation combiner.

Abstract: The bitstream includes digital codes representing an information signal. At least one digital code is selected. The code occupies a part of the bitstream which is to contain at least one watermark code which represents a watermark perceptible in the information signal. The selected digital code(s) are removed from the said part of the bitstream. The watermark code(s) are put in the said part of the bitstream in place of the selected code(s). The number of bits of the selected code(s) removed from the said part of the bitstream is greater than or equal to the number of bits of the said watermark code(s) put in the said part. The removed selected code(s) are appended to an end of the bitstream and/or placed in watermark user data fields created in the bitstream.

Abstract: A system for facilitating copyright protection of material includes an apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of a block of data, which may have been embedded repeatedly a predetermined number of times in the material. The presence or absence of the data block is detected from data representative of versions of the data block recovered from the material. The apparatus comprises an accumulator operable to combine the value of the bit at each corresponding position within each recovered version of the data block to generate for each bit an accumulated score. A detection processor is operable to compare the value of the accumulated scores for the bits of the block with at least one threshold, and from the comparison determine a total number of detected bits of the data block. The detection processor declares the data block as being present or absent in dependence upon the total number of detected bits.

Abstract: A recording arrangement is provided for applying access control processing to input data content and for recording access-controlled data content on a content storage medium. The recording arrangement comprises an encryption apparatus for encrypting portions of the input data content and an access control memory device operable to securely store information from which a private key of a public key/private key pair associated with a data content recording user or user group is derivable. The encryption apparatus and the access control memory device co-operate to provide means for generating access control data comprising content recorder access control data and default access control data. The default content access control data providing the same level of access to the input data content as the level of access available to the data content recording user/user group. A recording means is provided for recording the encrypted input data content and the content access control data on the content storage medium.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided an encoding data processing apparatus for generating a marked copy of an item of material by introducing code words into a copy of the material item. The code words are arranged to identify a data word from a set of data words having at least two fields. The apparatus comprises a code word generator operable to generate at least two code words having a plurality of code word coefficients, each of the code words being independently generated from a different code word seed, and an encoding processor operable to combine the code word coefficients with the material item. One of the code words is selected from a first set in dependence upon a value of a first of the data fields and one of the code words is selected from a second set in dependence upon a value of a second of the data fields.

Abstract: A recording apparatus operable to apply access control processing to input data content using a set of one or more content keys and to record access-controlled data content on a content storage medium on which a read-only medium identifier is stored comprises: means for encrypting portions of the data content in dependence upon the set of content keys; means for generating content access control data so that decryption of the information content requires access to the read-only medium identifier, the content access control data comprising at least one encrypted version of a respective subset of the set of content keys; and means for recording the encrypted data content and the content access control data on the content storage medium.

Abstract: A method of detecting a version of input data content, there being a plurality of different versions of said data content, in which: said data content is arranged as two or more segments according to a segmentation pattern; and said versions of said data content are identifiable by corresponding identification data patterns by which at least some of said segments have respective identification data; said method comprising the steps of: (i) detecting said identification data in respect of said segments of said input data content; (ii) comparing said detected identification data with said identification data patterns corresponding to said different versions of said data content; and (iii) detecting that said input data content comprises at least a contribution from a certain version of said data content if a sum of matches obtained between said detected identification data and said identification data pattern for said certain version exceeds a threshold number.

Abstract: A material distribution apparatus, comprising a material server including a data introduction processor operable to introduce data into material to be distributed with the effect that the introduced data is at least difficult to perceive in the material, and a material impairment processor operable to introduce a reversible impairment into the material. A communications network distributes the impaired material to at least one client processor which includes an impairment reversing processor operable to reverse the impairment of the material to produce client restored material.

Abstract: A system for facilitating copyright protection of material includes an apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of a block of data, which may have been embedded repeatedly a predetermined number of times in the material. The presence or absence of the data block is detected from data representative of versions of the data block recovered from the material. The apparatus comprises an accumulator operable to combine the value of the bit at each corresponding position within each recovered version of the data block to generate for each bit an accumulated score. A detection processor is operable to compare the value of the accumulated scores for the bits of the block with at least one threshold, and from the comparison determine a total number of detected bits of the data block. The detection processor declares the data block as being present or absent in dependence upon the total number of detected bits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to embedding data in material. Material means one or more of video material, audio material and data material. Video material in this context may be still images or moving images. There is provided an apparatus comprising a transformer for transforming transform domain data into spatial domain data and a combiner for receiving material and combining said spatial domain data with said material to form data embedded material. Hence, the material is not subject any transformation at all.

Abstract: A spatial domain image I produced by a source 1 is combined with watermark data Ri to produce a spatial domain watermarked image I′.