Abstract: The problem is solved by a method for broadcasting a broadcast signal, comprising generating an information signal having in time a first content up to a certain time and a second content after this time. The information signal is broadcast as a broadcast signal via a first communication link. At least one first feature is being provided with respect to the second content, for example an advertisement. The second content is detected in the information signal using the at least one first feature. On detection of the second content in the information signal at least one second feature is extracted from the first content in the information signal preceding the second content. The at least one second feature is sent to a user device using a second communication link, different from the first communication link, the second communication link being faster than the first communication link.

Abstract: The problem is solved by a method for broadcasting a broadcast signal, comprising generating an information signal having in time a first content up to a certain time and a second content after this time. The information signal is broadcast as a broadcast signal via a first communication link. At least one first feature is being provided with respect to the second content, for example an advertisement. The second content is detected in the information signal using the at least one first feature. On detection of the second content in the information signal at least one second feature is extracted from the first content in the information signal preceding the second content. The at least one second feature is sent to a user device using a second communication link, different from the first communication link, the second communication link being faster than the first communication link.

Abstract: Client terminals report an easy-to-calculate identifier such as the Internet URL or a cryptographic hash of the content to a server. The server collects and counts the reported identifiers so as to obtain preliminary statistics. By aggregating these reported identifiers into the preliminary statistics, identifiers are revealed that are likely popular content. The server selects one or more identifiers from the preliminary statistics and makes these available to at least a subset of clients. The clients that obtain these one or more identifiers then access content and compute the easy-to-calculate identifiers as usual. If the computed identifier matches one of the identifiers obtained from the server, the client will additionally extract a watermarked identifier or compute a digital fingerprint of the content in question and report this to the server. The server then uses the received identifier or fingerprint to create final statistics by aggregating the preliminary statistics.

Abstract: A device for rendering content from a first source comprising a first input for receiving the content from the first source, a second input for receiving a substitution content item from a second source, a substitution module for substituting a segment of the content with the substitution content item, and rendering means for rendering the content wherein the segment is substituted with the substitution content item. The rendering device has monitoring module for monitoring the reception of the segment, and controlling the substitution module dependent on whether the segment is being received, such that the substitution module ceases the substitution upon failure to receive the segment.

Abstract: The problem is solved by a method for broadcasting a broadcast signal, comprising generating an information signal having in time a first content up to a certain time and a second content after this time. The information signal is broadcast as a broadcast signal via a first communication link At least one first feature is being provided with respect to the second content, for example an advertisement. The second content is detected in the information signal using the at least one first feature. On detection of the second content in the information signal at least one second feature is extracted from the first content in the information signal preceding the second content.

Abstract: A video watermarking scheme is disclosed, which is designed for the digital cinema format, as it will be used on large projector screens in theaters. The watermark is designed in such a way that it has minimal impact on the video quality, but is still detectable after capture with a handheld camera and conversion to, for instance, VHS, CD-Video or DVD format. The proposed watermarking system only exploits the temporal axis. This makes it invulnerable to geometrical distortions generally caused by such a way of capturing. The watermark is embedded by modulating a global property of the frames (e.g. the mean luminance) in accordance with the samples of the watermark. The embedding depth is preferably locally adapted within each frame to local statistics of the respective image. Watermark detection is performed by correlating the watermark sequence with extracted mean luminance values of a sequence of frames.

Abstract: A video watermarking scheme is disclosed, which is designed for the digital cinema format, as it will be used on large projector screens in theaters. The watermark is designed in such a way that it has minimal impact on the video quality, but is still detectable after capture with a handheld camera and conversion to, for instance, VHS, CD-Video or DVD format. The proposed watermarking system only exploits the temporal axis. This makes it invulnerable to geometrical distortions generally caused by such a way of capturing. The watermark is embedded by modulating a global property of the frames (e.g. the mean luminance) in accordance with the samples of the watermark. The embedding depth is preferably locally adapted within each frame to local statistics of the respective image. Watermark detection is performed by correlating the watermark sequence with extracted mean luminance values of a sequence of frames.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of communicating between two devices, wherein these devices receive a signal requesting a second device to play a first broadcast audio/video content being played by a first device. The method comprises a step of generating a fingerprint of the first broadcast audio/video content being played on said first device and a series of fingerprints of a series of broadcast audio/video contents received by the second device; and a step of identifying said first broadcast audio/video content from said series of broadcast audio/video contents in accordance with said fingerprint of the first broadcast audio/video content and said series of fingerprints.

Abstract: A video watermarking scheme is disclosed, which is designed for the digital cinema format, as it will be used on large projector screens in theaters. The watermark is designed in such a way that it has minimal impact on the video quality, but is still detectable after capture with a handheld camera and conversion to, for instance, VHS, CD-Video or DVD format. The proposed watermarking system only exploits the temporal axis. This makes it invulnerable to geometrical distortions generally caused by such a way of capturing. The watermark is embedded by modulating a global property of the frames (e.g. the mean luminance) in accordance with the samples of the watermark. The embedding depth is preferably locally adapted within each frame to local statistics of the respective image. Watermark detection is performed by correlating the watermark sequence with extracted mean luminance values of a sequence of frames.

Abstract: Hashes are short summaries or signatures of data files which can be used to identify the file. The disclosed method generates robust hashes for multimedia content, for example, audio clips. The audio clip is divided into successive (preferably overlapping) frames. For each frame, the frequency spectrum is divided into bands. A robust property of each band (e.g. energy) is computed and represented by a respective hash bit. An audio clip is thus represented by a concatenation of binary hash words, one for each frame. To identify a possibly compressed audio signal, a block of hash words derived therefrom is matched by a computer with a large database. Such matching strategies are also disclosed. In an advantageous embodiment, the extraction process also provides information as to which of the hash bits are the least reliable. Flipping these bits considerably improves the speed and performance of the matching process.

Abstract: Client terminals report an easy-to-calculate identifier such as the Internet URL or a cryptographic hash of the content to a server. The server collects and counts the reported identifiers so as to obtain preliminary statistics. By aggregating these reported identifiers into the preliminary statistics, identifiers are revealed that are likely popular content. The server selects one or more identifiers from the preliminary statistics and makes these available to at least a subset of clients. The clients that obtain these one or more identifiers then access content and compute the easy-to-calculate identifiers as usual. If the computed identifier matches one of the identifiers obtained from the server, the client will additionally extract a watermarked identifier or compute a digital fingerprint of the content in question and report this to the server. The server then uses the received identifier or fingerprint to create final statistics by aggregating the preliminary statistics.

Abstract: A method of identifying from a plurality of receivers a receiver which causes a redistribution of content, the method comprising making available a watermarked version of the content to only a subset of the plurality of receivers, determining if the watermarked version is subsequently being distributed, and eliminating one or more receivers from the plurality based on the determination, until the subset comprises only the receiver which causes the redistribution, thereby identifying this receiver. Preferably a binary search algorithm is used. Also a system for distributing content to a plurality of receivers, configured to execute the method.

Abstract: The invention relates to extracting and embedding auxiliary data from and to a host signal. In an embodiment, the auxiliary data relates to remotely control of an application or a device, such as an interactive toy. Auxiliary data are extracted from a host signal, by periodically (32A-32C) with a predetermined first period searching a first section (33A-33C) of the host signal for a first watermark (34); and, upon detection of the first watermark, searching the host signal for a second watermark (35). In embodiments, information relating to timing and type of action to be performed by a remotely controlled device may be conveyed by the watermarks.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel techniques for generating more robust fingerprints (1) of video signals (2). Certain embodiments of the invention derive video fingerprints only from blocks (21) in a central portion (22) of each frame (20), ignoring a remaining outer portion (23), the resultant fingerprints (1) being more robust with respect to transformations comprising cropping or shifts. Other embodiments divide each frame (or a central portion of it) into non-rectangular blocks, such as pie-shaped or annular blocks, and generate fingerprints from these blocks. The shape of the blocks can be selected to provide robustness against particular transformations. Pie blocks provide robustness to scaling, and annular blocks provide robustness to rotations, for example. Other embodiments use blocks of different sizes, so that different portions of the frame may be given different weighting in the fingerprint.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of adjusting a supplementary data signal (wm(n)) to be embedded in an information signal (x(n)), for example an audio signal. The method comprises the steps of determining (301) a position where a predetermined property of the information signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, e.g. an attack position, and suppressing (302) the supplementary data signal in a predetermined neighbourhood of the determined position.

Abstract: In order to efficiently prevent the save-and-restore attack on usage rights associated with digital work, these usage rights are protected by a hidden channel. In order to make it a difficult or expensive to manipulate the hidden channel, a device is proposed comprising: writing means (34) for writing on a record carrier (20) said digital work (DW) and attached usage right information (22) defining one or more conditions to be satisfied in order for the usage right to be exercised,—fingerprint extraction means (23) for deriving fingerprint data (24) from physically uncontrollable, changeable non-uniformities on said record carrier (20), and authentication means (25) for generating authentication data (26) from said fingerprint data (24) and said usage right information (22), said authentication data being provided for authenticating said usage right information, said writing means (34) being adapted for writing said authentication data (25) on said record carrier (20).

Abstract: Hashes are short summaries or signatures of data files which can be used to identify the file. Hashing multimedia content (audio, video, images) is difficult because the hash of original content and processed (e.g. compressed) content may differ significantly. The disclosed method generates robust hashes for multimedia content, for example, audio clips. The audio clip is divided (12) into successive (preferably overlapping) frames. For each frame, the frequency spectrum is divided (15) into bands. A robust property of each band (e.g. energy) is computed (16) and represented (17) by a respective hash bit. An audio clip is thus represented by a concatenation of binary hash words, one for each frame. To identify a possibly compressed audio signal, a block of hash words derived therefrom is matched by a computer (20) with a large database (21). Such matching strategies are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of updating a database (211) comprising a fingerprint of and an associated set of metadata for each of a number of multimedia objects, A multimedia object and a set of metadata for the multimedia object is downloaded from a file sharing client (101-105). A fingerprint is computed from the multimedia object, and the computed fingerprint and the obtained set of metadata are included in the database (211). The database (211) can be maintained by a central server (210), or be maintained in a distributed fashion by servers (404) running on the file sharing clients (101-105). The database (211) in this way accumulates plural sets of metadata associated with one particular fingerprint. When a sufficient number of sets has been collected, a definite set can be determined using filtering techniques.

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: Hashes are short summaries or signatures of data files which can be used to identify the file. Hashing multimedia content (audio, video, images) is difficult because the hash of original content and processed (e.g. compressed) content may differ significantly. The disclosed method generates robust hashes for multimedia content, for example, audio clips. The audio clip is divided (12) into successive (preferably overlapping) frames. For each frame, the frequency spectrum is divided (15) into bands. A robust property of each band (e.g. energy) is computed (16) and represented (17) by a respective hash bit. An audio clip is thus represented by a concatenation of binary hash words, one for each frame. To identify a possibly compressed audio signal, a block of hash words derived therefrom is matched by a computer (20) with a large database (21). Such matching strategies are also disclosed.