Abstract: It is an object to provide a digital watermark embedding technique for integratedly managing a plurality of kinds of contents such as still images, motion images, audio sound, and the like. To accomplish this object, the invention has, for example, an input device for inputting a first kind of data line and a second kind of data line, and an embedding device for embedding digital watermark information which is concerned with each other to each of the first and second data lines.

Abstract: An accounting device of the invention cooperates with a terminal station which is used for the user to use information (“provided information”) from an information provider and includes, a first input unit for inputting first data PIDi and PIDj regarding the contents of provided information, a second input unit for inputting second data TIDi and TIDj which is concerned with the provided information and is not concerned with the contents, a third input unit for inputting third data PPC indicative of money information, and a checking unit for discriminating a permission or an inhibition of the use of the information at the terminal station by using at least one of the first and second, and third data. The checking unit outputs a discrimination result about the permission or inhibition of the use to the external of the accounting device, thereby properly inhibiting the illegal use of the terminal station and contributing to a spread of a network terminal apparatus.

Abstract: A document image undergoes document analysis to obtain circumscribing rectangles of characters (S601), and two distances between non-neighboring circumscribing rectangles from the head of the document are respectively calculated as d1 and d2 (S603). If information to be embedded is 1, one or a combination of a process for changing a parameter associated with the size of a circumscribing rectangle and a process for changing a parameter associated with the position of a circumscribing rectangle is executed to satisfy d1>d2 (S605). If information to be embedded is 0, one or a combination of the above two parameter change processes is executed to satisfy d1<d2 (S606).

Abstract: It is required to protect the copyrights and the like of partial images which form respective parts of an image obtained by reading an image, exchanged using a print as a medium, by an image scanner or the like. Input image data is divided into a plurality of image regions having different features, digital watermarks, which are embedded in the detected image regions by embedding methods corresponding to the features of the image regions, are extracted, and the availability of the input image is checked on the basis of the extracted digital watermarks.

Abstract: In an image process apparatus, a key different for each hierarchy is generated on the basis of a specific key with respect to image data having a hierarchical structure, the image data in each hierarchy is enciphered using the generated key for each hierarchy, and the specific key is managed, so that key management can be easily performed while the image data having a hierarchical structure is enciphered using the key different for each hierarchy.

Abstract: A character input device not completely occupying a screen, good in visibility, and enabling input of characters while reducing to a minimum the movement of the fingers and line of sight, which, in the case of input of for example the hiragana 50-character phonetic syllabary of the Japanese language, displays an initial block of the major group lead characters a , ka , sa , ta , na on a first row of a character input region on a display screen and the block of the remaining major group lead characters ha , ma , ya , ra , wa on the second row, allows movement of a focus position or character position by "left" and "right" keys (a → ka → sa → ...), switches the character focused to the block of ha , ma , ya , ra , wa after the focus position reaches na , allows switching between displayed characters by for example using the "down" key to move to the next character (for example, a → i → u → ...

Abstract: A provider side apparatus provides original digital data together with a digital signature generated by the provider side apparatus, the digital signature detecting whether the original digital data was falsified or detecting a change level given to the original digital data. Upon reception of the digital data, a receiver side apparatus can know the originality of the received digital data or a change level of the received digital data from the original digital data, in accordance with the digital signature corresponding to the digital data.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to provide a technique for embedding digital-watermark information in image data while minimizing deterioration of the original image quality. To this end, a data processing apparatus of this invention has input means for inputting image data consisting of a plurality of coefficients, and embedding means for embedding digital-watermark information in coefficients having values falling within a predetermined range of the input image data.

Abstract: If it is verified that image data generated by an imaging device has not been modified, a first verification device generates watermarked image data by embedding watermark for detecting a modified portion in the image data. The first verification device further generates second verification data (digital signature) of the watermarked image data. A second verification device verifies whether or not the image data has been modified, e.g., using the second verification data. If the image data has been modified, the second verification device detects what portion of the image data has been modified.

Abstract: Disclosed are a watermark information extraction apparatus and method of controlling thereof having an extraction accuracy equal to or greater than that of the conventional technique, which performs extraction using an original image, without requiring use of an original image when extracting watermark information that has been embedded in an image by a digital watermark. A verification image (100) in which watermark information has been embedded by a digital watermark is input from an input unit (101). Character information concerning a prescribed character included in the verification image (100) is acquired by a recognition processor (102) utilizing a recognition dictionary (103). On the basis of the character information acquired, an original image (105) that prevailed prior to the embedding of watermark information is reconstructed by a original image reconstruction unit (104).

Abstract: A system and method are provided for selecting, from among a plurality of attachment schemes, an attachment scheme which is appropriate for embedding information in digital data, attaching information representing the selected attachment scheme to the digital data using a predetermined attachment scheme, and attaching arbitrary information such as copyright information or user information to the digital data using the selected attachment scheme.

Abstract: In order to protect the copyright of digital contents distributed via a network, the permission/inhibition of editing of the digital contents is controlled based on meta information related to the digital contents in accordance with the reliability of the meta information.

Abstract: An electronic watermarking method includes the steps of generating a plurality piece of information with different electronic watermark information, generating a plurality piece of encrypted information through encryption of the plurality piece of information with each independent encryption key, generating a plurality of encrypted encryption keys through encryption of each independent encryption key with each different encryption key, transmitting the plurality piece of encrypted information and the plurality of encrypted encryption keys to a user, the first to fourth steps being executed by a server, and selecting each pair of a piece of the plurality of encrypted information and a corresponding encrypted encryption key, the fifth step being executed by the user, wherein only some of the encryption keys are multiplied by random numbers.

Abstract: The invention efficiently controls the method for embedding digital watermark information into digital information or detecting such digital watermark information. Also in case the digital information has components of different kinds, the invention enables individual management of the digital watermark information and information indicating the embedding method therefor. In a configuration for attaining these objects, there are provided input means for inputting the digital information composed of signal components of plural kinds, and control means for controlling the method for embedding the digital watermark information in the signal component of a first kind contained in the signal components of plural kinds, based on the signal component of a second kind contained in the signal components of plural kinds.

Abstract: A code sequence start position detection method and apparatus, and a decoding method and apparatus, which can quickly detect the start position of a code sequence by a simple processing arrangement, and can decode the code sequence on the basis of the detected start position, are provided. In order to detect a start position of a cyclic code sequence with a code length n, the cyclic code sequence with the code length n is input in turn, and a multiplier g, register r, and adder+generate a syndrome for a coded word from the first start position ci−1 (i=1, 2, . . . ) to the first end position ci−1+n in the register r. A multiplier w and adder+correct the generated syndrome using data based on a coded word which is stored in an n-bit buffer and starts from the second start position ci+n, and a NOR detects the start position of the cyclic code sequence with the code length n on the basis of the modified syndrome.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus for reproducing a plurality of object streams having predetermined information severally, which apparatus is provided with an IPMP information extraction circuit (54) for extracting hierarchical management information for controlling the permission and inhibition of the usage of each object from input data, a usage status check circuit (56) for judging whether the usage of an upper level object of a subjected object is prohibited or not in accordance with the IPMP information extracted by the IPMP information extraction circuit (54), and a control information extraction circuit (58) for controlling the data processing apparatus to prohibit the usage of the subjected object if the usage of the upper level object of the subjected object is prohibited in accordance with a judgment result by the usage status check circuit (56).

Abstract: A management system for software data in a system in which software data that is transmitted from a management center through a predetermined transmitting system can be used at a terminal. The management center transmits the software data and regulation data to regulate a use style of the software data. The terminal regulates the use of the software data on the basis of the regulation data.

Abstract: An electronic information distribution system that exchanges data across a network at the least comprises a first entity, including first encryption means, for performing a first encryption process for the original data, a second entity, including management distribution means for, at the least, either managing or distributing the data that are provided by the first encryption process, and including electronic watermark embedding means for embedding an electronic watermark in the data, and a third entity, including second encryption means for performing a second encryption of the data in which an electronic watermark is embedded.

Abstract: An encrypted image C(i, j) is generated by exclusively ORing pseudo random number values, which are generated using a key k0 as a key, and respective bits, except for the LSBs, of B pixel data at respective pixel positions (i, j) of digital image data I(i, j). First check bits B(i, j) corresponding to the pixel positions of pixels are generated based on the image C(i, j) and a conversion table. A digitally watermarked image I′(i, j) is obtained by embedding the first check bits in the LSBs of the corresponding pixel data of the digital image data. Check bits U(i, j) are obtained by encrypting pixel data by exclusively ORing respective bits, except for the LSBs, of B pixel data at positions (i, j) of the image I′(i, j) and the pseudo random numbers. If each check bit U(i, j) matches the LSB of the corresponding B pixel data, it is determined that the corresponding pixel is free from tampering.

Abstract: When image data in which a digital watermark is embedded accesses a server, particularly, a Web server, via a network, the server is appropriately selected and accessed via the network in accordance with the environments of the clients that access the server. A network access terminal includes an extraction unit for extracting first information from an image that includes the first information, which is multi-valued, an acquisition unit for acquiring from a predetermined storage device the first information extracted by the extraction unit and address information specified by second information different from the first information, from among a plurality of address information stored in the predetermined storage device, and a communication unit for accessing an address based on the address information obtained by the acquisition unit.