Digital Watermark Embedding for Content Outflow Route Specification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional technologies lack effective protection against unauthorized copying and distribution of broadcast and communication content after it is outputted from a receiver, as they cannot specify the outflow route of the content and suffer from quality deterioration due to double digital watermarking.

Innovation Solution

A reception device that embeds a digital watermark in the content using information specifying the outflow route, allowing for the identification of unauthorized use and reducing processing load by avoiding redundant watermarking, while using information from external equipment to determine if a digital watermark is already embedded.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If both transmitting side and receiver side insert digital watermark independently, then each side can trace content origin, but picture quality deteriorates due to superimposition of multiple watermarks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutflow route specification accuracyVSAvoidpicture quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The transmitting side embeds digital watermark information in advance before content distribution. The receiver side then uses this pre-embedded information to create the actual digital watermark for output content, avoiding the need for the receiver to independently embed a separate watermark that would cause superimposition and quality deterioration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Digital watermark information acts as an intermediary between the transmitting side and receiver side. The transmitting side embeds this information, which then serves as the basis for the receiver to generate the final watermark, eliminating the need for independent watermark embedding by both parties and thus preventing quality loss from multiple watermark layers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If receiver side embeds digital watermark without checking transmitting side's watermark, then outflow route can be specified, but processing load increases due to redundant watermarking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutflow route specification accuracyVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver side checks for the presence of digital watermark information from the transmitting side before embedding its own watermark. This feedback mechanism allows the receiver to determine whether watermark embedding is necessary, avoiding redundant processing and reducing overall processing load while maintaining outflow route specification capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If transmitting side embeds receiver-unique ID in broadcast content, then content can be traced to specific receiver, but this is impossible in multicasting to many unspecified receivers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereceiver identification accuracyVSAvoidbroadcast service adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The digital watermark information is segmented into two parts: receiver-unique information embedded by the transmitting side for targeted content, and generator information embedded by the receiver side for output content. This segmentation allows broadcast content to include receiver identification while maintaining adaptability for multicasting to multiple unspecified receivers through the use of generator information that the receiver will use to create watermarks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3528503B1Reception device, reception method, program, decryption processing device, reception processing system, and information processing device
Publication Date: 2022.08.31 SATURN LICENSING LLC
  • EP3528503B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3528503B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3528503B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is provided a reception device including a content reception unit configured to receive content, a digital watermark information acquisition unit configured to acquire information specifying an outflow route for the content to create a digital watermark, and a content output unit configured to embed a digital watermark in the received content by using the acquired information and configured to output the content.