Frequency Domain Watermarking for Sender Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for tracking image senders in electronic mail applications are inefficient and often disrupt user experience, particularly when dealing with confidential information, and lack robustness against geometric attacks.
Innovation Solution
A computing system that embeds a watermark vector into images using a frequency domain approach, allowing for secure and accurate identification of image senders without requiring access to the original image, by converting images to a frequency domain, applying a singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm, and comparing with stored watermark vectors to determine the sender's account.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sender tracking methods are used in electronic mail applications, then sender identification capability is provided, but user experience is disrupted and tracking efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the watermark embedding and extraction functionality from the main email application flow, implementing it as a separate, transparent module. The watermark vector is embedded in the frequency domain without altering the visible image content, and extraction occurs automatically in the background without requiring user intervention, thus maintaining user experience while enabling reliable sender tracking
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a watermark vector as an intermediary element that carries sender identification information. This watermark vector is embedded in the frequency domain of the image and can be extracted and compared against a database of known watermark vectors to identify the sender, providing reliable tracking without disrupting the user interface or workflow
2Reliability
If sender tracking is implemented to ensure security of confidential information, then data leak protection is improved, but tracking accuracy is reduced due to geometric attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by embedding the watermark vector in the frequency domain before the image is transmitted or processed. This frequency domain embedding makes the watermark more robust to subsequent geometric transformations such as rotation, scaling, or cropping that may occur during normal image handling, thereby maintaining detection accuracy while ensuring data leak protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter domain from spatial to frequency domain for watermark embedding. By transforming the image to the frequency domain and embedding the watermark vector there, the system achieves greater robustness against geometric attacks while maintaining the ability to accurately extract and identify the watermark for sender tracking
3Measurement precision
If frequency domain watermark embedding is used to achieve geometric attack robustness, then watermark detection accuracy is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the watermark embedding and extraction process into distinct, modular operations. The watermark vector is generated separately, embedded in the frequency domain through systematic transformation, and extracted through corresponding inverse operations. This segmentation allows for optimized implementation of each stage, reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining high detection accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for tracking image senders using client devices are described herein. A computing system may receive an image containing a first watermark vector corresponding to a user account of an image sender. The computing system may convert the image to a frequency domain image that contains the first watermark vector. From the frequency domain image, the computing system may identify the first watermark vector. The computing system may compare the first watermark vector to each of a plurality of stored watermark vectors, each corresponding to a known user account, to determine a probability of a match. The computing system may determine the user account of the sender of the image by determining which of the plurality of stored watermark vectors has a highest probability of a match, and may send, to a workplace administrator platform, an indication of the user account.