Raw Image Sensor Watermarking via Frequency Domain Embedding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital multimedia protection methods, such as encryption and visible watermarks, fail to securely safeguard the integrity and origin of images and videos, especially against manipulation and editing, like deep fakes, as they can be removed or altered without detection.
Innovation Solution
A method of embedding a digital watermark in raw image data from a single-sensor camera that is invisible to the human eye, involving encryption, randomization, and embedding in preprocessed coefficients, using a digital watermarking module with an embedder and extractor system to ensure the watermark's presence and integrity across image processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a visible watermark is overlaid on the image, then copyright protection is provided, but image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary carrier wave signal to embed copyright information within the image data. Instead of directly overlaying visible watermarks, the system modulates copyright information onto a carrier signal that is then embedded in the frequency domain representation of the image, allowing copyright protection without visible degradation of image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the image from spatial domain to frequency domain using Fourier transform, and embeds copyright information in the frequency coefficients rather than directly in pixel values. This dimensional transformation allows embedding of protection data without affecting the visual appearance of the image in the spatial domain.
2Manufacturing precision
If a watermark is added to the file header, then image quality is maintained, but the watermark can be easily removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the copyright information with the actual image data by embedding it within the frequency domain coefficients of the image itself. This integration makes the copyright information inseparable from the image content, so that removing the watermark would require destroying or significantly altering the image data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a carrier wave signal as an intermediary to embed copyright information deep within the image data structure. This intermediary approach places the protection mechanism within the core image data rather than in the accessible file header, making removal difficult without specialized knowledge of the embedding method.
3Reliability
If encryption is used to protect digital multimedia, then access control is improved, but the content itself remains vulnerable to manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary embedding of copyright information and authentication data into the image during the initial processing stage, before the image is distributed or potentially manipulated. By embedding the protection mechanism early in the data pipeline, the system ensures that any subsequent manipulation attempts can be detected by verifying the embedded authentication information.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for embedding a digital watermark in image content that is not visible to the human eye is performed on single-sensor digital camera images (often called ‘raw’ images) from a pixel-array. The raw image is transformed to generate preprocessed image coefficients, a watermark message is encrypted using a first key; the encrypted watermark message is randomized using a second key to form a watermark; and the watermark is embedded in randomly selected preprocessed image coefficients.