Unrenderable Origin Designator for DRM
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Document Rights Management (DRM) systems rely on physical changes to the rendered output for identifying unauthorized duplications, which can cause inconsistencies and are easily detectable, whereas invisible watermarks are difficult to verify and maintain the origin traceability.
Innovation Solution
An unrenderable origin designator is encoded in a display object's attribute within a media item's display list, allowing it to be stored without altering the rendered version, making it undetectable to users but detectable by DRM logic, ensuring the origin of the media item is maintained without affecting its appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If visible watermarks are used to identify the origin of media items, then origin traceability is improved, but the media item's appearance is altered and the watermark is easily detectable and stripable
Solution Approach 1:
The watermark information is extracted from the visible domain and placed into the invisible attribute domain of display objects. Instead of embedding visible watermarks in the rendered output, the system encodes origin designators in attributes of display objects in the display list, which are invisible to users but detectable by DRM logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the media content and the watermarking mechanism. The attribute system serves as an intermediary that carries watermark information without affecting the visual rendering, allowing DRM logic to access origin information without users perceiving any visual changes.
2Loss of information
If conventional DRM watermarking is used, then origin identification is improved, but the rendered output shows inconsistencies and artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The watermarking function is extracted from the rendering process itself. Instead of modifying the rendered output to embed watermarks, the system places origin designators in the attribute layer of display objects, which are processed separately from the visual rendering pipeline, thus avoiding any artifacts in the rendered output.
3Shape
If invisible watermarks are used to maintain appearance, then media item appearance is preserved, but the watermarks are difficult to verify and strip detection is challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The attribute system acts as an intermediary that makes invisible watermarks verifiable. While users cannot see the watermarks, the DRM logic can easily access and verify origin designators through the attribute layer, solving the verification difficulty without compromising appearance.
Data Source
AI summary
A document rights management system (DRM) defines an unrenderable origin designator in a media item that does not display or alter the physically rendered version of an instantiation of the media item. The unrenderable designator does not appear as an obscured or occluded feature in a printed or displayed versions. The rendered version is unaffected by the unrenderable designator because it does not result in any displayable features. The unrenderable designator is stored in a display list of the media item and appears as an attribute of objects such that the function to cause the display object to be undisplayable, or unrenderable, are not immediately apparent. The DRM system encodes a designator in an attribute of a display object for rendering according to a media rendering format such as PDF, such that the designator causes the display object to be unrenderable and indicates the origin of the media item.