Video Watermark Extraction for Content Origin Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users struggle to differentiate between organically-generated and synthetically-generated video content, as modern content-presentation devices lack the ability to discern the creation process of videos, leading to unclear origin information.

Innovation Solution

A computing system that receives video with a watermark, extracts it, and determines the content-creation attribute by selecting from among organically-generated, synthetically-generated, or hybrid categories, causing a content-presentation device to perform actions such as displaying information or blocking content based on these attributes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If content-presentation devices do not include creation-process information, then device complexity is reduced, but users cannot differentiate between organically-generated and synthetically-generated video content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveorigin informationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The computing system performs preliminary actions by embedding watermarks with creation-process information into video content before distribution. This allows the information to be attached to the content itself rather than requiring complex changes to presentation devices, thus reducing device complexity while ensuring origin information is available to users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces watermarks as an intermediary carrier that holds creation-process information separately from the video content. This intermediary approach allows the information to be transmitted and stored without modifying the core video data or requiring complex device infrastructure, resolving the contradiction between information availability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If watermarks are embedded in video content, then origin information can be conveyed, but video processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecreation-process informationVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the creation-process information from the main video stream and places it in separate watermark signals. This extraction allows the video content to remain relatively simple while the informational burden is separated into dedicated watermark channels that can be processed independently, reducing overall processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The video signal is segmented into content data and watermark data components. By separating the creation-process information into distinct watermark segments rather than embedding it throughout the video data, the system reduces processing complexity while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If content-presentation devices lack differentiation capability, then ease of operation is maintained, but users cannot access customizable viewing preferences based on content origin

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomizable viewingVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The computing system provides feedback to content-presentation devices about the creation process of video content through watermarks. This feedback mechanism enables devices to automatically adjust their behavior based on content origin (e.g., blocking synthetic content, highlighting organic content) without requiring complex user intervention, thus maintaining ease of operation while enabling customizable viewing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables content-presentation devices to self-adjust based on watermark information without requiring manual user configuration. Devices can autonomously determine how to handle different content types (organic vs. synthetic) based on the embedded creation-process information, providing adaptability while maintaining simple user interaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250016429A1Methods and Systems for Determining Creation Attributes of Video Content
Publication Date: 2025.01.09 ROKU INC
  • US20250016429A1 patent drawing
  • US20250016429A1 patent drawing
  • US20250016429A1 patent drawing

AI summary

In one aspect, an example method includes (i) receiving, from a content-distribution system, video comprising a watermark; (ii) extracting the watermark from the video; (iii) based on the extracted watermark, determining a content-creation attribute of the video that indicates a process by which the video was created, wherein the determining comprises using the watermark to select the content-creation attribute from among a set of two or more content-creation attributes comprising organically-generated video and synthetically-generated video; and (iv) in response to determining the content-creation attribute of the video, causing a content-presentation device to perform an action.