Adaptive Bitrate Video Watermarking via Segment Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adaptive bitrate streaming systems face challenges in efficiently encoding multiple video streams with digital watermarking, as they require modifications to the encoder and complex segmentation processes, which can increase storage requirements and disrupt playback when network conditions change.
Innovation Solution
The method involves preprocessing multimedia content to generate variant streams with embedded watermark information, partitioning these streams into segments of predetermined size, and creating a segment selection list that allows for seamless bitrate switching and watermark-based content retrieval, reducing storage needs and ensuring uninterrupted playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple video streams are encoded with digital watermarking using existing adaptive bitrate streaming systems, then watermark-based content retrieval and tracking are enabled, but storage requirements increase and playback may be disrupted when network conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream is divided into multiple segments, each containing a specific portion of the watermark sequence. This allows the system to store and deliver only the necessary segments for watermark retrieval rather than the entire stream, reducing storage requirements while maintaining the ability to retrieve complete watermark information when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-processes the video stream to embed watermark information at predetermined locations before actual playback. This preliminary embedding allows the watermark to be extracted during playback without requiring additional storage or processing during the actual content delivery, thus reducing storage requirements while enabling reliable watermark retrieval.
2Reliability
If multiple video streams are encoded with digital watermarking, then content tracking and rights management are improved, but the encoding process becomes more complex and may disrupt playback
Solution Approach 1:
The watermark embedding process is designed to work within the existing adaptive bitrate streaming framework, making the encoder universal. The same encoding infrastructure used for standard ABR can also handle watermarked content, avoiding the need for separate complex encoding systems while still enabling content tracking and rights management.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the watermark sequence into discrete portions that correspond to video segments, the encoding complexity is reduced. Each segment can be processed independently using standard encoding techniques, avoiding the need for complex coordinated encoding across the entire stream while still enabling effective content tracking.
3Measurement precision
If watermark information is embedded in every frame of the video stream, then watermark retrieval accuracy is improved, but the data rate increases and playback may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of embedding watermarks in every frame (excessive action), the system embeds watermarks at strategically selected portions of the stream (partial action). This partial embedding approach maintains sufficient retrieval accuracy by capturing the essential watermark information while significantly reducing the data rate increase and avoiding playback disruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The watermark sequence is segmented into discrete portions that are embedded at specific locations in the video stream rather than continuously. This segmentation allows the system to maintain watermark retrieval accuracy by preserving the essential information while reducing the overall data rate and avoiding playback disruptions caused by continuous high-rate watermark embedding.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for encoding multiple video streams with digital watermarking for adaptive bitrate streaming in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for preprocessing multimedia content into streams with watermark information includes receiving a source content media stream, generating at least two variant preprocessed streams for each received source content media stream, where each variant preprocessed stream includes different watermark information in the same locations as the other variant preprocessed streams and where marked locations are spaced apart at least a distance equal to a predetermined maximum segment size, generating a set of embed location information describing marked locations in the variant preprocessed streams, generating at least one variant output stream from each variant preprocessed stream using video compression, partitioning each variant output stream into a set of segments, where each segment is no longer than the predetermined maximum segment size and contains at most one copy of the watermark information, generating a set of segment boundary information describing the boundaries of segments within the variant output streams and the boundaries are the same between variant output streams, and generating a segment selection list using the set of embed location information and the set of segment boundary information, where the segment selection list includes only one variant segment for each segment according to a watermark sequence and the digits of the watermark sequence correspond to the watermark information applied to each variant preprocessed stream.