Watermark Interval Segmentation for Digital Content Quality Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing digital watermarking techniques for content delivery experience degradation in output quality due to the insertion of differently watermarked copies of content elements, particularly when these copies are not properly synchronized with the rendering order, leading to unresolved temporal references and increased bandwidth requirements.

Innovation Solution

Setting a watermark interval that separates differently watermarked content elements by a sufficient duration, allowing the output quality to recover before the next set of watermarked copies are introduced, thereby minimizing degradation without increasing bandwidth or requiring complex processing changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If differently watermarked copies of content elements are inserted into the data stream, then content identification and tracing capability is improved, but output quality degradation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent identification capabilityVSAvoidoutput quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The data stream is segmented into intervals, with watermarking applied selectively to specific content elements within those intervals. This segmentation allows quality degradation to be localized and managed, preventing cumulative degradation across the entire stream while maintaining identification capability through distributed watermarking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Watermarking is applied periodically at defined intervals rather than continuously. The interval-based approach allows the system to maintain content identification capability through regular watermarking while providing recovery periods where quality can stabilize, thus balancing reliability and output quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If watermarking is applied to multiple consecutive content elements, then content tracing capability is improved, but bandwidth requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent tracing capabilityVSAvoidbandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The content stream is divided into intervals with watermarking applied to specific segments rather than continuously. This segmentation reduces the total amount of watermarked content transmitted, lowering bandwidth requirements while maintaining adequate tracing capability through strategic placement of watermarked elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of watermarking all content elements, the system applies watermarking partially to selected elements within intervals. This partial action approach provides sufficient content tracing capability without the excessive bandwidth consumption of universal watermarking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Manufacturing precision

If encoding compensation is applied to counteract watermarking changes, then output quality is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutput qualityVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Encoding parameters are pre-adjusted in anticipation of watermarking effects rather than applying complex real-time compensation. This preliminary action simplifies processing by establishing quality preservation strategies before watermarking occurs, reducing the need for complex post-processing compensation mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of implementing complex, persistent encoding compensation mechanisms, the system uses simpler, interval-based quality management that resets or recalibrates at each interval boundary. This approach trades complex continuous compensation for simpler periodic quality management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentEP2692135B1Content segmentation of watermarking

Publication Date: 2017.10.25 IRDETO BV

AI summary

The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for providing a data stream comprising a plurality of content elements. At least one of two or more copies of a first content element of the data stream has been watermarked with a different watermark. The method includes watermarking at least one of two or more copies of a second content element with a different watermark. In a rendering order of the data stream, the second content element is at an interval equal to or greater than a watermark interval from the first content element. The watermark interval is set to be sufficiently long so that the output quality of the rendered data stream can either completely recover or at least return to a predetermined acceptable level following the watermarking of the copies of the first content element before watermarking the copies of the next content element.