Patent ID: 6381367
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A method of conveying specific information in a video image and the like, without visually degrading the video images comprising the steps of:providing a predetermined warp pattern commensurate with a selected very slight local spatial distortion to be applied to the video image; applying the selected very slight local spatial distortion to the video image to locally very slightly displace selected portions of the image with respect to their normal locations by an amount that is unnoticeable to a viewer but which represents the specific information, in response to the warp pattern; wherein the pattern of said very slight local spatial distortion is compatible with signal compression processes; and detecting the specific information conveyed in the video image by comparing the selected very slight local spatial distortion in the conveyed video image with the undistorted original video image to recover the specific information such as the originating source, the date of the image and/or whether the image is not to be copied.