Abstract:
A method and apparatus for providing an improved workflow for digital watermarking during a production process. The invention provides a content tracking authority facility that forms a centralized location for storing and distributing watermarks and locations within a payload to place the watermarks. All post-production facilities that are involved in processing a particular payload (e.g., any content that can be watermarked, including video content) connect to the content tracking authority facility to receive watermarks for the content they are processing as well as locations within the content to use to place the watermark.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/647,550 filed on Jan. 27, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to digital watermarking. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving workflow for digital watermarking.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
       [0003]     A major barrier to the development and deployment of distribution channels for motion imagery content, e.g., video download, digital cinema, and the like, is the concern of content providers that their copyrighted material may be copied and then subsequently distributed without appropriate authorization. Encryption is an important component of a Digital Rights Management (DRM) approach to controlling access to the content. However, once access has been granted, the decrypted content is left unprotected. Thus, encryption alone cannot prevent all instances of theft. Persistent access control methods that rely on proprietary file formats and the use of compliant devices have been proposed, but ultimately all video must be converted to pixel brightness and color for display. At this point, the video is vulnerable to unauthorized copying.  
         [0004]     Given these potential leaks, a content owner needs forensic tools that enable the tracking of unauthorized copies back to the party who licensed the use of the content and who is responsible for preventing further distribution. The ability of the content owners to identify the exact distribution point at which the material was stolen can be used as a tool to identify the responsible parties and can act as a deterrent to such theft. One such tool that can be used in this manner is a watermark that is embedded within the imagery. The watermark can be used to identify the content and the licensee of the content. One technique for watermarking video is described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/124,995, filed Apr. 18, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0005]     Such watermarking techniques are generally used by a movie studio to watermark the video prior to creating a video master. In this manner, unauthorized copying in the distribution chain of the product can be detected. However, such watermarking at the end of the video production process allows for possible misappropriation of video content during the video production process. Loss of control of video content prior to release of a product can be just as damaging as unauthorized copying of the final product.  
         [0006]     Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for improving workflow for digital watermarking during the production process.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The invention is a method and apparatus for providing an improved workflow for digital watermarking during a production process. The invention provides a content tracking authority facility that forms a centralized location for storing and distributing watermarks and locations within a payload to place the watermarks. All post-production facilities that are involved in processing a particular payload (e.g., any content that can be watermarked, including video content) connect to the content tracking authority facility to receive watermarks for the content they are processing as well as locations within the content to use to place the watermark. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.  
         [0009]     It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example architecture  100  for digitally watermarking during a production process;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of digital watermarking equipment;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a method of operation of a first post-production facility within the architecture of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of a method of operation of other post-production facilities within the architecture of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method of operation of a studio within the architecture of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of a method of operation of content tracking authority facility within the architecture of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a block of an architecture  100  for digitally watermarking a digital media (e.g., video) during a production process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The architecture  100  includes a first post-production facility (“PPF”)  102 , a second PPF  104 , a third PPF  106 , and a production-studio facility (“PSF”) or studio  110 , each of which may communicate with a content-tracking-authority facility (“CTAF”)  108 . The post production facilities are also known in the industry as post-production houses.  
         [0017]     To produce digital media, for example, a digital video, each post-production facility performs particular functions with respect to particular portions of the video. These functions may include editing, special effects, graphics, audio effects, and the like. To perform these functions, the PPFs may create a number of copies of the video. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the first PPF  102  receives original unmarked payload, e.g., imagery that does not contain watermarking. The first PPF  102  ensures that the content tracking authority  108  has information to ensure that the payload will be securely processed by the various other PPFs, e.g., PPF  104  and  106 . Although three PPFs are shown, those skilled in the art will realize that many PPFs may be utilized to produce video content, for example, for use in a feature film.  
         [0018]     The PPFs  102 ,  104 , and  106  are interconnected by a communication network such as the Internet or a private network. Generally, the transmission of the payload (i.e., an image, video, audio or other information that can be watermarked) is sent in an encrypted form to reduce the likelihood that the payload or a portion thereof will be misappropriated during production. In the embodiment shown, the first PPF  102  accepts the original unmarked payload. After performing its function, the payload is communicated through path  140  to the second PPF  104  and through path  142  to PPF  106 . In a conventional processing procedure, the payload or a portion thereof might be misappropriated at any step of this process. Within the PPFs, the payload may be copied to facilitate processing. In the present invention, each PPF  102 ,  104 ,  106  uses watermarking technology to mark copies of the payload with an invisible watermark. The watermark may contain information such as the date, a PPF identifier, and a content identifier. In this manner, a misappropriated payload or portion thereof could be analyzed to identify where the “leak” occurred within the production process and measures could be implemented to correct the leak.  
         [0019]     To produce and insert the watermark into the payload, each PPF  102 ,  104 , and  106  respectively comprises digital watermarking equipment  118 ,  112 , and  124 . This equipment operates in conjunction with image processing equipment  114 ,  120  and  126  that performs the functions of a respective PPF  104 ,  102 , and  106 . The image processing equipment may be within the PPF or may be at another contracted production facility. Furthermore, each PPF  102 ,  104  and  106  comprises a local secure database  122 ,  116  and  128  that is coupled to both the digital watermarking equipment  118 ,  112 , and  124  and the image processing equipment  114 ,  120 , and  126 . The local secure database stores payload, watermarks, and locations for inserting the watermarks into the payload.  
         [0020]     To coordinate watermarking amongst the PPFs, the first PPF  102 , the second  104 , the third PPF  106 , and the PSF  110  exchange with the CTAF  108  information associated with watermarking the payload (“watermarking information”). Each of the first PPF  102 , the second PPF  104 , the third PPF  106 , and the PSF  110  may use this watermarking information to respectively watermark the payload so as to indicate that such facility performed its function (e.g., enhanced the media quality) to the payload. An example of a system and method for watermarking the payload, including a spatio-temporal watermarking technique, may be found in commonly-assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/124,995, filed on Apr. 18, 2002, entitled “Secure Robust Hi-Fidelity Watermarking,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This technique forms one of many techniques that could be used by the digital watermarking equipment  112 ,  118 , and  124  to watermark the payload.  
         [0021]     The content tracking authority facility  108  coordinates the watermarking of the payload as the payload is processed by each PPF  102 ,  104 , or  106 . To place watermark data into a payload and have the watermark be invisible, the mark is generally positioned in a specific location that is best suited for hiding the watermark. To determine the locations for the marks, the digital watermarking equipment  118  of PPF  102  analyzes the original unmarked payload to identify locations. The first PPF  102  creates a master marks and locations list that is communicated along path  150  to the CTAF  108 . This list is stored in a master secure database  132 . Access to the master secure database  132  is controlled by a computer  130 . To mark the payload at each PPF, the PPF sends a request for a mark location and the CTAF  108  responds with an appropriate mark location. Generally, the local secure databases of the PPFs will be preloaded with the watermarks to use. Alternatively, the watermark may be sent to the PPF in response to a request for a watermark location.  
         [0022]     More specifically, second PPF  104  communicates with the CTAF  108  through path  144 , through which the PPF  104  requests locations to place a watermark in a specific payload and the CTAF  108  responds with the location. Similarly, third PPF  106  requests for locations and is provided locations through path  146 . Paths  144  and  146  may be public or private network connections.  
         [0023]     The CTAF  108  is also coupled to at least one studio  110 . The studio  110  may communicate annotations along path  148 . These annotations may include certain information regarding copies of the finished product that are shipped to, for example, screeners. The annotations are generated by an annotation terminal  134  coupled to a local secure database  136  that stores the annotations. By communicating the annotations to the CTAF  108 , the CTAF  108  contains information regarding all the copies produced during production, i.e., all the copies made by the PPFs during production and the copies made for the studio of the final product.  
         [0024]     The marked, encrypted payload is generally coupled between the PPFs using public or private communications networks. In some instances, the payload may be processed by a given PPF more than once. After all processing is complete, the first PPF  102  produces at least one digital versatile disk (DVD) or other content bearing medium for the at least one studio  110 . The DVD or other medium is provided to the studio as represented by path  152 .  
         [0025]     The augmentations (image processing) performed by (and marks placed by the watermarking of the media by) each of the PPF  102 , the PPF  104 , and the PPF  106  may be cumulative. For example, the second augmentation (i.e., processing performed by the second PPF  104 ) is cumulative to the first augmentation (i.e., processing performed by the first PPF  102 ); the third augmentation (i.e., processing performed by the third PPF  106 ) is cumulative to the second augmentation. If the architecture  100  includes more than three PPFs (not shown), then each of these subsequent post-production facilities may perform its particular augmentation in cumulative succession. As mentioned above, a single PPF may be used multiple times during the production process. In other instances, the PPFs may be utilized independently and operate upon separate payloads or different portions of the same payload. In such a situation, the payload would be marked with two watermarks, the watermark of the first PPF  102  and the PPF that performed the processing.  
         [0026]     During each process performed by a PPF, the digital watermarking equipment inserts a watermark into the payload. As cumulative processing occurs, multiple watermarks are imbedded into the payload. If the payload were misappropriated during any of these processes, the watermarks would identify the PPF in which the leak occurred.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an example of digital watermarking equipment  200  for watermarking digital media. The equipment  200  may be configured to operate as digital watermarking equipment  112 ,  118  or  124 .  
         [0028]     The equipment  200  is a general purpose computer that is adapted to be used for digital watermarking. The equipment  200  comprises a central processing unit (CPU)  202 , support circuits  204  and memory  206 . The CPU  202  may be one or more of any commercially available processors. The support circuits  204  are well known circuits that support the operation of the CPU  202 . The support circuits may comprise at least one of clock circuits, cache, power supplies, data communications circuits, network cards, frame buffers, and the like. The memory stores computer software that, when executed, causes the general purpose computer to operate as a specific purpose computer, i.e., as watermarking equipment. The memory may comprise at least one of random access memory, read only memory, removable memory, magnetic memory, disk drives, optical memory, and the like.  
         [0029]     The memory  206  comprises watermarking software  212  that contains at least two modules: a video analysis module  208  and a watermark insertion module  210 . The video analysis module  208  is used by the first PPF  102  to analyze the original unmarked payload to determine where to place the watermarks. This module is not used by the second and third PPFs  104  and  106 . In those PPFs, the module  208  may not exist, or may exist in an inactive state. The watermark insertion module  210  places at least one watermark into the payload. The payload is provided from the secure local database  122  along with the watermark. In one embodiment of the invention the modules  208  and  210  operate in accordance with a method described in commonly-assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/124,995, filed on Apr. 18, 2002. This method analyzes the payload for locations to place the watermark, modulates a watermark carrier with watermark data, and inserts the watermark into the payload at the location previously defined. In the present invention, the first PPF  102  performs the analysis as to the locations for best insertion, while all the PPFs are capable of inserting watermarks in the defined locations. Using the technique cited above, the watermarking software  212  encodes the watermark into a three-dimensional spatio-temporal volume comprising a plurality of video frames. Other watermarking techniques that use three-dimensional or two-dimensional watermarks may also be used in conjunction with this invention.  
         [0030]     The memory  214  also comprises an encryption/decryption module for performing communications encryption and decryption. All critical communications amongst the facilities of the architecture  100  are performed using a conventional encryption technique such as a public key based encryption. The keys are stored in the local secure database of each PPF. By encrypting the payload before transmission between PPFs, a leak may only occur once the payload is decrypted. Since, as discussed below, the decryption process and the watermarking process are closely coupled, the watermark for the PPF will be added to the payload before a leak is possible.  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  depicts a flow diagram of a method  300  of operation of the first PPF  102 . At step  302 , the PPF  102  receives the original content. At step  304 , the method identifies the number of copies to be made. Generally, this is a user defined parameter. At step  306 , the payload is analyzed to identify the marking locations and, at step  308 , certain ones of those locations are reserved for use by the first PPF  102 . The selection of the locations to be used by the first PPF  102 , may be random. At step  310 , the selected locations are used to insert a watermark in each of the payload copies. As such, each copy is identified as having been processed by PPF  102 . At step  312 , the PPF  102  sends to the CTAF  108  a list of locations that can be used to watermark the payload, a thumbnail of the payload, and a list of location (recipients) where the payload copies are being sent, i.e., identify the other PPFs that are to receive payload copies. At step  314 , the information that was communicated to the CTAF  108  is stored in the local secure database  122 . Lastly, at step  316 , the payload copies containing the PPF  102  watermark are encrypted and sent to the locations in the copy list, e.g., via paths  140  and/or  142 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  depicts a flow diagram of a method  400  of operation of a PPF such as PPF  104  or  106 . The method  400  begins at step  402  where the PPF  104  or  106  receives the encrypted marked payload from the first PPF  102 . At step  404 , the method identifies the number of copies to be made for processing by the PPF. At step  406 , the PPF sends a request to the CTAF for the mark location list and the list is received at step  408 . Once the list is received, the method  400 , at step  410 , decrypts the payload. At step  412 , the PPF watermarks the payload using the locations in the list provided by the CTAF. Generally, one watermark is embedded per copy. At step  414 , the method sends to the CATF the marks embedded, a payload thumbnail, and a list of the locations (recipients) to which copies of the payload are to be sent. The same information is locally stored in the local secure database at step  416 . Lastly, at step  418 , the method  400  sends the payload copies having the marks from PPF  102  and PPF  104 / 106  to the locations (recipients) in the list.  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  depicts a flow diagram of a method  500  of operation of the studio  110 . The method  500  begins at step  502  where the studio receives the marked payload in a desired storage medium. At step  504 , the studio enters additional annotations into the local secure database about the payload, e.g., number of copies being shipped, recipient&#39;s names and locations, and the like. At step  506 , the annotations are communicated to the CTAF for storage. Lastly, at step  508 , the copies of the payload are sent to the recipients, e.g., screeners.  
         [0034]      FIG. 6  depicts a flow diagram of a method  600  of operation of the CTAF  108 . The method  600  begins at step  602  where the CTAF receives a communication from any of the facilities in the architecture  100 . At step  604 , the method  600  queries whether the communication was sent by the first PPF  102 , one of the other PPFs  104 / 106  or the studio  110 . The sending party can be identified using standard communication techniques. If the communication was received from the first PPF  102 , the method proceeds to step  606 .  
         [0035]     At step  606 , the CTAF receives the master list of marks and mark locations. The communication is checked, at step  608 , for authenticity using a conventional technique. If the communication is deemed authentic, at step  610 , the method  600  maps the mark locations to the correct location in the master secure database  132 . This mapping is based on information about the payload being marked and the PPFs that are doing the marking. If the communication is not authentic, the method  600  proceeds to step  618  to report the errant communication to a watchdog service.  
         [0036]     If, at query  604 , the communication is from the other PPFs (e.g., PPF  104  or  106 ), the method  600  proceeds to step  612 . At step  612 , the CATF receives a mark location request. At step  614 , the method  600  checks whether the communication is authentic. If the communication is authentic, the method  600  accesses the master database and sends, at step  614 , an encrypted mark locations list. If the communication is not authentic, the method  600  proceeds to step  618  to report the incident to the watchdog service.  
         [0037]     If, at query  604 , the communication is from the studio  110 , the method  600  proceeds to step  620 . At step  620 , the CATF receives studio annotations. At step  622 , the method  600  checks whether the communication is authentic. If the communication is authentic, the method  600  maps, at step  624 , the annotations to the correct locations in the master database. The correct locations are those locations that are identified with the payload and the studio. If the communication is not authentic, the method  600  proceeds to step  618  to report the incident to the watchdog service.  
         [0038]     Although various embodiments which incorporate the teachings of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, those skilled in the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments that still incorporate these teachings.