Patent ID: 8467567

Claim:
A correlation-based system for watermarking continuous digital media, comprising: a) an application control module (ACM) including a graphical user interface (GUI), said ACM for providing: i) an enable/disable control signal in response to a command by the user via the GUI; and, ii) a reset signal; b) a media encoder for receiving uncompressed media data from a media source and providing compressed media frames (F j ); c) a file system for capturing said compressed media data from said media encoder; d) a software retrieval module (SRM) for retrieving said compressed media frames (F j ) from said file system; e) a first signature buffer for buffering a previously generated signature (S j−1 ); f) a second signature buffer operatively connected to said first signature buffer for buffering a currently generated unique digital signature (S j ), wherein a transition from said second signature buffer to said first signature buffer occurs when a transition takes place from one frame to the next; g) a third signature buffer for storing a predefined initial signature (S 0 ); h) a 2:1 multiplexer (MUX) for receiving an input from said first signature buffer (S j−1 ), and another input from said third signature buffer (S 0 ), said reset signal from said ACM being a select control input signal to said 2:1 MUX, wherein one of the two inputs (S j−1 ) and (S 0 ) are selected as the output from said 2:1 MUX depending on the logic value of said reset signal; i) a signature generator operatively connected to said SRM, to said 2:1 MUX, and to said ACM, for generating a unique digital signature (S j ) based on 1) said F j , 2) said output from said 2:1 MUX, and 3) the status of said enable/disable control signal, wherein said signature generator provides said S j to said second signature buffer if said enable/disable control signal is set to “enable”, said signature generator providing no signature if said enable/disable control signal is set to “disable”; and, j) an encryptor for receiving said unique digital signature (S j ) and for encrypting said unique digital signature if said enable/disable control signal is set to “enable”, said signature generator providing no signature to said encryptor if said enable/disable control signal is set to “disable”, the encrypted unique digital signature (E j ) being stored in said file system.