Patent ID: 7392394

Claim:
A method of digital watermarking comprising: receiving a first media content signal at a receiver at a first embedding time; selecting a first orientation for a message identifying the receiver to be embedded in the media content signal for the first embedding time, the first orientation specifying a first mapping of elements of the message to samples of the media content signal; embedding the message at the selected first orientation in the media content signal for the first embedding time; wherein the embedding applies a different orientation to the message for different times of embedding the message in media content signals passing through the receiver, the different orientation specifying a different mapping of the elements of the message to samples of the media content signal with respect to the first mapping, the orientation selected for the different embedding times is random such that the message elements form a pattern with a different, random temporal or spatial orientation for the different embedding times to reduce interference of overlapping message elements embedded in the content signal; wherein the temporal or spatial orientation of the message elements of the message vary within the pattern as a result of mapping the message elements of the message to samples at different locations within the pattern for the different embedding times of the message; wherein the orientation specifies random time segments of the content signal, wherein the time segments comprise frames of video content; wherein at least a first set of frames include the message elements embedded in a first pattern of temporal locations selected according to the first mapping in the first set of frames and at least a second set of frames include the message elements embedded in a different pattern of temporal locations in the second set of frames.