Automated piracy detection
AssigneeDISH Technologies L.L.C.
InventorJeffrey Mcschooler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Motion pictures or other digital media content can be encoded with visible, yet obscured, digital codes that can be optically detected by a camera or other automated image processing device. If a code is recognized in captured media content, further capture, playback and/or distribution can be halted, as desired. Because the code is visible (albeit hidden) in the digital imagery itself, capture by another camera or other optical device will not typically negate the usefulness of the code. That is, the code is visibly present within the imagery itself, so subsequent capture of the video imagery will also capture the code, thereby allowing for detection and/or prevention.
Claims8
A camera device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor of the camera device is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to perform an automated process that comprises:
- capturing, by the camera device, a copy of a digital video program that comprises captured imagery from a legitimate presentation of the digital video program;
- automatically recognizing, by the processor, a digital code that is visible in the captured imagery of the digital video program, wherein the digital code is embedded in the digital video program by modulating the intensities of a plurality of pixels of the digital video program;
- upon recognizing the digital code in the captured imagery, transmitting the digital code from the camera device to a remote processing system via a digital network;
- and
- in response to a subsequent message from the remote processing system indicating that the captured imagery is the pirated copy of the digital video program, the camera device suspending further processing of the digital video program and otherwise continuing processing of the digital video program by the media playback device.
An automated process to automatically detect optical piracy by a camera device having a processor and a memory, wherein the automated process comprises:
- capturing imagery of a digital video program from a legitimate presentation of the digital video program;
- automatically recognizing, by the processor of the camera device, a digital code that is visible in captured imagery of a digital video program, wherein the digital code is embedded in the digital video program by modulating the intensities of a plurality of pixels;
- upon recognizing the digital code in the imagery of the digital video program, the camera device transmitting the digital code to a remote processing system via a digital network and receiving a response message from the remote processing system;
- and
- if the response message from the remote processing system indicates that the digital video program is the pirated copy, the camera device suspending further processing of the digital video program and otherwise continuing processing of the digital video program by the media playback device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.