Signal continuity assessment using embedded watermarks

A method for detecting a change in arrangement of segments of a multimedia content, comprising:

• receiving a multimedia content at a multimedia reception device equipped with a watermark extractor, the multimedia content including a plurality of watermark messages embedded therein;
• extracting the plurality of watermark messages using the watermark extractor that is implemented at least partially in electronic circuits, wherein:
• each embedded watermark message spans a predetermined length or duration of the multimedia content,
• each of the plurality of watermark messages, in absence of content manipulations, is nominally separated from another embedded watermark message by a predetermined separation value that is either equal to the predetermined length or duration, or is an integer multiple of the predetermined length or duration,
• the received multimedia content includes at least one content manipulation that causes an actual separation of a first one of the plurality of watermark messages from a second one of the plurality of watermark messages to deviate from the predetermined separation value by an offset value;
• and
• determining that the at least one content manipulation has occurred by comparing the offset value to a threshold offset value.

A device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory including processor executable code, the processor executable code, when executed by the processor, configures the device to:
• receive a multimedia content, the multimedia content including a plurality of watermark messages embedded therein;
• extract the plurality of watermark messages using a watermark extractor, wherein:
• each embedded watermark message spans a predetermined length or duration of the multimedia content,
• each of the plurality of watermark messages, in absence of content manipulations, is nominally separated from another embedded watermark message by a predetermined separation value that is either equal to the predetermined length or duration, or is an integer multiple of the predetermined length or duration,
• the received multimedia content includes at least one content manipulation that causes an actual separation of a first one of the plurality of watermark messages from a second one of the plurality of watermark messages to deviate from the predetermined separation value by an offset value;
• and
• determine that the at least one content manipulation has occurred by comparing the offset value to a threshold offset value.

A computer program product embodied on one or more non-transitory computer readable media, comprising:

• program code for receiving a multimedia content at a multimedia reception device equipped with a watermark extractor, the multimedia content including a plurality of watermark messages embedded therein;
• program code for extracting the plurality of watermark messages using the watermark extractor, wherein:
• each embedded watermark message spans a predetermined length or duration of the multimedia content,
• each of the plurality of watermark messages, in absence of content manipulations, is nominally separated from another embedded watermark message by a predetermined separation value that is either equal to the predetermined length or duration, or is an integer multiple of the predetermined length or duration,
• the received multimedia content includes at least one content manipulation that causes an actual separation of a first one of the plurality of watermark messages from a second one of the plurality of watermark messages to deviate from the predetermined separation value by an offset value;
• and
• program code for determining that the at least one content manipulation has occurred by comparing the offset value to a threshold offset value.