System, method, and product for information embedding using an ensemble of non-intersecting embedding generators

A method for extracting a reconstructed watermark-signal value from a received composite signal with noise value that includes a composite-signal value and a channel noise value, wherein the reconstructed watermark-signal value represents a first watermark-signal value of a plurality of watermark-signal values of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components of a watermark signal, wherein

• the composite-signal value is formed by setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components of a host signal to a first embedding value of a first embedding generator that corresponds to the first watermark-signal value, and when each of the embedding generators is a quantizer, at least one quantization interval of at least one quantizer is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other quantizer;
• and further wherein the first embedding value is one of a first embedding-value set of embedding values generated by a plurality of embedding generators, each of two or more of which generate a plurality of embedding values, wherein at least one embedding value generated by at least one embedding generator of the plurality of embedding generators is not the same as any embedding value generated by at least one other embedding generator of the plurality of embedding generators;
• the method comprising:
• (1) acquiring the received composite signal with noise value;
• (2) replicating one or more embedding values from the first embedding-value set to form a second embedding-value set, at least one embedding value of the second embedding-value set having the same correspondence to a single watermark-signal value as have embedding values of the first embedding-value set from which the at least one embedding value of the second embedding value set is replicated;
• (3) selecting a second embedding value of the second embedding-value set, wherein the second embedding value is selected based on its proximity to the received composite signal with noise value;
• and
• (4) setting the reconstructed watermark-signal value to a one of the plurality of watermark-signal values to which the second embedding value corresponds;
• wherein, when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers.

A system that watermarks a host signal with a watermark signal, the watermark signal comprising watermark-signal components, each having one of a plurality of watermark-signal values, and the host signal comprising host-signal components, each having one of a plurality of host-signal values, the system comprising:

• an ensemble generator that generates a plurality of embedding generators, each corresponding to a single watermark-signal value of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components;
• an embedding value generator that generates, by each of two or more of the plurality of embedding generators, a plurality of embedding values, the total of each plurality of embedding values comprising a first embedding-value set, wherein at least one embedding value generated by at least one embedding generator is not the same as any embedding value generated by at least one other embedding generator;
• and
• a point coder that sets at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first embedding generator, thereby forming a composite-signal value, wherein the first embedding generator corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the group of co-processed watermark-signal components, and, when each of the embedding generators is quantizer, at least one quantization interval of at least one quantizer is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other quantizer,
• wherein, when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers.

A computer system that watermarks a host signal with a watermark signal, the watermark signal comprising watermark-signal components, each having one of a plurality of watermark-signal values, and the host signal comprising host-signal components, each having one of a plurality of host-signal values, the computer system comprising:

• at least one embedding computer having an information embedder that embeds a watermark signal into a host signal, thereby creating a composite signal, the information embedder comprising:
• an ensemble generator that generates a plurality of embedding generators, each corresponding to a single watermark-signal value of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components;
• an embedding value generator that generates, by each of two or more of the plurality of embedding generators, a plurality of embedding values, the total of each plurality of embedding values comprising a first embedding-value set, wherein at least one embedding value generated by at least one embedding generator is not the same as any embedding value generated by at least one other embedding generator;
• and
• a point coder that sets at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first embedding generator, thereby forming a composite-signal value, wherein the first embedding generator corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the group of co-processed watermark-signal components, and, when each of the embedding generators is a quantizer, at least one quantization interval of at least one quantizer is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other quantizer;
• and
• at least one extracting computer having an information extractor that extracts the first watermark-signal value from the first embedding value;
• wherein, when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers.

A computer system that extracts a reconstructed watermark-signal value from a received composite signal with noise value that includes a composite-signal value and a channel noise value, wherein the reconstructed watermark-signal value represents a first watermark-signal value of a plurality of watermark-signal values of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components of a watermark signal, wherein

• the composite-signal value is formed by setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components of a host signal to a first embedding value of a first embedding generator that corresponds to the first watermark-signal value, and, when each of the embedding generators is a quantizer, at least one quantization interval of at least one quantizer is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other quantizer;
• and further wherein the first embedding value is one of a first embedding-value set of embedding values generated by a plurality of embedding generators, each of two or more of which generate a plurality of embedding values, wherein at least one embedding value generated by at least one embedding generator of the plurality of embedding generators is not the same as any embedding value generated by at least one other embedding generator of the plurality of embedding generators;
• the computer system comprising:
• (a) a synchronizer that acquires the received composite signal with noise value;
• (b) an ensemble replicator that replicates one or more embedding values from the first embedding-value set to form a second embedding-value set, at least one embedding value of the second embedding-value set having the same correspondence to a single watermark-signal value as have embedding values of the first embedding-value set from which the at least one embedding value of the second embedding value set is replicated;
• (c) a point decoder that selects a second embedding value of the second embedding-value set, wherein the second embedding value is selected based on its proximity to the received composite signal with noise value, and sets the reconstructed watermark-signal value to a one of the plurality of watermark-signal values to which the second embedding value corresponds;
• wherein, when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers.

Storage media that contains software that, when executed on an appropriate computing system, performs a method for watermarking a host signal with a watermark signal, the watermark signal comprising watermark-signal components, each having one of a plurality of watermark-signal values, and the host signal comprising host-signal components, each having one of a plurality of host-signal values, the method comprising:

• (1) generating, by each of two or more of a plurality of embedding generators, each corresponding to a single watermark-signal value of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components, a plurality of embedding values, the total of each plurality of embedding values comprising a first embedding-value set, wherein at least one embedding value generated by at least one embedding generator is not the same as any embedding value generated by at least one other embedding generator;
• and
• (2) setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first embedding generator, thereby forming a composite-signal value, wherein the first embedding generator corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the group of co-processed watermark-signal components, and, when each of the embedding generators is a quantizer, at least one quantization interval of at least one quantizer is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other quantizer;
• wherein, when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers.

A computer program product for use with an appropriate computing system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having embodied therein computer readable program code method steps for watermarking a host signal with a watermark signal, the watermark signal comprising watermark-signal components, each having one of a plurality of watermark-signal values, and the host signal comprising host-signal components, each having one of a plurality of host-signal values, the computer readable program code method steps comprising:

• (1) generating, by each of two or more of a plurality of embedding generators, each corresponding to a single watermark-signal value of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components, a plurality of embedding values, the total of each plurality of embedding values comprising a first embedding-value set, wherein at least one embedding value generated by at least one embedding generator is not the same as any embedding value generated by at least one other embedding generator;
• and
• (2) setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first embedding generator, thereby forming a composite-signal value, wherein the first embedding generator corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the group of co-processed watermark-signal components, and, when each of the embedding generators is a quantizer, at least one quantization interval of at least one quantizer is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other quantizer;
• wherein, when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers.

A method for watermarking a host signal with a watermark signal, the watermark signal comprising watermark-signal components, each having one of a plurality of watermark-signal values, and the host signal comprising host-signal components, each having one of a plurality of host-signal values, the method comprising:

• (1) designating a plurality of embedding generators, each corresponding to a single watermark-signal value of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components, based at least in part on a maximum allowable channel-induced distortion level;
• (2) generating, by each of two or more of the plurality of embedding generators, a plurality of embedding values, a total of each plurality of embedding values comprising a first embedding-value set, wherein at least one embedding value generated by at least one embedding generator is not the same as any embedding value generated by at least one other embedding generator;
• and
• (3) setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first embedding generator, thereby forming a composite-signal value, wherein the first embedding generator corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the co-processed group of watermark-signal components, and, when each of the embedding generators is a quantizer, at least one quantization interval of at least one quantizer is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other quantizer.

A system that watermarks a host signal with a watermark signal, the watermark signal comprising watermark-signal components, each having one of a plurality of watermark-signal values, and the host signal comprising host-signal components, each having one of a plurality of host-signal values, the system comprising:

• an ensemble generator that generates a plurality of embedding generators, each corresponding to a single watermark-signal value of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components, wherein the ensemble generator generates the plurality of embedding generators based at least in part on a maximum allowable channel-induced distortion level;
• an embedding value generator that generates, by each of two or more of the plurality of embedding generators, a plurality of embedding values, the total of each plurality of embedding values comprising a first embedding-value set, wherein at least one embedding value generated by at least one embedding generator is not the same as any embedding value generated by at least one other embedding generator;
• and
• a point coder that sets at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first embedding generator, thereby forming a composite-signal value, wherein the first embedding generator corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the group of co-processed watermark-signal components, and, when each of the embedding generators is quantizer, at least one quantization interval of at least one quantizer is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other quantizer.

A method for watermarking a host signal with a watermark signal, the watermark signal comprising watermark-signal components, each having one of a plurality of watermark-signal values, and the host signal comprising host-signal components, each having one of a plurality of host-signal values, the method comprising:

• (1) accessing a plurality of value-sets of two or more embedding values, the embedding values of each value-set corresponding to a single watermark-signal value of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components, wherein at least one embedding value of at least one value-set is not the same as any embedding value of at least one other value-set;
• and
• (2) setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first value-set, thereby forming a composite-signal value, wherein the first value-set corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the co-processed group of watermark-signal components, and, when the embedding values are quantized values, at least one quantization interval of at least one value-set is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other value-set;
• wherein, when each embedding value of each value-set is a dithered quantization value, when the embedding values of each value-set are uniformly spaced with respect to each other, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers.

A method for extracting a reconstructed watermark-signal value from a received composite signal with noise value that includes a composite-signal value and a channel noise value, wherein (a) the reconstructed watermark-signal value represents a first watermark-signal value of a plurality of watermark-signal values of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components of a watermark signal, (b) the composite-signal value is formed by accessing a plurality of value-sets of two or more embedding values, the embedding values of each value-set corresponding to a single watermark-signal value, wherein at least one embedding value of at least one value-set is not the same as any embedding value of at least one other value-set, and setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first value-set, thereby forming the composite-signal value, (c) the first value-set corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the co-processed group of watermark-signal components, (d) when the embedding values are quantized values, at least one quantization interval of at least one value-set is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other value-set, and (e) when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers,

• the method comprising:
• (1) acquiring the received composite signal with noise value;
• (2) replicating one or more embedding values from the first embedding-value set to form a second embedding-value set, at least one embedding value of the second embedding-value set having the same correspondence to a single watermark-signal value as have embedding values of the first embedding-value set from which the at least one embedding value of the second embedding value set is replicated;
• (3) selecting a second embedding value of the second embedding-value set, wherein the second embedding value is selected based on its proximity to the received composite signal with noise value;
• and
• (4) setting the reconstructed watermark-signal value to a one of the plurality of watermark-signal values to which the second embedding value corresponds.

A system for watermarking a host signal with a watermark signal, the watermark signal comprising watermark-signal components, each having one of a plurality of watermark-signal values, and the host signal comprising host-signal components, each having one of a plurality of host-signal values, wherein the system operates upon a plurality of value-sets of two or more embedding values, the embedding values of each value-set corresponding to a single watermark-signal value of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components, wherein at least one embedding value of at least one value-set is not the same as any embedding value of at least one other value-set the system comprising:

• a point coder that sets at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first value-set, thereby forming a composite-signal value, wherein the first value-set corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the co-processed group of watermark-signal components, and, when the embedding values are quantized values, at least one quantization interval of at least one value-set is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other value-set;
• wherein, when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers.

A system for extracting a reconstructed watermark-signal value from a received composite signal with noise value that includes a composite-signal value and a channel noise value, wherein (a) the reconstructed watermark-signal value represents a first watermark-signal value of a plurality of watermark-signal values of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components of a watermark signal, (b) the composite-signal value is formed by accessing a plurality of value-sets of two or more embedding values, the embedding values of each value-set corresponding to a single watermark-signal value, wherein at least one embedding value of at least one value-set is not the same as any embedding value of at least one other value-set, and setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first value-set, thereby forming the composite-signal value, (c) the first value-set corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the co-processed group of watermark-signal components, (d) when the embedding values are quantized values, at least one quantization interval of at least one value-set is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other value-set, and (e) when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers,

• the system comprising an information extractor that extracts a reconstructed watermark-signal value from a received composite signal with noise value that includes the composite-signal value and a channel noise value, wherein the reconstructed watermark-signal value represents the first watermark-signal value.

A computer program product for use with an appropriate computing system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having embodied therein computer readable program code method steps for extracting a reconstructed watermark-signal value from a received composite signal with noise value that includes a composite-signal value and a channel noise value, wherein (a) the reconstructed watermark-signal value represents a first watermark-signal value of a plurality of watermark-signal values of one watermark-signal component or a co-processed group of two or more watermark-signal components of a watermark signal, (b) the composite-signal value is formed by accessing a plurality of value-sets of two or more embedding values, the embedding values of each value-set corresponding to a single watermark-signal value, wherein at least one embedding value of at least one value-set is not the same as any embedding value of at least one other value-set, and setting at least one host-signal value of one or more selected host-signal components to a first embedding value of a first value-set, thereby forming the composite-signal value, (c) the first value-set corresponds to a first watermark-signal value of the one watermark-signal component or the co-processed group of watermark-signal components, (d) when the embedding values are quantized values, at least one quantization interval of at least one value-set is not the same as any quantization interval of at least one other value-set, and (e) when each of the embedding generators is a dithered quantizer, each having quantization values that are uniformly spaced, and when the composite signal value is transmitted over a channel, then at least one quantization value of any of the dithered quantizers, plus at least one channel noise value capable of being induced by the channel, is not the same value as any of the quantization values of any of the dithered quantizers,

• the computer readable program code method steps comprising extracting a reconstructed watermark-signal value from a received composite signal with noise value that includes the composite-signal value and a channel noise value, wherein the reconstructed watermark-signal value represents the first watermark-signal value.