Automated digital watermarking methods using neural networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide digital watermarking methods that embed a digital watermark in both the low and high frequencies of an image or other production, providing a digital watermark that is resistant to a variety of attacks. The digital watermarking methods of the present invention optimize the strength of the embedded digital watermark such that it is as powerful as possible without being perceptible to the human eye. The digital watermarking methods of the present invention do this relatively quickly, in real-time, and in an automated fashion using an intelligent system, such as a neural network. The digital watermarking methods of the present invention may also be used in a variety of new applications, such as the digital watermarking of sensitive aircraft parts and military equipment.

1 . A digital watermarking method, comprising: 
 calculating a discrete transform comprising a plurality of frequency bands; and    inserting a plurality of digital watermarks into the plurality of frequency bands;    wherein each of the plurality of digital watermarks has a predetermined weight.    
   
   
       2 . The digital watermarking method of  claim 1 , wherein the discrete transform comprises a discrete transform selected from the group consisting of a discrete wavelet transform (DWT), a discrete cosine transform (DCT), and a discrete Fourier transform (DFT).  
   
   
       3 . The digital watermarking method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frequency bands comprise a plurality of high-frequency, median-frequency, and low-frequency bands.  
   
   
       4 . The digital watermarking method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining the predetermined weight of each of the plurality of digital watermarks using the following equation:  
         c   i   ′=c   i (1+α m   i ),  
     where α is a scaling parameter, c i  is a coefficient of an original production, m i  is a digital watermark to be added, and c i ′ is a digitally watermarked coefficient.  
   
   
       5 . The digital watermarking method of  claim 1 , wherein the digital watermarking method is used to digitally watermark one of an image, a picture, a video, a multimedia product, a CD, a DVD, biometrics, an MRI, an FMRI, a CT, an ultrasound image, a non-digital VLSI chip, a non-digital vital part, and a non-digital negative film.  
   
   
       6 . A computer-readable medium having executable commands operable for digitally watermarking a production, the executable commands comprising: 
 calculating a discrete transform comprising a plurality of frequency bands; and    inserting a plurality of digital watermarks into the plurality of frequency bands;    wherein each of the plurality of digital watermarks has a predetermined weight.    
   
   
       7 . The computer-readable medium having executable commands of  claim 6 , wherein the discrete transform comprises a discrete transform selected from the group consisting of a discrete wavelet transform (DWT), a discrete cosine transform (DCT), and a discrete Fourier transform (DFT).  
   
   
       8 . The computer-readable medium having executable commands of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of frequency bands comprise a plurality of high-frequency, median-frequency, and low-frequency bands.  
   
   
       9 . The computer-readable medium having executable commands of  claim 6 , further comprising determining the predetermined weight of each of the plurality of digital watermarks using the following equation:  
         c   i   ′=c   i (1+α m   i ),  
     where α is a scaling parameter, c i  is a coefficient of an original production, m i  is a digital watermark to be added, and c i ′ is a digitally watermarked coefficient.  
   
   
       10 . The computer-readable medium having executable commands of  claim 6 , wherein the computer-readable medium having executable commands is used to digitally watermark one of an image, a picture, a video, a multimedia product, a CD, a DVD, biometrics, an MRI, an FMRI, a CT, an ultrasound image, a non-digital VLSI chip, a non-digital vital part, and a non-digital negative film.