Utilizing data reduction in steganographic and cryptographic systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for protecting a data signal using the following techniques: applying a data reduction technique to reduce the data signal into a reduced data signal; subtracting the reduced data signal from the data signal to produce a remainder signal; embedding a first watermark into the reduced data signal to produce a watermarked, reduced data signal; and adding the watermarked, reduced data signal to the remainder signal to produce an output signal. A second watermark may be embedded into the remainder signal before the final addition step. Further, cryptographic techniques may be used to encrypt the reduced data signals and to encrypt the remainder signals before the final addition step.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of digital watermarking, encrypting, or both, of an input signal containing information, comprising:
 generating, using a processor, a first data reduced signal from said input signal by data reducing said input signal; 
 subtracting, using a processor, said first data reduced signal from said original data signal resulting in a first remainder signal; 
 generating, using a processor, a second data reduced signal from said first data reduced signal by data reducing said first data reduced signal; 
 digitally watermarking or encrypting, using a processor, said first data reduced signal or said second data reduced signal to create a third signal; and 
 generating an output signal using said third signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein said input signal is at least one of: instructional text; executable binary computer code; images; audio; video;
 multimedia; and virtual reality imaging. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein said digitally watermarking or encrypting, further comprising using a watermarking algorithm to digitally watermark said first data reduced signal. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein said digitally watermarking or encrypting, further comprising using an encryption algorithm to encrypt said first data reduced signal. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  further comprising splitting said input signal into two physically distinct input signals, and wherein said first data reduced signal is generated from a first one of said two physically distinct input signals. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein said digitally watermarking or encrypting comprises a processor using at least one key. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generating an output signal comprises adding said third signal to that one of said first data reduced signal and said second data reduced signal from which the third signal was not generated. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  further comprising a computer system receiving the output signal in said computer system, further comprising said computer system executing programming designed to detect watermarks embedded in the output signal. 
     
     
       9. A system for digital watermarking, encrypting, or both, of an input signal containing information, comprising:
 a computer system comprising at least one processor and memory; 
 said computer system configured to use at least one of said at least one processor for generating a first data reduced signal from said input signal by data reducing said input signal; 
 said computer system configured to use at least one of said at least one processor for subtracting said first data reduced signal from said original data signal resulting in a first remainder signal; 
 said computer system configured to use at least one of said at least one processor for generating a second data reduced signal from said first data reduced signal by data reducing said first data reduced signal; 
 said computer system configured to use at least one of said at least one processor for digitally watermarking or encrypting said first data reduced signal or said second data reduced signal to create a third signal; and 
 generating an output signal using said third signal. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9  wherein said input signal is at least one of: instructional text; executable binary computer code; images; audio; video;
 multimedia; and virtual reality imaging. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9  wherein said digitally watermarking or encrypting, further comprising using a watermarking algorithm to digitally watermark said first data reduced signal. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9  wherein said digitally watermarking or encrypting, further comprising using an encryption algorithm to encrypt said first data reduced signal. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 9  further comprising splitting said input signal into two physically distinct input signals, and wherein said first data reduced signal is generated from a first one of said two physically distinct input signals. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 9 , wherein said computer system is configured to add said third signal to that one of said first data reduced signal and said second data reduced signal from which the third signal was not generated. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a receiving computer system;
 wherein said receiving computer system is configured to execute programming designed to detect watermarks embedded in the output signal.