Program encoding and counterfeit tracking system and method

Abstract

Unique encoding of each of a substantial number of distribution video copies of a program such as a motion picture is produced by altering the images slightly at several pre-selected locations in the program in a uniquely coded pattern. Suspected counterfeits can be compared with an unaltered master video to determine the encoded number for the copy which was counterfeited to enable tracking the source of the counterfeit. Preferably, each frame of several whole scenes is altered at each location by shifting an image so as to make the alterations largely undetectable by counterfeiters but easily detected by comparison with an unaltered master video. Artifacts are inserted in patterns representing a unique number for the program. These supplement the encoding by alteration of images and gives added means to aid in tracing counterfeit copies.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for uniquely identifying a copy of an audio-visual program recorded in an electronic recording medium or optically recorded form, said, the method comprising:
 selecting a master version of an the audio-visual program to be copied; 
 making at least one copy of the master version of an the audio-visual program such that each respective copy includes its own unique identification; and wherein the master version of the audio-visual program comprises a sequence of frames of images, and wherein the making of the respective copy of the master version of the audio-visual program further comprises embedding the unique identification into respective copy of the audio-visual program by performing the following steps: 
 embedding the unique identification into each copy of the audio-visual program when making each copy of the audio-visual program by performing the following steps:
 (a) altering visible images appearing at selected ones of a plurality of different locations in said master version of an audio-visual program by enlarging an image in at least one frame in each of said selected locations; and   (b) selecting said ones of said locations in each copy to create a unique pattern of enlarged images in each copy to uniquely identify each copy   generating by a computing device an identifier using a random number generator;   selecting by the computing device a plurality of different locations in the sequences of frames according to the identifier;   enlarging by the computing device at least one frame in each of the plurality of locations in the sequence of frames in the copy according to the identifier;   creating by the computing device a unique pattern of enlarged frames in the sequence of frames in the copy; and   storing by the computing device an identity of a recipient of the copy and the unique pattern.   
 
     
     
       2. A method as in  claim 1  including the step of, wherein the storing comprises storing, at a location separate from said the copy, information representing said the unique pattern for each the copy. 
     
     
       3. A method as in  claim 1 , in which all of the images in a scene are altered enlarged at each of said the plurality of locations in the sequences of frames. 
     
     
       4. A method as in  claim 1 , in which said enlarging step comprises enlarging said image the at least one frame in each of the plurality of locations in the sequence of frames is enlarged in at least one dimension by from approximately four to ten percent. 
     
     
       5. A method as in  claim 1  including, further comprising distributing a plurality of said copies, including the copy having the unique pattern, to a plurality of recipients with each of said copies having a unique pattern, recording the identity of each of said recipients, and storing the patterns of each copy distributed to each of said recipients. 
     
     
       6. A method as in  claim 1  including the step of, further comprising introducing artifacts forming an encoded symbol in each copy of the master version of the audio-visual program at further selected ones of a plurality of other locations. 
     
     
       7. A method as in  claim 6  including storing the locations of said artifacts for each copy and storing the identification of the recipients of each copy. 
     
     
       8. A method as in  claim 6  in which said artifacts are introduced at locations immediately following an edit. 
     
     
       9. A method as in  claim 6  in which a plurality of specific locations is provided at each of a plurality of larger locations, there being one specific location in a larger location for each of ten numbers which forms one digit of an identification number for the copy being made, whereby the place and the digit can be determined by the specific location of the artifacts. 
     
     
       10. A method as in  claim 1  in which the presence of an altered image in a selected frame indicates one of a digital 1 and a digital 0, and the absence of an altered image in said frame indicates the other of said digital 1 and 0, and the combination of digital 1's and 0's in a given sequence of selected frames forms a number unique to the program copy in which it appears. 
     
     
       11. A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different locations in the sequences of frames are selected to be in which said alteration is repeated in a plurality of different scenes at each of said locations in the audio-visual program. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image at least one frame in each of the plurality of locations in the sequence of frames is enlarged by altering an aspect ratio of the image. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising making a plurality of copies of the master version of an the audio-visual program such that to include in each of the a plurality of copies includes its own respective unique pattern of enlarged images to uniquely identify each copy in the sequence of the frames. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating of the unique pattern of enlarged frames in the sequence of frames comprises:
 receiving, in a router, the master version of the audio-visual program;   receiving, in the router, an altered version of the audio-visual program, wherein the altered version of the audio-visual program having enlarged frames of images at a set of predetermined locations in the sequence of frames; and   switching, by the router, at the set of predetermined locations between the master version of the audio-visual program and the altered version of the audio-visual program in accordance with the unique identification to generate the copy of the master version of the audio-visual program having the unique pattern of enlarged frames.   
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for uniquely identifying a copy of an audio-visual program, the method comprising:
 selecting a master version of the audio-visual program to be copied;   making at least one copy of the master version of the audio-visual program such that each respective copy includes its own unique identification, wherein the master version of the audio-visual program comprises a sequence of frames of images, and wherein the making of the respective copy of the master version of the audio-visual program further comprises embedding the unique identification into the respective copy of the audio-visual program by:
 generating an identifier using a random number generator; 
 selecting by the computing device, a plurality of different locations in the sequences of frames according to the identifier; 
 enlarging at least one frame in each of the plurality of locations in the sequence of frames in the copy according to the identifier; 
 creating a unique pattern of enlarged frames in the sequence of frames in the copy; and 
 storing an identity of a recipient of the copy and the unique pattern. 
   
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the creating of the unique pattern of enlarged frames in the sequence of frames comprises:
 receiving, in a router, the master version of the audio-visual program;   receiving, in the router, an altered version of the audio-visual program, wherein the altered version of the audio-visual program having enlarged frames of images at a set of predetermined locations in the sequence of frames; and   switching, by the router, at the set of predetermined locations between the master version of the audio-visual program and the altered version of the audio-visual program in accordance with the unique identification to generate the copy of the master version of the audio-visual program having the unique pattern of enlarged frames.   
     
     
       17. A computing device, comprising:
 at least one server; and   a non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions which when executed by the at least one server, causes the at least one server to perform:
 selecting a master version of an audio-visual program to be copied; 
 making at least one copy of the master version of the audio-visual program such that each respective copy includes its own unique identification, wherein the master version of the audio-visual program comprises a sequence of frames of images, and wherein the making of the respective copy of the master version of the audio-visual program further comprises embedding the unique identification into the respective copy of the audio-visual program by: 
 generating an identifier using a random number generator; 
 selecting, by the computing device, a plurality of different locations in the sequences of frames according to the identifier; 
 enlarging at least one frame in each of the plurality of locations in the sequence of frames in the copy according to the identifier; 
 creating a unique pattern of enlarged frames in the sequence of frames in the copy; and 
 storing an identity of a recipient of the copy and the unique pattern. 
   
     
     
       18. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising a router configured to create the unique pattern of enlarged frames in the sequence of frames by:
 receiving, in the router, the master version of the audio-visual program;   receiving, in the router, an altered version of the audio-visual program, wherein the altered version of the audio-visual program having enlarged frames of images at a set of predetermined locations in the sequence of frames; and   switching, by the router, at the set of predetermined locations between the master version of the audio-visual program and the altered version of the audio-visual program in accordance with the unique identification to generate the copy of the master version of the audio-visual program having the unique pattern of enlarged frames.