Kaleidescape, Inc.

Kaleidescope, Inc.

Stephen Watson

Michael A Malcolm

Daniel A Collens

Paul James Rechsteiner

Kevin Hui

Lawrence Kesteloot

Shawn Neely

Ian Epperson

Elliott Pearl

Daniel A Collins

Brian Young

The invention provides a method of recovering from de-synchronization attacks includes registering original and altered digital content using nonlinear transformations to iteratively attempt to provide better-approximated registration. Approximation occurs at more than one level of granularity, by selecting among a greater number of possible transformation functions at each step. Transformations and comparisons might be conducted directly on pixel values, on coefficients for a set of basis wavelets, or on some transformation of the original and altered digital content. A human operator might assist this process, such as by suggesting transformations or providing evaluation of the degree of registration. Upon resynchronization, embedded identifying information in the original digital content is recovered.

Recovering from de-synchronization attacks against watermarking and fingerprinting

Selection and presentation of media streams, in which presentation is not limited by order imposed by the digital content representative of those media streams, in response to bookmarks and watchpoints settable and usable by a user. Bookmarks reference a location within the media stream, not necessarily pre-selected and possibly dynamically selected, in which a presentation can be started or restarted therefrom. Watchpoints reference a location within the media stream, or a presentation state for the media stream, in which an action can be triggered thereby. Bookmarks and watchpoints provide a general technique for presenting selections from media streams in response to metadata.

Bookmarks and watchpoints for selection and presentation of media streams

The invention provides a method and system capable of allowing users to complete collections of objects without unwanted duplication thereof. The system automatically, and in response to user direction, determines if objects are available that would complete a user's collection. The system can automatically purchase and obtain delivery of objects identified as being needed to complete a collection. The system allows a user to statically define and derive the parameters of a desired collection of objects and can create, and suggest to the user, collections of which the user already has a portion. The system includes functionality that provides user-definable collections.

Sales of collections excluding those already purchased

Secure presentation of media streams includes encoding the media streams into digital content, encrypting a portion of that digital content, the portion being required for presentation, in which the encrypted version is substantially unchanged in formatting parameters from the clear version of the digital content. Selecting those portions for encryption so there is no change in distribution of the media stream: packetization of the digital data, or synchronization of audio with video portions of the media stream. When encoding the media stream into MPEG-2, refraining from encrypting information by which the video block data is described, packet formatting information, and encrypting the video block data using a block-substitution cipher. A block-substitution cipher can be used to encrypt each sequence of 16 bytes of video data in each packet, possibly leaving as many as 15 bytes of video data in each packet in the clear.

Secure presentation of media streams in response to encrypted content

A method of embedding information in digital content representing media streams. The method includes (1) selecting a set of locations within that digital content representing the media stream to embed information, (2) selecting a set of possible alterations to make at those locations, and (3) making a subset of the possible alterations. The set of locations and possible alterations is herein sometimes called a 'watermark.' The subset of actual alterations that are made is herein sometimes called a 'fingerprint.' The method determines a set of locations at which there are alternative versions of digital content representing the same media stream, such as one being the original and one being an alternative version of the same digital content, herein sometimes called the &#x201c;original movie&#x201d; and the &#x201c;alt-movie,&#x201d; or herein sometimes called the &#x201c;original block&#x201d; and the &#x201c;alt-block&#x201d; for a particular block in the digital content representing the media stream.

Watermarking and fingerprinting digital content using alternative blocks to embed information

A home theater system includes construction, presentation, and commerce in, songs. Presentation includes at least one of: metadata about songs or sounds, a function capable of transitioning from one song to a next song, and user preferences; and can determine in what manner to transition from one song to a next song. Construction of songs includes either factors above, or at least one of: a function or a user extension capable of selecting a next song, and an element capable of determining whether the song is perceptually random. A user interface is capable of searching playlists and selecting them for presentation, representing each playlist with a substantially unique pictorial representation, distinguishing in presentation between those playlists licensed to the user and those that are not, and capable of substantially immediate purchase of playlist licenses either individually or in bulk and either automatically or with minimal intervention.

Sound sequences with transitions and playlists

Secure presentation of media streams in response to encrypted digital content

Distributing information, including the steps of watermarking the digital content, distributing the digital content using a multi-source system, and partially fingerprinting digital content at each stage of moving information from a point of origin to the viewer. 'Adaptation' of the digital content to the recipient includes maintaining the digital content in encrypted form at each such intermediate device, including decrypting the digital content with a key unique to both the device and the specific movie, selecting a portion of the watermark locations into which to embed information, embedding fingerprinting information into those locations sufficient to identify the recipient, and encrypting the fingerprinted digital content with a new such key.

Parallel distribution and fingerprinting of digital content

A method of embedding information in digital content representing media streams. The method includes (1) selecting a set of locations within that digital content reprensenting the media stream to embed information, (2) selecting a set of possible alterations to make at those locations, and (3) making a subset of the possible alterations. The set of locations and possible alterations is herein sometimes called a 'watermark.' The subset of actual alterations that are made is herein sometimes called a 'fingerprint.' The method determines a set of locations at which there are alternative versions of digital content representing the same media stream, such as one being the original and one being an alternative version of the same digital content, herein sometimes called the &#x201c;original movie&#x201d; and the &#x201c;alt-movie,&#x201d; or herein sometimes called the &#x201c;original block&#x201d; and the &#x201c;alt-block&#x201d; for a particular block in the digital content representing the media stream.

Embedding fingerprinting or watermarking information includes delivering information in-band within digital content representing a media stream, so unauthorized distributors must choose between degrading the media stream, or leaving sufficient information detectable that unauthorized distribution can be detected. For fingerprinting, the method provides a relatively high degree of confidence of both detecting at least one colluding unauthorized distributor, and not falsely accusing any innocent party of being an unauthorized distributor. Embedding fingerprinting or watermarking information includes selecting a sequence of locations within digital content, and embedding information in the form of a sequence of one or more bits at each of those locations, thus representing a set of marking symbols. Marking symbols cannot be readily manufactured without at least one colluding unauthorized distributor having received it, so any distributed digital content includes at least some marking symbols traceable to at least one colluding unauthorized distributor.

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Toronto, Canada

Stephen Watson