Methods, devices and computer program products allow improved detection of watermarks into and from a multimedia content. One method for detecting watermarks from a host content includes performing watermark extraction to obtain a first sequence of watermark symbols from the host content and generating a plurality of predicted watermark templates. Each template corresponds to a sequence of watermark symbols that is predicted based on the first sequence of watermark symbols. A section of the host content is processed to obtain a candidate sequence of watermark symbols and correlation operations between the candidate sequence of watermark symbols and symbols of the predicted watermark templates are performed until a correlation result that is indicative of a successful watermark detection is obtained. An indication that the candidate sequence of watermark symbols represents at least a portion of a reliably extracted watermark message can then be produced.

Content is identified using watermarking and/or other content recognition combined with contextual metadata, which facilitates identification and correlation with other content and metadata when it is posted to a network.

Various features described herein may allow an authorized user to provide a guest with access to a secured location through use of an encoded image containing steganographically encoded access information. The encoded access information may be recognizable by a security system, and the security system may grant access to the secured location when the encoded image is presented to the security system. The authorized user may request the generation of the encoded image on an authorized computing device, and the encoded image may be provided to the guest on a guest computing device. When a monitoring device associated with the security system captures the encoded access information, the security system may, for example, open a door at the secured location.

Content creation and licensing control techniques are described. In a first example, a content creation service is configured to support content creation using an image along with functionality to locate the image or a similar image that is available for licensing. In another example, previews of images are used to generate different versions of content along with an option to license images previewed in an approved version of the content. In a further example, fingerprints are used to locate images used as part of content creation by a content creation service without leaving a context of the service. In yet another example, location of licensable versions of images is based at least in part on identification of a watermark included as part of an image. In an additional example, an image itself is used as a basis to locate other images available for licensing by a content sharing service.

According to an embodiment, a data embedding apparatus includes a data acquisition unit and an object generation unit. The data acquisition unit acquires first data formed from a first bit string to be embedded in a first object including a first line segment or a first curve. The object generation unit generates a second object, which includes a deformed line segment or a deformed curve having a displacement corresponding to the first bit string with respect to the first line segment or the first curve and in which the first data is embedded, by deforming at least one of the first line segment and the first curve of the first object based on the first bit string.

A method for measuring performance of virtual desktop services offered by a server including a processor is described. A first encoded watermark is embedded into user interface display generated by a virtual desktop when initiating an operation. The first encoded watermark includes pixels identifying the operation and indicating its initiation. A second encoded watermark is embedded into the user interface upon completion of the operation indicating completion of the operation. An action performance time is then computed and stored in a memory. Multiple performance times may be compiled from multiple operations of multiple virtual desktops to assess the performance of the system as a whole.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to perform time alignment for watermarks. An example apparatus adjusts a power value of an element of a template based on respective average magnitudes and respective tonality ratios corresponding to a plurality of frequency representations of a media signal, the media signal to be encoded with at least one watermark, the element corresponding to one of the plurality of frequency representations. Additionally, the example apparatus computes an alignment of the template to the media signal based on respective power values of elements of the template, the template corresponding to a type of the at least one watermark. The example apparatus also encodes the media signal with the at least one watermark according to the alignment.

A system and method for producing color calibrated videos using a calibration slate are provided. A video of a subject is recorded with a calibration slate appearing in at least one frame of the video. The calibration slate includes printed colors that can be compared against standard colors associated with the slate to color calibrate the video. Once at least one frame of the video has been color calibrated, calibrated colors of the calibrated frame may then be utilized for color calibration of additional frames of the video.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to perform time alignment for watermarks. An example apparatus adjusts a power value of an element of a template based on respective average magnitudes and respective tonality ratios corresponding to a plurality of frequency representations of a media signal, the media signal to be encoded with at least one watermark, the element corresponding to one of the plurality of frequency representations. Additionally, the example apparatus computes an alignment of the template to the media signal based on respective power values of elements of the template, the template corresponding to a type of the at least one watermark. The example apparatus also encodes the media signal with the at least one watermark according to the alignment.

An image processing circuitry configured to: generate, based on obtained image data, a visual content word sequence indicative for a visual content of an image represented by the obtained image data; and generate, based on the generated visual content word sequence, an image signature for the image.