Information embedding method and apparatus

Abstract

Supplementary information related to original data is embedded in the original data without being lost or altered and without degrading the quality of the original data. A photographing condition regarding photographing of the original image data is generated as the supplementary information by supplementary information generating unit and stored on a network in a supplementary information database. Storage management information such as a URL address of where the supplementary information is stored is generated by storage management information generating unit and embedded the original image data by using deep layer encryption. The original image data in which the storage management information has been embedded are recorded in a recording medium. Since the storage management information has a smaller amount of data than the supplementary information, quality of the original data is not degraded even when the storage management information is embedded in the original image data.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An information embedding method comprising the steps of: 
 dividing an original image represented by original image data into a plurality of areas and for obtaining image data for each area; and    embedding supplementary information related to each area in the image data for each area by carrying out deep layer encryption on the supplementary information.    
     
     
         2 . An information embedding method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the original image is divided into a plurality of block areas.  
     
     
         3 . An information embedding method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the original image is divided into areas of each object included in the original image.  
     
     
         4 . An information embedding method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the supplementary information is information regarding image processing on each area.  
     
     
         5 . An information embedding method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the supplementary information is information regarding image processing on each area.  
     
     
         6 . An information embedding method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the supplementary information is information regarding image processing on each area.  
     
     
         7 . An information embedding method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the supplementary information is information showing a search keyword of each area.  
     
     
         8 . An information embedding method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the supplementary information is information showing a search keyword of each area.  
     
     
         9 . An information embedding method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the supplementary information is information showing a search keyword of each area.  
     
     
         10 . An information embedding apparatus comprising: 
 division means for dividing an original image represented by original image data into a plurality of areas and for obtaining image data for each area; and    embedding means for embedding supplementary information related to each area in the image data for each area by carrying out deep layer encryption on the supplementary information.    
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable recording medium storing a program to cause a computer to execute the procedures of: 
 dividing an original image represented by original image data into a plurality of areas and for obtaining image data for each area; and    embedding supplementary information related to each area in the image data for each area by carrying out deep layer encryption on the supplementary information.