IP Library Granted Patent US 9,191,581
Granted Patent B2
US 9,191,581 · App. 13/800,249 · Granted Nov 17, 2015

Methods and apparatus for mixing compressed digital bit streams

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,191,581
App. No.
13/800,249
Granted
Nov 17, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for mixing compressed digital bit streams are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises acquiring a frame associated with a first compressed digital bit stream, unpacking the frame to obtain a plurality of original transform coefficient sets, and modifying the plurality of original transform coefficient sets to mix a second digital bit stream with the first compressed digital bit stream.

Claims (48)

1. A method to mix data streams, the method comprising:

obtaining a first set of transform coefficients from a first compressed data stream, the first set of transform coefficients including a first set of mantissa codes and a first set of exponents;

determining a second set of mantissa codes based on the first set of transform coefficients and a second data stream;

replacing the first set of mantissa codes in the first set of transform coefficients with the second set of mantissa codes, without replacing the first set of exponents in the first set of transform coefficients, to mix the second data stream with the first compressed data stream to form a third data stream without uncompressing the first compressed data stream; and

at least one of transmitting or storing the third data stream.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first compressed data stream is compressed according to an audio compression standard, and the second data stream is an uncompressed audio data stream.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein determining the second set of mantissa codes includes:

determining a set of mantissa values based on the first set of transform coefficients and the second data stream; and

processing the set of mantissa values based on compression information obtained from the first compressed data stream to determine the second set of mantissa codes.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein determining the set of mantissa values includes:

processing the first set of transform coefficients to determine first time domain data;

combining second time domain data from the second data stream with the first time domain data to determine third time domain data; and

processing the third time domain data to determine the set of mantissa values.

5. A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein processing the set of mantissa values includes quantizing the set of mantissa values based on the compression information to determine the second set of mantissa codes.

6. A method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the compression information includes a quantization step size.

7. A method as defined in claim 5 , wherein quantizing the set of mantissa values includes setting a first one of the second set of mantissa codes to at least one of a positive limit or a negative limit when a first one of the set of mantissa values corresponding to the first one of the second set of mantissa codes is outside a range of mantissa values determined from the compression information.

8. A tangible computer readable storage memory device or storage disk comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a computing device to at least:

obtain a first set of transform coefficients from a first compressed data stream, the first set of transform coefficients including a first set of mantissa codes and a first set of exponents;

determine a second set of mantissa codes based on the first set of transform coefficients and a second data stream; and

replace the first set of mantissa codes in the first set of transform coefficients with the second set of mantissa codes, without replacing the first set of exponents in the first set of transform coefficients, to mix the second data stream with the first compressed data stream without uncompressing the first compressed data stream.

9. A memory device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first compressed data stream is compressed according to an audio compression standard, and the second data stream is an uncompressed audio data stream.

10. A memory device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein to determine the second set of mantissa codes, the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

determine a set of mantissa values based on the first set of transform coefficients and the second data stream; and

process the set of mantissa values based on compression information obtained from the first compressed data stream to determine the second set of mantissa codes.

11. A memory device or storage disk as defined in claim 10 , wherein to determine the set of mantissa values, the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

process the first set of transform coefficients to determine first time domain data;

combine second time domain data from the second data stream with the first time domain data to determine third time domain data; and

process the third time domain data to determine the set of mantissa values.

12. A memory device or storage disk as defined in claim 10 , wherein to process the set of mantissa values, the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to quantize the set of mantissa values based on the compression information to determine the second set of mantissa codes.

13. A memory device or storage disk as defined in claim 12 , wherein the compression information includes a quantization step size.

14. A memory device or storage disk as defined in claim 12 , wherein to quantize the set of mantissa values, the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to set a first one of the second set of mantissa codes to at least one of a positive limit or a negative limit when a first one of the set of mantissa values corresponding to the first one of the second set of mantissa codes is outside a range of mantissa values determined from the compression information.

15. An apparatus to mix data streams, the apparatus comprising:

an unpacking unit to obtain a first set of transform coefficients from a first compressed data stream, the first set of transform coefficients including a first set of mantissa codes and a first set of exponents; and

a modification unit to:

determine a second set of mantissa codes based on the first set of transform coefficients and a second data stream; and

replace the first set of mantissa codes in the first set of transform coefficients with the second set of mantissa codes, without replacing the first set of exponents in the first set of transform coefficients, to mix the second data stream with the first compressed data stream to form a third data stream without uncompressing the first compressed data stream; and

a repacking unit to output the third data stream to at least one of a transmitter or memory.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first compressed data stream is compressed according to an audio compression standard, and the second data stream is an uncompressed audio data stream.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein to determine the second set of mantissa codes, the modification unit is further to:

determine a set of mantissa values based on the first set of transform coefficients and the second data stream; and

process the set of mantissa values based on compression information obtained from the first compressed data stream to determine the second set of mantissa codes.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17 , wherein to determine the set of mantissa values, the modification unit is further to:

process the first set of transform coefficients to determine first time domain data;

combine second time domain data from the second data stream with the first time domain data to determine third time domain data; and

process the third time domain data to determine the set of mantissa values.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 17 , wherein to process the set of mantissa values, the modification unit is further to quantize the set of mantissa values based on the compression information to determine the second set of mantissa codes.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 , wherein the compression information includes a quantization step size.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 , wherein to quantize the set of mantissa values, the modification unit is further to set a first one of the second set of mantissa codes to at least one of a positive limit or a negative limit when a first one of the set of mantissa values corresponding to the first one of the second set of mantissa codes is outside a range of mantissa values determined from the compression information.

Assignments (11)
RELEASE (REEL 053473 / FRAME 0001) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063603/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063605/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063574/0632 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063561/0381 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063560/0547 →
RELEASE (REEL 037172 / FRAME 0415) Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 061750/0221 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENTS LISTED ON SCHEDULE 1 RECORDED ON 6-9-2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053473 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 7, 2020
From: A.C. NIELSEN (ARGENTINA) S.A.; A.C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 054066/0064 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NIELSEN UK FINANCE I, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053473/0001 →
SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 30, 2015
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY ((US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT FOR THE FIRST LIEN SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 037172/0415 →
MERGER Recorded Apr 2, 2014
From: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, LLC (FORMERLY KNOWN AS NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, INC.)
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 032591/0877 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2014
From: SRINIVASAN, VENUGOPAL; PEIFFER, JOHN C.
To: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, INC.
Reel/Frame 032556/0272 →