IP Library Granted Patent US 9,305,560
Granted Patent B2
US 9,305,560 · App. 14/144,279 · Granted Apr 5, 2016

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to perform audio watermark decoding

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,305,560
App. No.
14/144,279
Granted
Apr 5, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to perform audio watermark decoding are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving an audio signal including an audience measurement code embedded therein using a first plurality of frequency components, sampling the audio signal, transforming the sampled audio signal into a first frequency domain representation, determining whether the code is detectable in the first plurality of frequency components of the first frequency domain representation, and when the code is not detected in the first plurality of frequency components, examining a second plurality of frequency components of a second frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected, the second plurality of frequency components being offset from the first plurality of frequency components by a first offset, the first offset corresponding to a sampling frequency mismatch.

Claims (37)

1. A method comprising:

sampling an audio signal including a code embedded therein;

transforming the sampled audio signal into a frequency domain representation;

examining a first plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected in the first plurality of frequency components; and

in response to determining that the code is not detected in the first plurality of frequency components, examining a second plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation of the sampled audio signal to determine whether the code is detected in the second plurality of frequency components, the second plurality of frequency components being offset from the first plurality of frequency components by a first offset corresponding to a sampling frequency mismatch.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first offset is selected from a list of offsets that enable detecting the code.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including:

in response to determining that the code is not detected in the second plurality of frequency components, computing a second offset different than the first offset, the second offset corresponding to a second sampling frequency mismatch; and

examining a third plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected in the third plurality of frequency components, the third plurality of frequency components being offset from the first plurality of frequency components by the second offset.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 , further including, in response determining that the code is detected in the third plurality of frequency components, adding the second offset to a list of offsets that enable detecting the code.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including modifying a sampling rate of the audio signal based on the first offset.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including modifying a number of samples of the audio signal based on the first offset.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including modifying a bandwidth of the first plurality of frequency components based on the first offset.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a sampler to sample an audio signal including a code embedded therein;

a time-to-frequency domain converter to transform the sampled audio signal into a frequency domain representation; and

a frequency domain decoder to examine a first plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected in the first plurality of frequency components, and, in response to a determination that the code is not detected in the first plurality of frequency components, the frequency domain decoder to examine a second plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected in the second plurality of frequency components, the second plurality of frequency components being offset from the first plurality of frequency components by a first offset that corresponds to a sampling frequency mismatch.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 , further including an offset compensator to select the first offset from a list of offsets that enable detection of the code.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 , further including:

an offset compensator to, in response to a determination that the code is not detected in the second plurality of frequency components, compute a second offset different than the first offset, the second offset to correspond to a second sampling frequency mismatch; and

the frequency domain decoder to examine a third plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected in the third plurality of frequency components, the third plurality of frequency components being offset from the first plurality of frequency components by the second offset.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the offset compensator is to add the second offset to a list of offsets that enable detecting the code based on a determination that the code is detected in the third plurality of frequency components.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 , further including an offset compensator to modify a sampling rate of the audio signal based on the first offset.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 , further including an offset compensator to modify a number of samples of the audio signal based on the first offset.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 , further including an offset compensator to modify a bandwidth of the first plurality of frequency components based on the first offset.

15. A storage device or storage disc storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

sample an audio signal that includes a code embedded therein;

transform the sampled audio signal into a frequency domain representation;

examine a first plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected in the first plurality of frequency components; and

examine a second plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation of the sampled audio signal to determine whether the code is detected in the second plurality of frequency components based on a determination that the code is not detected in the first plurality of frequency components, the second plurality of frequency components to be offset from the first plurality of frequency components by a first offset that corresponds to a sampling frequency mismatch.

16. A storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to select the first offset from a list of offsets that enable detecting the code.

17. A storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

compute a second offset different than the first offset, the second offset to correspond to a second sampling frequency mismatch based on a determination that the code is not detected in the second plurality of frequency components; and

examine a third plurality of frequency components of the frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected in the third plurality of frequency components, the third plurality of frequency components to be offset from the first plurality of frequency components by the second offset.

18. A storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 17 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to add the second offset to a list of offsets that enable detecting the code based on a determination that the code is detected in the third plurality of frequency components.

19. A storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to modify a sampling rate of the audio signal based on the first offset.

20. A storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to modify a number of samples of the audio signal based on the first offset.

Assignments (10)
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 →
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 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2014
From: NELSON, DANIEL J.; SRINIVASAN, VENUGOPAL; PEIFFER, JOHN C.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 032237/0221 →