IP Library Granted Patent US 9,721,576
Granted Patent B2
US 9,721,576 · App. 14/188,250 · Granted Aug 1, 2017

Compressed domain encoding apparatus and methods for use with media signals

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,721,576
App. No.
14/188,250
Granted
Aug 1, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for encoding a compressed media stream are disclosed. Example method of watermarking a digital media signal disclosed herein include copying compressed audio packets associated with an audio stream included in a transport stream of the digital media signal into respective frames of compressed audio data to be watermarked to include media identification information. Such example methods can also include determining whether a composition of the transport stream has changed during copying of the compressed audio packets into the respective frames of the compressed audio data. Such example methods can further include, if the composition of the transport stream has changed, writing the frames of the compressed audio data to an output stream corresponding to the digital media signal without applying a watermark to the frames of the compressed audio data.

Claims (50)

1. A method of watermarking a digital media signal, the method comprising:

copying compressed audio packets associated with an audio stream included in a transport stream of the digital media signal into respective frames of compressed audio data to be watermarked to include media identification information;

determining, by executing an instructions with a processor, whether a composition of the transport stream has changed during copying of the compressed audio packets into the respective frames of the compressed audio data;

if the composition of the transport stream has changed, flushing packets that have been held for watermark processing and writing the frames of the compressed audio data to an output stream corresponding to the digital media signal without applying a watermark to the frames of the compressed audio data;

resetting, by executing an instruction with the processor, a watermarking state machine being executed by the processor and clearing an associated data table if the composition of the transport stream has changed; and

if the composition of the transport stream has not changed, writing the frames of the compressed audio data to the output stream corresponding to the digital media signal after applying the watermark to the frames of the compressed audio data.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether the composition of the transport stream has changed is based on detecting whether at least one of program association table (PAT) information, program map table (PMT) information or program and system information protocol (PSIP) information associated with the transport stream has changed.

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

identifying a complete one of the respective frames;

determining whether the complete frame is in error; and

if the complete frame is in error, discarding the complete frame without watermarking the complete frame.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 , further including, if the complete frame is in error, writing the compressed audio packets associated with the complete frame to the output stream corresponding to the digital media signal without watermarking the compressed audio packets associated with the complete frame.

5. The method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the determining of whether the complete frame is in error includes at least one of:

determining whether the complete frame is improperly aligned;

determining whether the complete frame is improperly sized; or

determining whether the complete frame is corrupted.

6. A tangible machine readable storage device or storage disk comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

copy compressed audio packets associated with an audio stream included in a transport stream of a digital media signal into respective frames of compressed audio data to be watermarked to include media identification information;

determine whether a composition of the transport stream has changed during copying of the compressed audio packets into the respective frames of the compressed audio data;

if the composition of the transport stream has changed, flush packets that have been held for watermark processing and write the frames of the compressed audio data to an output stream corresponding to the digital media signal without applying a watermark to the frames of the compressed audio data;

reset a watermarking state machine executed by the processor and clear an associated data table if the composition of the transport stream has changed; and

if the composition of the transport stream has not changed, write the frames of the compressed audio data to the output stream corresponding to the digital media signal after the watermark has been applied to the frames of the compressed audio data.

7. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 6 , wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine whether the composition of the transport stream has changed based on detecting whether at least one of program association table (PAT) information, program map table (PMT) information or program and system information protocol (PSIP) information associated with the transport stream has changed.

8. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 6 , wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

identify a complete one of the respective frames;

determine whether the complete frame is in error; and

if the complete frame is in error, discard the complete frame without watermarking the complete frame.

9. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein, if the complete frame is in error, the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to write the compressed audio packets associated with the complete frame to the output stream corresponding to the digital media signal without watermarking the compressed audio packets associated with the complete frame.

10. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine whether the complete frame is in error by at least one of:

determining whether the complete frame is improperly aligned;

determining whether the complete frame is improperly sized; or

determining whether the complete frame is corrupted.

11. An apparatus to watermark a digital media signal, the apparatus comprising:

an encoder to:

copy compressed audio packets associated with an audio stream included in a transport stream of the digital media signal into respective frames of compressed audio data to be watermarked to include media identification information;

determine whether a composition of the transport stream has changed during copying of the compressed audio packets into the respective frames of the compressed audio data;

if the composition of the transport stream has changed, flush packets that have been held for watermark processing and write the frames of the compressed audio data to an output stream corresponding to the digital media signal without applying a watermark to the frames of the compressed audio data;

reset a watermarking state machine executed by the encoder and clear an associated data table if the composition of the transport stream has changed; and

if the composition of the transport stream has not changed, write the frames of the compressed audio data to the output stream corresponding to the digital media signal after the watermark has been applied to the frames of the compressed audio data; and

memory to store the frames of the compressed audio data.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the encoder is to determine whether the composition of the transport stream has changed based on detecting whether at least one of program association table (PAT) information, program map table (PMT) information or program and system information protocol (PSIP) information associated with the transport stream has changed.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the encoder is further to:

identify a complete one of the respective frames;

determine whether the complete frame is in error; and

if the complete frame is in error, discard the complete frame without watermarking the complete frame.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein, if the complete frame is in error, the encoder is further to write the compressed audio packets associated with the complete frame to the output stream corresponding to the digital media signal without watermarking the compressed audio packets associated with the complete frame.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein to determine whether the complete frame is in error, the encoder is to at least one of:

determine whether the complete frame is improperly aligned;

determine whether the complete frame is improperly sized; or

determine whether the complete frame is corrupted.

Assignments (12)
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 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 23, 2014
From: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, INC.
To: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, LLC
Reel/Frame 034038/0689 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2014
From: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, LLC
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 034022/0737 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2014
From: PRICE, LOIS; RAMASWAMY, ARUN; COOPER, SCOTT
To: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, INC
Reel/Frame 034017/0473 →