IP Library Granted Patent US 9,042,598
Granted Patent B2
US 9,042,598 · App. 14/324,901 · Granted May 26, 2015

Methods and apparatus to generate and use content-aware watermarks

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,042,598
App. No.
14/324,901
Granted
May 26, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to generate and use content-aware watermarks are disclosed herein. In a disclosed example method, media composition data is received and at least one word present in an audio track of the media composition data is selected. The word is then located in a watermark.

Claims (76)

1. A method, comprising:

selecting a word present in an audio track of a media composition, the word to be audible during playback of the audio track;

encoding the selected word in a watermark; and

embedding the watermark in the media composition at a location in the media composition corresponding to when the selected word is audible during playback of the audio track.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the selected word is indicative of a product or service audible during playback of the audio track.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 further including:

determining whether the media composition includes metadata;

in response to determining the media composition includes the metadata, retrieving the metadata from the media composition; and

encoding the metadata in the watermark.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 further including:

detecting a characteristic of the media composition when the media composition does not include the metadata; and

generating the metadata based on the characteristic.

5. A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the metadata includes temporal information or spatial information.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 further including:

compressing the selected word; and

encoding the compressed word in the watermark.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the compressing of the selected word includes discarding an alphabetic character included in the selected word.

8. A method as defined in claim 1 further including:

identifying a unique identifier associated with the selected word; and

encoding the unique identifier in the watermark.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a data interface to obtain a media composition;

a word selector to select a word present in an audio track of the media composition, the word to be audible during playback of the audio track; and

a watermark encoder to:

encode the selected word in a watermark; and

embed the watermark in the media composition at a location in the media composition that is to correspond to when the selected word is audible during playback of the audio track.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the selected word is indicative of a product or service audible during playback of the audio track.

11. An apparatus as defined in 9 further including:

a metadata detector to:

determine whether metadata is present in the media composition; and

based on a determination that the metadata is present in the media composition, retrieve the metadata from the media composition; and

the watermark encoder to encode the metadata in the watermark.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 further including a media features detector to:

based on a determination that the metadata is not present in the media composition, detect a media feature of the media composition; and

generate the metadata based on the media feature.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein the metadata is to include temporal information or spatial information.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 further including a data compressor to compress the selected word, the watermark encoder to encode the compressed word in the watermark.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the data compressor is to compress the selected word by discarding an alphabetic character included in the selected word.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the data interface is to identify a unique identifier associated with the selected word, the watermark encoder to encode the unique identifier in the watermark.

17. A method, comprising:

determining whether a search term is present in a watermark of a media composition, the watermark encoded with a word present in an audio track of the media composition, the word audible during playback of the audio track; and

generating a network link indicative of a storage location of the media composition when the search term is present in the watermark.

18. A method as defined in claim 17 , wherein determining whether the search term is present in the watermark includes:

detecting the watermark in the media composition;

determining whether the watermark includes a compressed word; and

decoding the compressed word.

19. A method as defined in claim 17 further including selecting the media composition for presentation when the search term is present in the watermark.

20. A method as defined in claim 17 further including:

indexing a plurality of media compositions;

selecting the media composition from the plurality of media compositions; and

wherein the determining of whether the search term is present in the watermark includes parsing the watermark.

21. A method as defined in claim 20 , wherein the media composition is a first media composition, the watermark is a first watermark, and the method further includes:

selecting a second media composition from the plurality of media compositions when the search term is not present in the watermark; and

determining whether the search term is present in a second watermark of the second media composition.

22. A method as defined in claim 21 further including selecting the second media composition in response to generating the network link.

23. A method as defined in claim 17 , wherein the network link is a hypertext link or a uniform resource locator link.

24. An article of manufacture comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

select a word present in an audio track of a media composition, the word to be audible during playback of the audio track;

encode the selected word in a watermark; and

embed the watermark in the media composition at a location in the media composition that is to correspond to when the selected word is audible during playback of the audio track.

25. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 24 , wherein the selected word is indicative of a product or service audible during playback of the audio track.

26. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 24 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine whether the media composition includes metadata;

retrieve the metadata from the media composition when the media composition includes the metadata; and

encode the metadata in the watermark.

27. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 26 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

detect a characteristic of the media composition when the media composition does not include the metadata; and

generate the metadata based on the characteristic.

28. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 26 , wherein the metadata includes temporal information or spatial information.

29. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 24 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

compress the selected word; and

encode the compressed word in the watermark.

30. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 29 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to compress the selected word by discarding an alphabetic character included in the selected word.

31. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 24 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

identify a unique identifier associated with the selected word; and

encode the unique identifier in the watermark.

Assignments (12)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2014
From: RAMASWAMY, ARUN; LUFF, ROBERT A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US) INC.
Reel/Frame 033611/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2014
From: TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 033611/0048 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 26, 2014
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US) INC.
To: TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC
Reel/Frame 033617/0304 →