IP Library Granted Patent US 10,818,303
Granted Patent B2
US 10,818,303 · App. 16/225,438 · Granted Oct 27, 2020

Multiple scrambled layers for audio watermarking

Inventors: Vladimir Kuznetsov (Ellicott City, MD); Sadhana Gupta (Columbia, MD); Wendell Lynch (East Lansing, MI)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G10L19/018G06T1/0028G06T1/0071
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,818,303
App. No.
16/225,438
Granted
Oct 27, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed for multiple scrambled layers for audio watermarking. An example system includes a scrambler executing instructions to: divide a watermark into a plurality of watermark symbols; map the watermark symbols to a plurality of frequency bins in a plurality of frequency clumps according to a first distribution scheme to create a first watermark layer having a first combination of the frequency bins and a second watermark layer having a second combination of the frequency bins, the first combination of the frequency bins and the second combination of the frequency bins partially overlap. The scrambler also is to determine a sequence for shifting watermark symbols among the frequency bins, and generate a second distribution scheme to map the watermark symbols in accordance with the sequence. The example system also includes a transceiver to communicate the second distribution scheme to a device.

Claims (39)

1. A system to map a distribution scheme for encoding an audio signal with a watermark, the system comprising:

a scrambler executing instructions to:

divide the watermark into a plurality of watermark symbols;

map the watermark symbols to a plurality of frequency bins according to a first distribution scheme to create N watermark layers including a first watermark layer having a first combination of the frequency bins and a second watermark layer having a second combination of the frequency bins, the first combination of the frequency bins and the second combination of the frequency bins partially overlap, subsets of adjacent ones of the plurality of frequency bins grouped into a corresponding plurality of frequency clumps;

determine a sequence for shifting watermark symbols between the frequency clumps so that combinations of N watermark symbols that include one watermark symbol from each watermark layer share a maximum of N−1 frequency bins; and

generate a second distribution scheme to map the watermark symbols in accordance with the sequence; and

a transceiver to communicate the second distribution scheme to a device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sequence includes shifting the watermark symbols of the first watermark layer and the second watermark layer distributed to a first frequency bin in a first frequency clump to a second frequency bin in a second frequency clump to generate the second distribution scheme.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first frequency bin and the second frequency bin are separated by a first distance.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the scrambler is to shift the watermark symbols of the first watermark layer and the second watermark layer distributed to a third frequency bin in the first frequency clump to a fourth frequency bin in a third frequency clump to generate the second distribution scheme.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the third frequency bin and the fourth frequency bin are separated a second distance, the second distance different than the first distance.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the scrambler is to shift the watermark symbols of the first watermark layer and the second watermark layer distributed to a fifth frequency bin in the first frequency clump to a sixth frequency bin in a fourth frequency clump to generate the second distribution scheme, fifth frequency bin and the sixth frequency bin are separated a third distance, the third distance different than the first distance or the second distance.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the scrambler is to progressively shift the watermark symbols such that the first distance is less than the second distance, and the second distance is less than the third distance.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the scrambler is to randomly shift the watermark symbols.

9. The system of claim 3 , wherein with the shift of the watermark symbols from the first frequency clump to the second frequency clump, the scrambler is to shift the watermark symbols distributed in corresponding frequency bins in other frequency clumps by the first distance.

10. The system of claim 2 , wherein for n number of frequency bins in a frequency clump, the scrambler is to perform n−1 shifts of the watermark symbols of the first watermark layer and the second watermark layer to generate the second distribution scheme, different ones of the shifts moving the watermark symbols between different frequency clumps so the shifts are of different distances.

11. The system of claim 2 , wherein the scrambler is to further shift the watermark symbols of the first watermark layer and the second watermark layer distributed to a third frequency bin in the first frequency clump to a fourth frequency bin in the first frequency clump.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sequence includes shifting the watermark symbols in the second watermark layer in the frequency clumps by a different distance for the different frequency clumps.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the sequence is a first sequence, the scrambler to:

map the watermark symbols to the plurality of frequency bins in the plurality of frequency clumps according to the first distribution scheme to create a third watermark layer having a third combination of the frequency bins, the third combination of the frequency bins at least partially overlapping with the first combination of the frequency bins and the second combination of the frequency bins;

determine a second sequence for shifting watermark symbols among the frequency bins; and

generate the second distribution scheme to map the watermark symbols in the third layer in the frequency clumps in accordance with the second sequence.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second sequence includes shifting the watermark symbols in the third watermark layer in the frequency clumps by a different distance for the different frequency clumps.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the scrambler is to:

determine respective differences between the shifts of the second layer in the first sequence and the shifts of the third layer in the second sequence for the frequency clumps;

compare the differences;

determine if any two of the difference are equal; and

in response to two of the differences being equal, determine a third sequence for shifting the watermark symbols in the third watermark layer to replace the second sequence.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the scrambler is to randomly reorganize the watermark symbols in the second watermark layer based on the first watermark layer, and the sequence includes shifting the watermark symbols in the second watermark layer in the frequency clumps by a different distance for the different frequency clumps.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sequence is a first sequence, and the frequency bins contain a pair of symbols that include a symbol from the first layer and a symbol from the second layer, the scrambler to:

determine if a pair of symbols shares more than one frequency bin;

based on a determination that a pair of symbols shares more than one frequency bin, determine a second sequence for shifting watermark symbols between frequency bins; and

map the watermark symbols in accordance with the second sequence to generate the second distribution scheme.

18. An encoder for encoding an audio signal with a watermark, the encoder comprising:

a parser to:

divide the audio signal into a plurality of frequency clumps with a plurality of adjacent frequency bins in the plurality of frequency clumps;

divide the watermark into N watermark symbols; and

distribute the watermark symbols to the plurality of frequency bins in the plurality of frequency clumps in accordance with a distribution scheme to create N watermark layers, so that combinations of N watermark symbols that include one watermark symbol from each watermark layer share a maximum of N−1 frequency bins; and

a synthesizer to synthesize an encoded audio signal with the watermark symbols distributed in the audio signal in accordance with the distribution scheme.

Assignments (8)
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 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2020
From: KUZNETSOV, VLADIMIR; GUPTA, SADHANA; LYNCH, WENDELL
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 051435/0615 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,354,622 US 12,494,219