IP Library Granted Patent US 10,917,732
Granted Patent B2
US 10,917,732 · App. 16/259,866 · Granted Feb 9, 2021

Methods and apparatus for analyzing microphone placement for watermark and signature recovery

Inventors: Marc Messier (Dallas, TX); James Joseph Vitt (Oldsmar, FL); Venugopal Srinivasan (Tarpon Springs, FL); Alexander Topchy (New Port Richey, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04R29/004G10L19/018H04R2420/07H04R2499/15H04S2400/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,917,732
App. No.
16/259,866
Granted
Feb 9, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to analyze microphone placement for watermarks and signatures are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a microphone. The example apparatus further includes a meter to convert a noise burst detected by the microphone to a digital signal. The example apparatus further includes a signal transformer to determine a frequency spectrum of the digital signal. The example apparatus further includes a processor to determine a variance of a magnitude spectrum of a frequency band corresponding to the frequency spectrum and determine, based on the variance, a recovery rate associated with at least one of watermark detection or signature generation to be performed on an audio signal detected by the microphone.

Claims (35)

1. An apparatus to analyze microphone placement for at least one of watermark detection or signature generation, the apparatus comprising:

a microphone;

a meter to convert a noise burst detected by the microphone to a digital signal;

a signal transformer to determine a frequency spectrum of the digital signal; and

a processor to:

determine a variance of a magnitude spectrum of a frequency band corresponding to the frequency spectrum; and

determine, based on the variance, a recovery rate associated with at least one of watermark detection or signature generation to be performed on an audio signal detected by the microphone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to map the variance to a rate of at least one of watermark detection or signature matches corresponding to the frequency band.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is to determine the recovery rate based on the map.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a user interface to output an indication of the recovery rate.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the user interface to display a location status based on the recovery rate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the noise burst is output by at least one of a media output device or a speaker associated with the media output device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further including a device interface to transmit instructions to cause the at least one of the media output device or the speaker to output the noise burst.

8. A system to analyze microphone placement for at least one of watermark detection and signature generation, the system comprising:

an audio sensor;

a meter in communication with the audio sensor, the audio sensor to convert a noise burst sensed by the audio sensor to a digital signal; and

a processor to:

determine a frequency spectrum of the digital signal;

determine a variance of a magnitude spectrum of a frequency band corresponding to the frequency spectrum; and

determine, based on the variance, a recovery rate associated with at least one of watermark detection or signature generation to be performed on an audio signal.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is to map the variance to a rate of at least one of watermark detections or signature matches corresponding to the frequency band.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is to determine the recovery rate based on the map.

11. The system of claim 8 , further including a user interface to output an indication of the recovery rate.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the user interface is to display a location status based on the recovery rate.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the noise burst is output by at least one of a media output device or a speaker associated with the media output device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein further including a device interface to transmit instructions to cause the at least one of the media output device or the speaker to output the noise burst.

15. An apparatus to analyze microphone placement for watermark extraction and signature generation, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining a frequency spectrum of a noise burst detected by audio sensing means, the noise burst represented as a digital signal;

means for determining a variance of a magnitude spectrum of at least one of a first frequency band associated with first media or a second frequency band associated with second media, the first and second frequency bands corresponding to the frequency spectrum of the noise burst; and

means for determining a recovery rate, the recovery rate to be determined based on the variance and at least one of a first map for the first frequency band or a second map for the second frequency band, the recovery rate associated with at least one of watermark detection or signature generation to be performed on an audio signal of at least one of the first or second frequency band corresponding to the first and second media, respectively, detected by the audio sensing means, the recovery rate corresponding to a placement of the audio sensing means.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for determining the recovery rate include means for mapping the variance to at least one of (i) a rate of detections of watermarks corresponding to at least one of the first frequency band or the second frequency band, or (ii) a rate of signature matches corresponding to the at least one of the first frequency band or the second frequency band.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the means for determining the recovery rate include means for determining the recovery rate based on at least one of the first or second map.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , further including means for displaying a location status based on the recovery rate.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the audio sensing means is associated with a meter.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the noise burst is output by at least one of a media output device or speaker corresponding to the media output device.

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 Mar 8, 2019
From: MESSIER, MARC; VITT, JAMES JOSEPH; SRINIVASAN, VENUGOPAL; TOPCHY, ALEXANDER
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 048552/0202 →