IP Library Granted Patent US 11,039,160
Granted Patent B2
US 11,039,160 · App. 16/360,992 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Methods and apparatus for delivering extended payloads with composite watermarks

Inventors: Jeremey M. Davis (New Port Richey, FL); David Gish (Riverdale, NJ)
Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
H04N19/467H04N21/8358H04N21/8455
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,039,160
App. No.
16/360,992
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for delivering extended payloads with composite watermarks. An example watermark encoder includes an first watermark embedder to embed a first watermark into a media stream in accordance with a first watermark technology, the first watermark including a first indicator bit and a first payload and a second watermark embedder to embed a second watermark into the media stream in accordance with a second watermark technology, the second watermark including a second indicator bit and a second payload, the first indicator bit and the second indicator bit to indicate whether the first payload and the second payload are to be combined when the first watermark and the second watermark are decoded.

Claims (45)

1. A watermark decoder, comprising:

a first watermark detector to detect a first watermark in a media stream, the first watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a first watermark technology;

a second watermark detector to detect a second watermark in the media stream, the second watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a second watermark technology;

an indicator identifier to identify a first indicator in the first watermark and a second indicator in the second watermark; and

a payload combiner to combine a first payload of the first watermark and a second payload of the second watermark when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a first condition, the first condition satisfied when (1) the first watermark is time aligned with the second watermark and (2) the first indicator and the second indicator have a same first value.

2. The watermark decoder of claim 1 , further including a report generator to generate a media identifier based on a combination of the first payload and the second payload.

3. The watermark decoder of claim 1 , wherein the first watermark technology is associated with a first encoding schema and the second watermark technology is associated with a second encoding schema.

4. The watermark decoder of claim 3 , wherein the first encoding schema defines a first payload size of the first payload and the second encoding schema defines a second payload size of the second payload, the first payload size different than the second payload size.

5. The watermark decoder of claim 1 , wherein the first watermark technology is associated with a first frequency band and the second watermark technology is associated with a second frequency band, the first frequency band different than the second frequency band.

6. A watermark decoder comprising:

a first watermark detector to detect a first watermark in a media stream, the first watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a first watermark technology;

a second watermark detector to detect a second watermark in the media stream, the second watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a second watermark technology;

an indicator identifier to identify a first indicator in the first watermark and a second indicator in the second watermark;

a payload combiner to combine a first payload of the first watermark and a second payload of the second watermark when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a first condition; and

a payload bolsterer to bolster the first payload with the second payload when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a second condition different than the first condition.

7. A method, comprising:

detecting a first watermark in a media stream, the first watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a first watermark technology;

detecting a second watermark in the media stream, the second watermark embedded in the media stream in accordance with a second watermark technology;

identifying a first indicator in the first watermark and a second indicator in the second watermark; and

combining a first payload of the first watermark and a second payload of the second watermark when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a first condition, the first condition satisfied when (1) the first watermark is time aligned with the second watermark and (2) the first indicator and the second indicator have a same first value.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including generating a media identifier based on a combination of the first payload and the second payload.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first watermark technology is associated with a first encoding schema and the second watermark technology is associated with a second encoding schema.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first encoding schema defines a first payload size of the first payload and the second encoding schema defines a second payload size of the second payload, the first payload size different than the second payload size.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first watermark technology is associated with a first frequency band and the second watermark technology is associated with a second frequency band, the first frequency band different than the second frequency band.

12. A method comprising:

detecting a first watermark in a media stream, the first watermark embedded in the media stream in accordance with a first watermark technology;

detecting a second watermark in the media stream, the second watermark embedded in the media stream in accordance with a second watermark technology;

identifying a first indicator in the first watermark and a second indicator in the second watermark; and

combining a first payload of the first watermark and a second payload of the second watermark when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a first condition; and

bolstering the first payload with the second payload when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a second condition different than the first condition.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

detect a first watermark in a media stream, the first watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a first watermark technology;

detect a second watermark in the media stream, the second watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a second watermark technology;

identify a first indicator in the first watermark and a second indicator in the second watermark; and

combine a first payload of the first watermark and a second payload of the second watermark when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a first condition, the first condition satisfied when (1) the first watermark is time aligned with the second watermark and (2) the first indicator and the second indicator have a same first value.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to generate a media identifier based on a combination of the first payload and the second payload.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first watermark technology is associated with a first encoding schema and the second watermark technology is associated with a second encoding schema.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first encoding schema defines a first payload size of the first payload and the second encoding schema defines a second payload size of the second payload, the first payload size different than the second payload size.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first watermark technology is associated with a first frequency band and the second watermark technology is associated with a second frequency band, the first frequency band different than the second frequency band.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

detect a first watermark in a media stream, the first watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a first watermark technology;

detect a second watermark in the media stream, the second watermark to be embedded in the media stream in accordance with a second watermark technology;

identify a first indicator in the first watermark and a second indicator in the second watermark;

combine a first payload of the first watermark and a second payload of the second watermark when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a first condition; and

bolster the first payload with the second payload when the first indicator and the second indicator satisfy a second condition different than the first condition.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: GRACENOTE, INC.; A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, 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 26, 2020
From: DAVIS, JEREMEY M.; GISH, DAVID
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 052240/0333 →