IP Library Granted Patent US 11,537,690
Granted Patent B2
US 11,537,690 · App. 16/405,130 · Granted Dec 27, 2022

End-point media watermarking

Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy (Tampa, FL); Timothy Scott Cooper (Tarpon Springs, FL); Jeremey M. Davis (New Port Richey, FL); Alexander Topchy (New Port Richey, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G06F21/16G06F2221/0733
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,537,690
App. No.
16/405,130
Granted
Dec 27, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatus, systems, methods, and articles of manufacture related to end-point media watermarking are disclosed. An example device includes a media receiver to receive a media signal, a watermark generator to generate a watermark, a trigger to activate the watermark generator to generate the watermark based on an external input, an encoder to encode the media signal with the watermark to synthesize an encoded media signal, a media output to render the encoded media signal.

Claims (26)

1. A device comprising:

at least one memory;

instructions in the device; and

processor circuitry to execute the instructions to at least:

activate generation of watermarks based on detection of a presence of a meter external to the device, the watermarks to be encoded in a media signal, the media signal including a plurality of channels;

change, based on an assigned quality indicator from the meter, at least one of a channel or a combination of channels of the media signal in which the watermarks are encoded to synthesize an encoded media signal, the assigned quality indicator based on strength values of previous watermarks detected by the meter, the strength values based on amplitudes of the previous watermarks detected by the meter; and

output the encoded media signal.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the meter is a wearable meter.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to deactivate the generation of the watermarks after a period of time after the detection of the presence of the meter.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the assigned quality indicator is further based on a level of watermarking detected by the meter.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the assigned quality indicator is further based on a value corresponding to a sparsity of detected watermarks.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to determine a watermark payload, the watermark payload based on a characteristic of the device.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a media rendering device to at least:

activate watermark generation based on detection of a presence of an external meter, the watermarks to be encoded in a media signal, the media signal including a plurality of channels;

change, based on an assigned quality indicator from the external meter, at least one of a channel or a combination of channels of the media signal in which watermarks are encoded to synthesize an encoded media signal, the assigned quality indicator based on strength values of previous watermarks detected by the external meter, the strength values based on amplitudes of the previous watermarks detected by the external meter; and

present the encoded media signal.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the external meter is a wearable meter.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to deactivate the watermark generation after a period of time after the detection of the presence of the external meter.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the assigned quality indicator is further based on a level of watermarking detected by the external meter.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the assigned quality indicator is further based on a value corresponding to a sparsity of detected watermarks.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to determine a watermark payload, the watermark payload based on a characteristic of the media rendering device.

13. A method for watermarking media at a media rendering device, the method comprising:

activating, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, generation of watermarks based on detection of a presence of a meter external to the media rendering device, the watermarks to be encoded in a media signal, the media signal including a plurality of channels;

changing, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, and based on an assigned quality indicator from the meter, at least one of a channel or a combination of channels of the media signal in which the watermarks are encoded to synthesize an encoded media signal, the assigned quality indicator based on strength values of previous watermarks detected by the meter, the strength values based on amplitudes of the previous watermarks detected by the meter; and

outputting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the encoded media signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , further including deactivating the generation of the watermarks after a period of time after the detection of the presence of the meter.

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: RAMASWAMY, ARUN; COOPER, TIMOTHY SCOTT; DAVIS, JEREMEY M.; TOPCHY, ALEXANDER
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 051435/0965 →
Continuity (1)
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