IP Library Granted Patent US 11,361,053
Granted Patent B2
US 11,361,053 · App. 16/925,064 · Granted Jun 14, 2022

Systems and methods for payload encoding and decoding

Inventors: Wendell Lynch (East Lansing, MI); Ronald D. Smith (Ellicott City, MD)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G06F21/10G06F3/16H04N7/24H04N21/8106H04N21/835H04N21/8358G06F2221/0733
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,361,053
App. No.
16/925,064
Granted
Jun 14, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for payload encoding and decoding are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein determine encoding data corresponding to one or more frequencies to be used to encode a message into audio data. Disclosed example apparatus also generate a license file including the encoding data, the license file corresponding to the message to be encoded into the audio data, the message to be encoded into the audio data by an encoding device. Disclosed example apparatus further transmit the license file to a decoding device to enable the decoding device to decode the message from the audio data based on the license file.

Claims (31)

1. A computer readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

determine encoding data corresponding to one or more frequencies to be used to encode a message into audio data;

generate a license file including the encoding data, the license file corresponding to the message to be encoded into the audio data, the message to be encoded into the audio data by an encoding device; and

transmit the license file to a decoding device to enable the decoding device to decode the message from the audio data based on the license file.

2. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the encoding data includes a previously compiled table of information to encode the message into the audio data.

3. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to generate the license file to include a security function, the security function including at least one of: (1) an encryption key, (2) control flow remapping, (3) variable renaming, or (4) an identification code.

4. The computer readable storage device of claim 3 , wherein the security function includes data defining at least one of (1) messages, (2) symbols, or (3) code tone frequencies associated with the audio data.

5. The computer readable storage device of claim 3 , wherein the security function includes a message code that identifies the encoding device.

6. The computer readable storage device of claim 5 , wherein the message code includes at least one of (1) an identification, (2) an extension, or (3) a layer used to identify the encoding device.

7. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to generate the license file to include a decoding algorithm used to determine if the audio data contains embedded message codes.

8. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to associate the message with a shared library to be used to decode the message from the audio data.

9. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the license file includes symbol or bin information to decode the message from the audio data.

10. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the encoding device includes a first portion of symbol information or bin information to be used to encode the message into the audio data, and the license file includes a second portion of the symbol information or bin information to be used to encode the message into the audio data, the first and second portions of the symbol information or bin information to be sufficient to encode the message into the audio data.

11. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to transmit the license file to the encoding device.

12. An apparatus to encode audio, the apparatus comprising:

memory; and

a processor to execute instructions to at least:

determine encoding data corresponding to one or more frequencies to be used to encode a message into audio data;

generate a license file including the encoding data, the license file corresponding to the message to be encoded into the audio data, the message to be encoded into the audio data by an encoding device; and

transmit the license file to a decoding device to enable the decoding device to decode the message from the audio data based on the license file.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the encoding data includes a previously compiled table of information to encode the message into the audio data.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is to generate the license file to include a security function, the security function including at least one of: (1) an encryption key, (2) control flow remapping, (3) variable renaming, or (4) an identification code.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the security function includes data defining at least one of (1) messages, (2) symbols, or (3) code tone frequencies associated with the audio data.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the security function includes a message code that identifies the encoding device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the message code includes at least one of (1) an identification, (2) an extension, or (3) a layer used to identify the encoding device.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is to generate the license file to include a decoding algorithm used to determine if the audio data contains embedded message codes.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is to associate the message with a shared library to be used to decode the message from the audio data.

20. A method to protect audio data in an encoding system, the method comprising:

determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, encoding data corresponding to one or more frequencies to be used to encode a message into audio data;

generating, by executing an instruction with the processor, a license file including the encoding data, the license file corresponding to the message to be encoded into the audio data, the message to be encoded into the audio data by an encoding device; and

transmitting the license file to a decoding device to enable the decoding device to decode the message from the audio data based on the license file.

Assignments (8)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2022
From: LYNCH, WENDELL D.; SMITH, RONALD
To: ARBITRON INC.
Reel/Frame 060850/0558 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 14, 2020
From: ARBITRON, INC.
To: NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.
Reel/Frame 053505/0453 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2020
From: NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 053502/0296 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2020
From: WENDELL D. LYNCH; RONALD SMITH
To: ARBITRON, INC.
Reel/Frame 053502/0027 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 14, 2020
From: ARBITRON, INC.
To: NIELSEN HOLDINGS N.V.
Reel/Frame 053497/0088 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16133421 · Sep 17, 2018
Continuation 15592967 · May 11, 2017
Continuation 14880769 · Oct 12, 2015
Continuation 12400481 · Mar 9, 2009
Related Publication 20200349237A1 · Nov 5, 2020