IP Library Granted Patent US 11,809,489
Granted Patent B2
US 11,809,489 · App. 17/676,461 · Granted Nov 7, 2023

Methods and apparatus to perform audio watermarking and watermark detection and extraction

Inventors: Venugopal Srinivasan (Palm Harbor, FL); Alexander Topchy (New Port Richey, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G06F16/683G11B20/10H04H20/31H04H60/37H04H60/58H04H2201/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,809,489
App. No.
17/676,461
Granted
Nov 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to audio watermarking and watermark detection and extracted are described herein. An example method includes receiving a media content signal, sampling the media content signal to generate samples, storing the samples in a buffer, determining a first sequence of samples in the buffer, determining a second sequence of samples in the buffer, wherein the second sequence of samples is of substantially equal length as the first sequence of samples, calculating an average of the first sequence of samples and the second sequence of samples to generate an average sequence of samples, extracting an identifier from the average sequence of samples, and storing the identifier in a tangible memory.

Claims (44)

1. An encoder apparatus comprising:

at least one memory;

instructions; and

processor circuitry to execute the instructions to:

access audio samples to be encoded with one or more data symbols;

select a first look up table (LUT) from a plurality of LUTs in response to a determination that that the audio samples were not previously encoded, the plurality of LUTs to specify respective different mappings of code frequencies to symbol values;

select a second LUT from the plurality of LUTs in response to a determination that that the audio samples were previously encoded;

map the one or more data symbols to code frequencies based on the selected one of the first LUT or the second LUT; and

combine the code frequencies and the audio samples to encode the audio samples with the one or more data symbols.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data symbols correspond to a communication message when the audio samples were not previously encoded, and the one or more data symbols correspond to pre-existing code flag information when the audio samples were previously encoded.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the communication message includes a synchronization portion and one or more portions including data bits.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor circuitry is to select the first LUT from the plurality of LUTs based on a synchronization symbol of the communication message.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to synthesize the code frequencies at amplitudes according to a masking evaluation.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein prior to the code frequencies being synthesized, the processor circuitry is to conduct the masking evaluation to determine a threshold amplitude at which the code frequencies are to be generated to remain inaudible or substantially inaudible to a human.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein to perform the masking evaluation, the processor circuitry is to:

generate overlapping short blocks of the audio samples; and

perform masking evaluations on the short blocks.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause processor circuitry to at least:

access audio samples to be encoded with one or more data symbols;

select a first look up table (LUT) from a plurality of LUTs in response to a determination that that the audio samples were not previously encoded, the plurality of LUTs to specify respective different mappings of code frequencies to symbol values;

select a second LUT from the plurality of LUTs in response to a determination that that the audio samples were previously encoded;

map the one or more data symbols to code frequencies based on the selected one of the first LUT or the second LUT; and

combine the code frequencies and the audio samples to encode the audio samples with the one or more data symbols.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more data symbols correspond to a communication message when the audio samples were not previously encoded, and the one or more data symbols correspond to pre-existing code flag information when the audio samples were previously encoded.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the communication message includes a synchronization portion and one or more portions including data bits.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor circuitry to select of the first LUT from the plurality of LUTs based on a synchronization symbol of the communication message.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor circuitry to synthesize the code frequencies at amplitudes according to a masking evaluation.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein prior to the code frequencies being synthesized, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor circuitry to conduct the masking evaluation to determine a threshold amplitude at which the code frequencies are to be generated to remain inaudible or substantially inaudible to a human.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein to perform the masking evaluation, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor circuitry to:

generate overlapping short blocks of the audio samples; and

perform masking evaluations on the short blocks.

15. A method comprising:

accessing audio samples to be encoded with one or more data symbols;

selecting a first look up table (LUT) from a plurality of LUTs in response to a determination that that the audio samples were not previously encoded, the plurality of LUTs to specify respective different mappings of code frequencies to symbol values;

selecting a second LUT from the plurality of LUTs in response to a determination that that the audio samples were previously encoded;

mapping the one or more data symbols to code frequencies based on the selected one of the first LUT or the second LUT; and

combining the code frequencies and the audio samples to encode the audio samples with the one or more data symbols.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more data symbols correspond to a communication message when the audio samples were not previously encoded, and the one or more data symbols correspond to pre-existing code flag information when the audio samples were previously encoded.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including selecting the first LUT from the plurality of LUTs based on a synchronization symbol of the communication message.

18. The method of claim 15 , further including synthesizing the code frequencies at amplitudes according to a masking evaluation.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein prior to the code frequencies being synthesized, further including conducting the masking evaluation to determine a threshold amplitude at which the code frequencies are to be generated to remain inaudible or substantially inaudible to a human.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein performing the masking evaluation includes:

generating overlapping short blocks of the audio samples; and

performing masking evaluations on the short blocks.

Assignments (4)
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 Mar 21, 2022
From: TOPCHY, ALEXANDER; SRINIVASAN, VENUGOPAL
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 059327/0006 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 16672128 · Nov 1, 2019
Continuation 15698373 · Sep 7, 2017
Continuation 13708578 · Dec 7, 2012
Continuation 12551220 · Aug 31, 2009
Provisional Application 61174708 · May 1, 2009
Provisional Application 61108380 · Oct 24, 2008
Related Publication 20220188351A1 · Jun 16, 2022