Research data gathering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9824693-B2
Application number	US-200814236848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2008
Priority date	Jan 25, 2007
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

An ancillary code is extracted from the media signal by monitoring the media signal during a first time interval according to a first monitoring parameter, evaluating the media signal to detect an ancillary code and optionally monitoring the media signal during a second monitoring time interval depending on an outcome of the evaluation of the media signal. In different iterations, different data acquisition window durations and/or overlaps are applied according to a factor such as an iteration count or a detection confidence level.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of recovering codes from a media signal, the method comprising:
monitoring the media signal during a first time interval to obtain a first signal portion;
processing, by executing an instruction with a processor, the first signal portion based on a first frequency offset to determine whether a first one of the codes is recoverable from the first signal portion using a first group of frequency components of the media signal determined based on the first frequency offset; and
in response to determining that the first one of the codes is not recoverable from the first signal portion using the first frequency offset:
successively processing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the same first signal portion based on a predetermined pattern of positive and negative frequency offsets to determine a second frequency offset corresponding to a different second group of frequency components of the media signal to be used to recover the same first one of the codes from the same first signal portion; and
recovering, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first one of the codes from the first signal portion using the different second group of frequency components of the media signal corresponding to the second frequency offset.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the processing of the first signal portion based on the first frequency offset includes determining a measure of certainty that the first one of the codes was recovered correctly using the first frequency offset.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the processing of the first signal portion based on the first frequency offset includes:
applying a frequency transform to the first signal portion to obtain a plurality of frequency components for a respective plurality of frequency bins;
obtaining the first group of frequency components from a first group of the frequency bins corresponding to the first frequency offset; and
determining whether the first one of the codes is recoverable from the first group of frequency components.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the processing of the same first signal portion based on the second frequency offset includes:
obtaining the second group of frequency components from a second group of the frequency bins corresponding to the second frequency offset, the second group of the frequency bins being different from the first group of the frequency bins; and
determining whether the first one of the codes is recoverable from the second group of frequency components.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the monitoring of the media signal during the first time interval includes monitoring the media signal in at least one of (a) a noisy environment, or (b) an environment in which the media signal is interrupted by a change of a media channel.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first one of the codes identifies at least one of a source or a payload component of the media signal.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pattern of positive and negative frequency offsets corresponds to alternating positive and negative frequency offsets having increasing magnitudes, and the successively processing of the same first signal portion based on the predetermined pattern of positive and negative frequency offsets includes:
successively processing the same first signal portion based on the alternating positive and negative frequency offsets having increasing magnitudes until the second frequency offset is reached in the pattern; and
determining the same first one of the codes is recoverable from the same first signal portion based on the different second group of frequency components of the media signal corresponding to the second frequency offset.

8. An apparatus to recover codes from a media signal, the apparatus comprising:
a processor to:
monitor the media signal during a first time interval to obtain a first signal portion;
process the first signal portion based on a first frequency offset to determine whether a first one of the codes is recoverable from the first signal portion using a first group of frequency components of the media signal determined based on the first frequency offset; and
in response to determining that the first one of the codes is not recoverable from the first signal portion using the first frequency offset:
successively process the same first signal portion based on a predetermined pattern of positive and negative frequency offsets to determine a second frequency offset corresponding to a different second group of frequency components of the media signal to be used to recover the same first one of the codes from the same first signal portion; and
recover the first one of the codes from the first signal portion using the different second group of frequency components of the media signal corresponding to the second frequency offset.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the processor is further to determine a measure of certainty that the first one of the codes was recovered correctly using the first frequency offset.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein to process the first signal portion based on the first frequency offset, the processor is further to:
apply a frequency transform to the first signal portion to obtain a plurality of frequency components for a respective plurality of frequency bins;
obtain the first group of frequency components from a first group of the frequency bins corresponding to the first frequency offset; and
determine whether the first one of the codes is recoverable from the first group of frequency components.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein to process the first signal portion based on the second frequency offset, the processor is further to:
obtain the second group of frequency components from a second group of the frequency bins corresponding to the second frequency offset, the second group of the frequency bins being different from the first group of the frequency bins; and
determine whether the first one of the codes is recoverable from the second group of frequency components.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein to monitor the media signal during the first time interval, the processor is further to monitor the media signal in at least one of (a) a noisy environment, or (b) an environment in which the media signal is interrupted by a change of a media channel.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first one of the codes identifies at least one of a source or a payload component of the media signal.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the predetermined pattern of positive and negative frequency offsets corresponds to alternating positive and negative frequency offsets having increasing magnitudes, and to successively process the same first signal portion based on the predetermined pattern of positive and negative frequency offsets, the processor is to:
successively process the same first signal portion based on the alternating positive and negative frequency offsets having increasing magnitudes until the second frequency offset is reached in the pattern; and
determine the same first one of the codes is recoverable from the same first signal portion based on the different second group of frequency components of the media signal corresponding to the second frequency offset.

15. A tangible article of manufacture comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
monitor a media signal during a first ti

Assignees

• Neuhauser Alan R
• Crystal Jack C
• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Neuhauser Alan R
• Crystal Jack C

Classifications

• G10L25/78

  Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) · CPC title

• G10L19/018 Primary

  Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal · CPC title