Simultaneous transmission of ancillary and audio signals by means of perceptual coding

• US 6,035,177 A
• Filed: 02/26/1996
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Donald W. Moses, Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Moses, Donald Wadia, Lu, Daozheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lo, Linus H.
• Application Number:
  US08/607,097
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 348/1, 348/2, 348/6, 348/12, 455/2, 455/3.1, 455/6.1, 380/19, 375/200, 375/202
• US Class Current: 725/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal

Abstract

A communication system for simultaneously transmitting ancillary codes and audio signals via a conventional audio communications channel using perceptual coding techniques is disclosed. An encoder monitors an audio channel to detect "opportunities" to insert an ancillary code such that the inserted signals are masked by the audio signal, as defined by the "perceptual entropy envelope" of the audio signal. An ancillary code containing, for example, an ID or serial number, is encoded as one or more whitened spread spectrum signals and/or a narrowband FSK ancillary code and transmitted at a time, frequency and/or level such that the data signal is masked by the audio signal. A decoder at a receiving location recovers the encoded ID or serial number.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the broadcast of a composite signal comprising an ancillary code added to an audio signal generated by an audio signal source, said ancillary code being added to said audio signal on occurrence of an opportunity for adding said ancillary code within a perceptual entropy envelope of said audio signal, said ancillary code comprising an identifying ancillary code associated with said audio signal source, the system comprising composite signal receiving means for receiving said transmitted composite signal, detecting means for detecting said identifying ancillary code from said audio signal and for interpreting at least one fuzzy logic signal corresponding to said composite signal when said composite signal is compressed, storing means for storing in a memory said identifying ancillary code and communicating means for communicating said stored identifying ancillary code to a remote central office.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a clock having an output, and wherein said storing means stores in said memory said clock output representative of a time at which said identifying auxiliary code was detected.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said system monitors a monitored receiver and wherein said identifying auxiliary code is an FSK modulated auxiliary code.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said system monitors a monitored receiver and wherein said monitored receiver is disposed within a household.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of audio signal sources and a plurality of ancillary codes, each of said ancillary codes being uniquely associated with one of said audio signal sources.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said identifying auxiliary code is a spread spectrum auxiliary code.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said composite signal receiving means, said detecting means, and said storing means are disposed within a dedicated area.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for determining the audio signal source if said ancillary code cannot be detected.

9. A method of monitoring a transmission of a composite signal comprising an audio signal generated at an audio signal source and an identifying ancillary code added to said audio signal within a perceptual entropy envelope thereof, said identifying ancillary code being associated with said audio signal source, wherein said composite signal is transmitted from a transmitting location, the method comprising:

receiving said transmitted composite signal at a monitoring location;

detecting, at said monitoring location, said identifying ancillary code from said composite signal by interpreting at least one fuzzy logic signal corresponding to said composite signal when said composite signal is compressed, and storing said detected identifying ancillary code in a memory; and

communicating said stored identifying ancillary code to a central computer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said identifying ancillary code is an FSK modulated ancillary code.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said monitoring location is disposed within a household.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said composite signal comprises a television audio signal.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of audio signal sources and a plurality of ancillary codes, each of said ancillary codes uniquely associated with one of said audio signal sources.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein a time data representative of said time at which said identifying ancillary code is detected from said composite signal thereof is stored associated with said identifying ancillary code and stored in said memory.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said composite signal comprises a radio audio signal.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein said identifying ancillary code is a spread spectrum ancillary code.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein said monitoring location is disposed within a dedicated area.

18. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of determining the audio signal source if said identifying ancillary code cannot be detected.

19. A system for combining an ancillary code and a program audio signal to form a composite audio signal, wherein said program audio signal is generated by a program audio signal source, wherein said ancillary code identifies a broadcast program to be received by an audience, said system comprising:

audio signal monitoring means for monitoring said program audio signal and for generating a control signal on occurrences of opportunities for adding said ancillary code within a perceptual entropy envelope of said program audio signal; and

inserting means for inserting said ancillary code into said program audio signal, responsive to said control signal, so that said ancillary code is inserted within said perceptual entropy envelope of said program audio signal, thereby forming said composite signal;

wherein said audio signal monitoring means applies a set of rules in detecting said occurrences of opportunities comprising (1) any surge permitting a transmission of an ancillary code is longer than a predetermined minimum, (2) a predetermined minimum amount of time has elapsed since the last transmission, and (3) a transmission is not permitted unless there has been a fade within a predetermined amount of time and to a level that is below a predetermined level.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said rules further include (4) no transmission is permitted within a predetermined amount of time following a laugh or clap, and (5) one transmission is permitted if no transmission has been made for five seconds between high and low transmissions.

21. The system of claim 19 further comprising detecting means for detecting said ancillary code in order to measure an audience to a program encoded with said ancillary code.

22. The system of claim 19 further comprising detecting means for detecting said ancillary code in order to verify a broadcast of a program encoded with said ancillary code.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said ancillary code is an FSK modulated ancillary code.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein said ancillary code is a spread spectrum ancillary code.

25. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for determining the program audio signal source if said ancillary code cannot be detected.