Apparatus and methods for including codes in audio signals

• US 6,421,445 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1998
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arbitron Inc. (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Graybill, Robert B., Lynch, Wendell D., Jensen, James M., Perelshteyn, Michael M., Sabin, Wayne, Hassan, Sayed
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Application Number:
  US09/328,766
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 380/252, 380/253, 380/254, 713/176
• US Class Current: 380/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/17 on recording information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/02 by adding a second signal to make the desired signal unintelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/30 wherein each code element is represented by a combination of frequencies

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for including a code having at least one code frequency component in an audio signal are provided. The abilities of various frequency components in the audio signal to mask the code frequency component to human hearing are evaluated and based on these evaluations an amplitude is assigned to the code frequency component. Methods and apparatus for detecting a code in an encoded audio signal are also provided. A code frequency component in the encoded audio signal is detected based on an expected code amplitude or on a noise amplitude within a range of audio frequencies including the frequency of the code component.

Claims

1. An apparatus for including a code having a plurality of audio signal frequency components, wherein the code comprises a plurality of code frequency component sets, each of the code frequency component sets representing a respectively different code symbol and including a plurality of respectively different code frequency components, the code frequency components of the code frequency component sets forming component clusters spaced from one another within the frequency domain, each of the component clusters having a respective predetermined frequency range and consisting of one frequency component from each of the code frequency component sets falling within its respective predetermined frequency range, component clusters which are adjacent within the frequency domain being separated by respective frequency amounts, wherein the predetermined frequency range of each respective component cluster is smaller than the frequency amounts separating the respective component cluster from its adjacent component clusters, the plurality of code frequency components including a first code frequency component having a first frequency and a second code frequency component having a second frequency different from the first frequency, comprising:

first masking evaluation means for evaluating a masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the first frequency to human hearing to produce a first respective masking evaluation;

second masking evaluation means for evaluating a masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the second frequency to human hearing to produce a second respective masking evaluation;

amplitude assigning means for assigning a respective amplitude to the first code frequency component based on the first respective masking evaluation and for assigning a respective amplitude to the second code frequency component based on the second respective masking evaluation; and

code inclusion means for including the plurality of code frequency components with the audio signal.

2. A method for including a code having a plurality of code frequency components with an audio signal having a plurality of audio signal frequency components, the plurality of code frequency components including a first code frequency component having a first frequency and a second code frequency component having a second frequency different from the first frequency, comprising the steps of

evaluating a masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the first frequency to human hearing to produce a first respective masking evaluation;

evaluating a masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the second frequency to human hearing to produce a second respective masking evaluation;

assigning a respective amplitude to the first code frequency component based on the first respective masking evaluation and a respective amplitude to the second code frequency component based on the second respective masking evaluation; and

including the plurality of code frequency components with the audio signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of decoding the encoded audio signal to detect the first and second code frequency components.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of producing the first and second code frequency components in response to data representing at least one of a broadcast source, an audio and/or video program source and an audio and/or video program identification.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the code comprises a plurality of code frequency component sets, each of the code frequency component sets representing a respectively different code symbol and including a plurality of respectively different code frequency components, the code frequency components of the code frequency component sets forming component clusters spaced from one another within the frequency domain, each of the component clusters having a respective predetermined frequency range and consisting of one frequency component from each of the code frequency component sets falling within its respective predetermined frequency range, component clusters which are adjacent within the frequency domain being separated by respective frequency amounts, and wherein the predetermined frequency range of each respective component cluster is smaller than the frequency amounts separating the respective component cluster from its adjacent component clusters.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of evaluating the masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the first frequency includes detecting signal power of audio signal frequency components within a specified frequency range, determining first and second masking factors on the conditions that the signal power is at each of first and second frequencies, respectively, within the specified frequency range, the second frequency being different than the first frequency, selecting that one of the first and second masking factors which represents a smaller amplitude of the at least one code frequency component, and determining the masking ability of the at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the first frequency based on the selected masking factor.

7. An apparatus for including a code having a plurality of code frequency components with an audio signal having a plurality of audio signal frequency components, the plurality of code frequency components including a first code frequency component having a first frequency and a second code frequency component having a second frequency different from the first frequency, comprising:

a digital computer having an input for receiving the audio signal, the digital computer being programmed to evaluate a masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the first frequency to human hearing to produce a first respective masking evaluation and to evaluate a masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the second frequency to human hearing to produce a second respective masking evaluation;

the digital computer being further programmed to assign a corresponding amplitude to the first code frequency component based on the first respective masking evaluation and to assign a corresponding amplitude to the second code frequency component based on the second respective masking evaluation;

the digital computer being programmed to produce the code as a plurality of code frequency component sets, each of the code frequency component sets representing a respectively different code symbol and including a plurality of respectively different code frequency components, the code frequency components of the code frequency component sets forming component clusters spaced from one another within the frequency domain, each of the component clusters having a respective predetermined frequency range and consisting of one frequency component from each of the code frequency component sets falling within its respective predetermined frequency range, component clusters which are adjacent within the frequency domain being separated by respective frequency amounts, and wherein the predetermined frequency range of each respective component cluster is smaller than the frequency amounts separating the respective component cluster from its adjacent component clusters; and

means for including the plurality of code frequency components with the audio signal.

8. An apparatus for including a code having a plurality of code frequency components with an audio signal having a plurality of audio signal frequency components, the plurality of code frequency components including a first code frequency component having a first frequency and a second code frequency component having a second frequency different from the first frequency, comprising:

a digital computer having an input for receiving the audio signal, the digital computer being programmed to evaluate a masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the first frequency to human hearing by detecting a signal power of audio signal frequency components within a specified frequency range, to determine first and second masking factors with respect to the code frequency component having the first frequency on the conditions that the signal power is at each of first and second frequencies, respectively, within the specified frequency range, the second frequency being different than the first frequency, and to select that one of the first and second masking factors which represents a smaller amplitude of the at least one code frequency component to produce a first respective masking evaluation;

the digital computer being programmed to evaluate a masking ability of at least one of the plurality of audio signal frequency components to mask a code frequency component having the second frequency to human hearing to produce a second respective masking evaluation;

the digital computer being further programmed to assign a corresponding amplitude to the first code frequency component based or the first respective masking evaluation and to assign a corresponding amplitude to the second code frequency component based on the second respective masking evaluation; and

means for including the plurality of code frequency components with the audio signal.