Method for spread spectrum communication of supplemental information

• US 6,765,950 B1
• Filed: 04/01/1999
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Custom One Design, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Custom One Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Nuytkens, Peter R., Mitwalli, Ahmed
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Chieh M.
• Application Number:
  US09/283,477
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 375/131, 375/132, 375/139, 375/140, 375/142, 375/145, 375/147, 375/150, 370/342, 348/725, 348/726, 380/34, 709/217
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70715 with application-specific features
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for the communication and recovery of supplementary data encoded in the primary information transmitted from a source to a receiver for both audio and television transmissions. The method includes modulating a carrier signal with the supplementary data using a spread spectrum approach and demodulating the carrier signal to recover the embedded supplementary data.

Claims

1. An electronic method, comprising the steps of:

using a spread spectrum demodulator to recover encoded signals from an electronic signal derived from an audio signal sounded on a speaker;

recording information derived from the recovered encoded signals at different points in time to generate a record of the audio signals which have been sounded in association with a user at said different points in time; and

using this recorded information to determine what TV or radio programming the user is watching or listening to and to build a record of the user'"'"'s preference for television or radio programming.