Audio watermarking to convey auxiliary information, and media embodying same
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method of processing audio to convey auxiliary information therewith, the audio being represented by primary data, the auxiliary information being included with plural-bit auxiliary data, the method comprising:
- receiving the plural bit auxiliary data; and
encoding the plural-bit auxiliary data into the primary data without audible evidence of data alteration;
wherein the encoding includes;
for a bit of the auxiliary data, adding a scaled carrier signal corresponding to the bit to adjust a characteristic of a group of corresponding audio samples in the audio data so that the scaled carrier signal corresponds to a symbol value of the bit; and
repeating the adding of a scaled signal corresponding to bits in the auxiliary data to form a sequence of groups of audio carrying the plural bit auxiliary data, wherein the plural bit auxiliary data includes fixed auxiliary data distributed over the sequence of groups for detection and registration of the auxiliary data in the audio.
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Abstract
Methods of processing audio to convey auxiliary information therein without audible evidence of data alteration. Various arrangements are disclosed. One receives plural bit auxiliary data in which the auxiliary information is included, and modulates a carrier signal with the auxiliary data to yield intermediate data. The intermediate data is then summed with the original audio to produce the encoded audio. The carrier signal can be tailored to enhance performance, and the intermediate data can be scaled in amplitude so as to better hide the auxiliary data within the audio. One application of the technology is in monitoring, where the auxiliary information can be used to track usage of audio or audio-visual content.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of processing audio to convey auxiliary information therewith, the audio being represented by primary data, the auxiliary information being included with plural-bit auxiliary data, the method comprising:
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receiving the plural bit auxiliary data; and encoding the plural-bit auxiliary data into the primary data without audible evidence of data alteration;
wherein the encoding includes;for a bit of the auxiliary data, adding a scaled carrier signal corresponding to the bit to adjust a characteristic of a group of corresponding audio samples in the audio data so that the scaled carrier signal corresponds to a symbol value of the bit; and repeating the adding of a scaled signal corresponding to bits in the auxiliary data to form a sequence of groups of audio carrying the plural bit auxiliary data, wherein the plural bit auxiliary data includes fixed auxiliary data distributed over the sequence of groups for detection and registration of the auxiliary data in the audio. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of processing audio to convey auxiliary information therewith without audible evidence of audio alteration, the audio being represented by digital data, the auxiliary information comprising a data string having plural bit positions, each with a “
- 1”
or “
0”
value, characterized in that the method comprises;receiving the plural bit auxiliary data; providing carrier data; processing the plural bit auxiliary data and the carrier data to yield intermediate data; and summing the intermediate data with the audio data to yield encoded audio; wherein the audio is repeatedly encoded with the plural-bit auxiliary data so that the auxiliary data can be fully decoded from each of plural non-overlapping excerpts of the encoded audio; and
wherein instances of the auxiliary data include fixed data that is distributed over the audio conveying the instance for detection and registration of the auxiliary data in the audio. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of processing audio to convey auxiliary information therewith without audible evidence of audio alteration, the audio being represented by digital data, the auxiliary information comprising a data string having plural bit positions, each with a “
- 1”
or “
0”
value, characterized in that the method comprises;receiving the plural bit auxiliary data; providing carrier data; processing the plural bit auxiliary data and the carrier data to yield intermediate data; and summing the intermediate data with the audio data to yield encoded audio, including scaling the amplitude of the intermediate data by a scaling factor prior to summing with the audio data, wherein the scaling factor changes in accordance with the audio, including a uniform amplitude control across the audio carrying an instance of auxiliary data and a local gain that varies within the audio carrying the instance of auxiliary data; wherein the audio is repeatedly encoded with the plural-bit auxiliary data so that the auxiliary data can be fully decoded from each of plural non-overlapping excerpts of the encoded audio. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method of embedding auxiliary information in audio data, the method comprising:
modifying the audio data, including, for a sequence of bits of the auxiliary information, generating an intermediate signal based on a carrier signal and corresponding to the sequence of bits, and using the intermediate signal to adjust a group of corresponding audio samples in the audio data, the sequence including a fixed set of bits distributed over the group of audio samples for registration of the auxiliary information; and
repeating the modifying of the audio data using an intermediate signal corresponding to bits in the auxiliary information.- View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for processing audio to convey auxiliary information therewith, the audio being represented by primary data, the auxiliary information being included with plural-bit auxiliary data, the apparatus comprising:
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an auxiliary data source; a carrier signal data source; a steganographic code signal generator operable to receive auxiliary data symbols from the auxiliary data source and a carrier signal from the carrier signal data source and generating a modulated carrier; and a combiner for combining the modulated carrier signal with segments of the audio, wherein instances of the auxiliary information are repeated in the segments of audio and each segment includes fixed data symbols distributed over the segment for registration; wherein the plural-bit auxiliary data is encoded into the primary data without audible evidence of data alteration. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method of processing audio to convey auxiliary information therewith without audible evidence of audio alteration, the audio being represented by digital data, the auxiliary information comprising a data string having plural bit positions, each with a “
- 1”
or “
0”
value, characterized in that the method comprises;receiving the plural bit auxiliary data; providing carrier data; processing the plural bit auxiliary data and the carrier data to yield intermediate data; and summing the intermediate data with the audio data to yield encoded audio; wherein the audio is repeatedly encoded with the plural-bit auxiliary data so that the auxiliary data can be fully decoded from each of plural non-overlapping excerpts of the encoded audio and wherein the processing includes selectively shifting the carrier data in accordance with the value of bits in the auxiliary data. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method of processing audio to extract auxiliary information that has been embedded in the audio, the method comprising:
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receiving audio embedded with plural-bit auxiliary information carried in a scaled carrier signal, repeated instances of the plural-bit auxiliary data being embedded in corresponding segments of the audio, wherein an instance comprises a sequence of auxiliary data symbols, and symbols in the sequence are carried in corresponding groups of audio samples in a segment, and wherein the plural-bit auxiliary data includes a fixed auxiliary data distributed over the segment for detection and registration of the auxiliary data in the audio; decoding the plural-bit auxiliary data from the audio, including extracting the fixed auxiliary data from groups of samples in the segments to detect and register the plural-bit data auxiliary data in the segments, and extracting additional symbols of the plural bit auxiliary data from the segments. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of embedding auxiliary information in audio data, the method comprising:
modifying audio data, including, for a sequence of bits of auxiliary information, generating changes to the audio data based on a carrier signal and corresponding to the sequence of bits, and using the changes to adjust a group of corresponding audio samples in the audio data, the sequence including a fixed sequence distributed over the group of audio samples for registration of the auxiliary information; and
repeating the modifying of the audio data using changes corresponding to bits in the auxiliary information.- View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of embedding auxiliary information in audio data, the method comprising:
modifying audio data, including, for a sequence of bits of auxiliary information making adjustments corresponding to the sequence of bits to at least some audio samples in the audio data, the sequence including at least a fixed sequence for registration of the auxiliary information; and
repeating the modifying of the audio data using adjustments associated with at least some of the auxiliary information, wherein representation of at least a portion of the auxiliary information is varied in the audio data over time according to a pattern or sequence that is independent of the audio data and independent of the auxiliary information, the fixed sequence being distributed over the audio data according to at least the pattern or sequence.- View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of decoding auxiliary information embedded in audio data comprising:
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obtaining embedded audio data, the audio data having been embedded by modifying the audio data, including, for a sequence of bits of auxiliary information, generating changes to the audio data based on a carrier signal and corresponding to the sequence of bits, and using the changes to adjust a group of corresponding audio samples in the audio data, the sequence including a fixed sequence distributed over the group of audio samples for registration of the auxiliary information, and repeating the modifying of the audio data using changes corresponding to bits in the auxiliary information; registering at least some of the auxiliary information with reference to at least one instance of the fixed sequence; and decoding the auxiliary information. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of decoding auxiliary information embedded in audio data comprising:
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obtaining embedded audio data, the audio data having been embedded by modifying the audio data, including, for a sequence of bits of auxiliary information making adjustments corresponding to the sequence of bits to at least some audio samples in the audio data, the sequence including at least a fixed sequence for registration of the auxiliary information, and repeating the modifying of the audio data using adjustments associated with at least some of the auxiliary information, wherein representation of at least a portion of the auxiliary information is varied in the audio data over time according to a pattern or sequence that is independent of the audio data and independent of the auxiliary information, the fixed sequence being distributed over the audio data according to at least the pattern or sequence; registering at least some of the auxiliary information at least with reference to at least one instance of the fixed sequence; and decoding the auxiliary information. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification