Methods and apparatus for providing video with embedded media

• US 8,270,814 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Pradeep, Anantha, Knight, Robert T., Gurumoorthy, Ramachandran
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/357,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20100183279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 386/343, 386/345, 386/347, 386/350, 386/351, 386/249, 386/248
• US Class Current: 386/278
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects

Abstract

A system modifies video by embedding portions of media, such as subsets of image pixels, in video frames. When the video is played at normal speed, the media is not discernible. However, when the video is played at an accelerated rate in the forward or reverse direction, the portions of images embedded in video frames coalesce into discernible media. The embedded media may be simple text, images, video, audio, or other media. The system may also evaluate base videos as well as insertion media using neuro-response measurements to determine how and what type of media to embed. The media may be embedded in real-time or near real-time into video for delivery to a user for playback on devices such as digital video recorders, computer systems, software and hardware players, cable boxes, etc.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining neuro-response data from a subject exposed to media;

dividing the media into a number of media portions, the number of media portions determined based on the neuro-response data; and

blending the media with a video having a plurality of frames by combining the media portions with respective video frames;

wherein the media reaches a discernibility threshold when the video is played at an accelerated rate and does not reach the discernibility threshold when the video is played at a normal speed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accelerated rate is in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media is an image comprising a plurality of image pixels and each of the number of media portions comprises a subset of the plurality of image pixels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of media portions is further based on a multiple of a most common accelerated rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein blending comprises at least one of adjusting a hue, adjusting a saturation, or adjusting the number of media portions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the discernibility threshold based on survey data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the discernibility threshold based on the neuro-response data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the neuro-response data comprises one of more of electroencephalographic data or electrooculographic data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective video frames are intra-coded frames.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the neuro-response data includes electroencephalographic data comprising a plurality of frequency bands and the discernibility threshold is determined based on analyzing two or more of the frequency bands.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein two of the frequency bands comprise (1) a kappa band and (2) one of a theta band, a beta band, a low gamma band or an alpha band.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining one or more of a size, a type, a location or an amount of blending for the media based on the neuro-response data.

10. A system, comprising:

a data collector to obtain neuro-response data from a subject exposed to media; and

a processor to;

divide the media into a number of media portions, the number of media portions determined based on the neuro-response data; and

blend the media with a video having a plurality of frames by combining respective ones of the media portions with corresponding ones of the video frames;

wherein the media reaches a discernibility threshold when the video is played at an accelerated rate and does not reach the discernibility threshold when the video is played at a normal speed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the accelerated rate is in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the number of media portions is further based on a multiple of a most common accelerated rate.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is to adjust at least one of a hue, a saturation, or the number of the plurality of media portions to blend the media with the video.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is to determine the discernibility threshold based on one or more of survey data or neuro-response data.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the neuro-response data comprises one of more of electroencephalographic data or electrooculographic data.

19. A tangible machine readable storage medium, wherein the medium is not a signal, the medium comprising instructions, which when read, cause a machine to at least:

divide media into a number of media portions, the number of media portions determined based on neuro-response data from a subject exposed to the media; and

blend the media with a video having a plurality of frames by combining the media portions with corresponding video frames;

wherein the media reaches a discernibility threshold when the video is played at an accelerated rate and does not reach the discernibility threshold when the video is played at a normal speed.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the neuro-response data includes electroencephalographic data comprising a plurality of frequency bands and the discernibility threshold is determined based on analyzing two or more of the frequency bands.