Remote control signaling using audio watermarks

• US 8,451,086 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Original Assignee: Verance Corporation
• Inventors: Petrovic, Rade, Winograd, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US13/361,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.28, 340/5.42, 340/12.5, 340/13.24, 380/54, 380/201, 380/203, 380/44, 726/4, 726/28, 382/100, 382/237, 713/176, 713/178, 713/179, 283/72
• US Class Current: 340/5.28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/02 using infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves

Abstract

A system for using a watermark embedded in an audio signal to remotely control a device. Various devices such as toys, computers, and appliances, equipped with an appropriate detector, detect the hidden signals, which can trigger an action, or change a state of the device. The watermarks can be used with a “time gate” device, where detection of the watermark opens a time interval within which a user is allowed to perform an action, such as pressing a button, typing in an answer, turning a key in a lock, etc.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first device, an acoustically propagated audio content transmitted by a speaker device, wherein the acoustically propagated audio content corresponds to a user voice command and includes one or more substantially inaudible watermarks that are embedded therein, and wherein the one or more substantially inaudible watermarks include designed characteristics that improve watermark robustness against impairments due to acoustic propagation of the audio content;

recovering, at the first device, at least one embedded watermark from the received audio content; and

triggering an operation of the first device based at least in-part on the recovered watermark(s).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises controlling an electronic interface associated with the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises overriding an access restriction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises unlocking the first device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises:

presenting an interactive opportunity to a user of the first device; and

receiving one or more inputs from the user in response to the presentation of the interactive opportunity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more inputs is received pursuant to a user action selected from the group of user actions consisting of:

providing an answer to a quiz;

pressing a button; and

typing a text.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a sales transaction is facilitated in accordance with the one or more user inputs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises displaying information on a display screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the display screen is located remotely from the first device; and

the first device transmits the information to the display screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises playing another audio content.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises changing a state of the first device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is selected from a group of devices consisting of:

a computer;

a handheld device;

a toy;

an appliance; and

a smart card.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the recovered watermark(s) convey a time for triggering the operation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustically propagated audio content is generated, at least in-part, by:

receiving a user'"'"'s spoken word(s) at a second device;

embedding, in real-time, the one or more substantially inaudible watermarks into the user'"'"'s spoken word(s); and

transmitting the audio content comprising the user'"'"'s spoken word(s) that include the one or more substantially inaudible watermarks.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the audio content comprising the user'"'"'s spoken word(s) comprises playing the user'"'"'s spoken word(s) that include the one or more substantially inaudible watermarks on the speaker device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio content is stored on a storage medium prior to being acoustically propagated to the first device.

17. A device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an acoustically propagated audio content transmitted by a speaker device, wherein the acoustically propagated audio content corresponds to a user voice command and includes one or more substantially inaudible watermarks embedded therein, and wherein the one or more substantially inaudible watermarks include designed characteristics that improve watermark robustness against impairments due to acoustic propagation of the audio content;

an extractor configured to recover at least one embedded watermark from the acoustically propagated user voice command audio content;

a control module configured to trigger an operation of the device based at least in-part on the recovered watermark(s).

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the operation comprises controlling an electronic interface associated with the first device.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the operation comprises overriding an access restriction.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the operation comprises unlocking the device.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the operation comprises:

presenting an interactive opportunity to a user of the device; and

receiving one or more inputs from the user in response to the presentation of the interactive opportunity.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the one or more inputs is received pursuant to a user action selected from the group of user actions consisting of:

providing an answer to a quiz;

pressing a button; and

typing a text.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein a sales transaction is facilitated in accordance with the one or more user inputs.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the operation comprises displaying information on a display screen.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein:

the display screen is located remotely from the device; and

the device transmits the information to the display screen.

26. The device of claim 17, wherein the operation comprises playing another audio content.

27. The device of claim 17, wherein the operation comprises changing a state of the device.

28. The device of claim 17, wherein the device is selected from a group of devices consisting of:

a computer;

a handheld device;

a toy;

an appliance; and

a smart card.

29. The device of claim 17, wherein the recovered watermark(s) convey a time for triggering the operation.

30. A non-transitory storage medium with an audio content stored thereupon, the stored audio content corresponding to a user voice command and comprising:

one or more substantially inaudible watermarks that are embedded in the audio content, wherein the one or more substantially inaudible watermarks include designed characteristics that improve watermark robustness against impairments due to acoustic propagation of the audio content and wherein upon reception of the audio content that has been acoustically propagated to a device equipped with a watermark extractor, the device is triggered to;

recover at least one embedded watermark from the acoustically propagated audio content; and

trigger an operation of the device based at least in-part on the recovered watermark(s).