Systems, methods and computer program products providing signed visual and/or audio records for digital distribution using patterned recognizable artifacts

• US 8,452,604 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): YEN, ERIC L
• Application Number:
  US11/203,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,843 Days
• Field of Search: 704/276, 704/270, 704/200, 704/278
• US Class Current: 704/278
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1011 to devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/107 License processing; Key processing
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence

Abstract

Recognizable visual and/or audio artifacts, such as recognizable sounds, are introduced into visual and/or audio content in an identifying pattern to generate a signed visual and/or audio recording for distribution over a digital communications medium. A library of images and/or sounds may be provided, and the image and/or sounds from the library may be selectively inserted to generate the identifying pattern. The images and/or sounds may be inserted responsive to one or more parameters associated with creation of the visual and/or audio content. A representation of the identifying pattern may be generated and stored in a repository, e.g., an independent repository configured to maintain creative rights information. The stored pattern may be retrieved from the repository and compared to an unidentified visual and/or audio recording to determine an identity thereof.

Claims

1. A method of identifying audio content, comprising:

providing a library of humanly perceptible voice sounds;

receiving pattern control information associated with a device recording the audio content;

retrieving a pattern from memory that is associated with the pattern control information;

inserting washing machine sounds into the audio content according to the pattern; and

inserting humanly perceptible voice sounds from the library of humanly perceptible voice sounds into the audio content according to the pattern to generate a signed audio recording for distribution over a digital communications medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the pattern that also identifies a location of the device recording the audio content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the pattern that also identifies a name of a person generating the signed audio recording.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting visual content according to the pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital communications medium comprises a digital communications network.

6. A system for identifying audio content, the system comprising:

a processor; and

memory for storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving audio content;

recording a copy of the audio content;

retrieving pattern control information identifying the system recording the copy of the audio content;

retrieving a pattern associated with the pattern control information;

inserting washing machine sounds into the copy of the audio content according to the pattern;

querying a library for humanly perceptible voice sounds associated with the pattern control information; and

inserting the humanly perceptible voice sounds into the copy of the audio content according to the pattern to generate a separate signed audio recording for distribution.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations code further comprise inserting the humanly perceptible voice sounds that identify a location of the system recording the copy of the audio content.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations code further comprise retrieving the pattern that also identifies a name of a person associated with the recording of the copy of the audio content.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations code further comprise inserting creative rights information.

10. A computer readable memory device storing program code that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

storing a recording of audio content;

retrieving pattern control information identifying a system recording the audio content;

retrieving a pattern associated with the pattern control information;

inserting washing machine sounds into the recording of the audio content according to the pattern;

storing a library of humanly perceptible voice sounds;

querying a library for humanly perceptible voice sounds associated with the pattern control information;

inserting the humanly perceptible voice sounds into the recording of the audio content according to the pattern;

arranging the humanly perceptible voice sounds into phrases that identify the device storing the recording of the audio content; and

storing a separate signed audio recording having the washing machine sounds and the phrases inserted into the audio content.

11. The computer readable memory device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise inserting the humanly perceptible sounds that identify a location of the system recording the audio content.

12. The computer readable memory device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the pattern that also identifies a name of a person associated with the recording of the audio content.