Methods and apparatus for identifying a digital audio signal

• US 8,548,373 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Peiffer, John C., Hicks, Michael A., Wright, David H., Mears, Paul M., Srinivasan, Venugopal, Lu, Daozheng, Kempter, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US12/760,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 455/94, 455/334, 455/185.1, 455/412.165, 455/2.01, 455/3.06, 455/418, 455/135, 455/553.1, 455/78, 455/77, 455/702, 455/192.2, 455/405, 455/12.1, 455/226.1, 455/186.1, 455/352, 455/5.1, 700/94, 725/9, 725/14, 725/18, 725/19, 725/8, 725/80, 725/81, 725/68, 725/100, 725/135, 725/58, 725/88, 725/102, 386/124, 386/E05.001, 386/E05.003, 707/1, 375/240.11, 375/206, 375/295, 375/200, 370/208, 370/320, 370/335, 370/342
• US Class Current: 455/2.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for identifying a digital audio signal are described. An example apparatus for identifying a digital audio signal includes an input to receive the digital audio signal, which includes data from a broadcast or a stored digital program signal. The example apparatus also includes a detector to receive the digital audio signal from the input and determine whether the received digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input; a decoder to receive the digital audio signal from the detector when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input and identify any first program-identifying code in an auxiliary field of the compressed digital audio signal; and a code reader to receive the digital audio signal from the detector when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input and receive the digital audio signal from a decompressor when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input. Additionally, the code reader is to identify any second program-identifying code in a decompressed or uncompressed portion of the digital audio signal when the first program-identifying code is not identified in the auxiliary field or when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input.

Claims

1. An apparatus for identifying a digital audio signal, comprising:

an input to receive the digital audio signal, wherein the digital audio signal includes data from a broadcast or a stored digital program signal;

a detector to receive the digital audio signal from the input and to determine whether the received digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input;

a decoder to receive the digital audio signal from the detector when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input and to identify a first program-identifying code in an auxiliary field of the compressed digital audio signal; and

a code reader to receive the digital audio signal from the detector when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input and to receive the digital audio signal from a decompressor when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input, wherein the code reader is to identify a second program-identifying code in a decompressed or uncompressed portion of the digital audio signal when the first program-identifying code is not identified in the auxiliary field or when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the first and second program-identifying codes is selected for storage in a memory.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising a transmitter to transmit the selected one of the first and second program-identifying codes to a collection site.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the selection of the one of the first and second program-identifying codes for storage in the memory is based on a hierarchy.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a signature extractor to receive the digital audio signal from the detector when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input and to identify a signature in an uncompressed portion of the digital audio signal.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the signature extractor is to receive an uncompressed form of the digital audio signal from the decompressor when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input and to identify a signature in a portion of the uncompressed form of the digital audio signal.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the detector, the decoder, or the code reader is disposed in at least one of a dwelling, a verification site, or a monitoring site.

8. A method for identifying a digital audio signal, comprising:

determining, with a programmed processor, whether a received digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at an input, wherein the digital audio signal includes data from a broadcast or a stored digital program signal;

providing the digital audio signal to a decoder when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input;

identifying a first program-identifying code in an auxiliary field of the compressed digital audio signal received at the decoder when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input;

providing the digital audio signal to a code reader from the detector when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input;

providing the digital audio signal to the code reader from a decompressor when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input; and

identifying a second program-identifying code in a decompressed or uncompressed portion of the digital audio signal when at least one of (a) the first program-identifying code is not identified in the auxiliary field or (b) when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising selecting one of the first and second program-identifying codes for storage in a memory.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising transmitting the selected one of the first and second program-identifying codes to a collection site.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein selecting the one of the first and second program-identifying codes for storage in the memory is based on a hierarchy.

12. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising providing the digital audio signal to a signature extractor from the detector when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input and identifying a signature in an uncompressed portion of the digital audio signal.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising providing an uncompressed form of the digital audio signal to the decompressor from the signature extractor when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input and identifying a signature in a portion of the uncompressed form of the digital audio signal.

14. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

determine whether a received digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at an input, wherein the digital audio signal includes data from a broadcast or a stored digital program signal;

provide the digital audio signal to a decoder when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input;

identify a first program-identifying code in an auxiliary field of the compressed digital audio signal received at the decoder when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input;

provide the digital audio signal to a code reader when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input;

provide the digital audio signal to the code reader from a decompressor when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input; and

identify a second program-identifying code in a decompressed or uncompressed portion of the digital audio signal when at least one of (a) the first program-identifying code is not identified in the auxiliary field or (b) when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input.

15. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 14 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to select one of the first and second program-identifying codes for storage in a memory.

16. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to transmit the selected one of the first and second program-identifying codes to a collection site.

17. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein selecting the one of the first and second program-identifying codes for storage in the memory is based on a hierarchy.

18. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 14 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed cause a machine to provide the digital audio signal to a signature extractor when the digital audio signal is uncompressed as received at the input and to identify a signature in an uncompressed portion of the digital audio signal.

19. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 18, wherein the signature extractor is to receive the digital audio signal from the decompressor when the digital audio signal is compressed as received at the input.

20. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the computer readable medium is disposed in at least one of a dwelling, a verification site, or a monitoring site.