Remote control signaling using audio watermarks

• US 9,189,955 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• 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:
  US14/444,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20150016228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.28, 340/5.42, 340/12.5, 340/13.24, 380/54, 726/4, 726/26, 713/176, 713/178, 713/179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 for improving detection of a watermark message from a host content, comprising:

detecting a watermark message, using a watermark extractor implemented at least partially using electronic circuits, from a first position within the host content, the watermark message comprising a plurality of watermark symbols, detection of the watermark message from the first position resulting in detection of the watermark message with a first number of symbol errors that is greater than or equal to one and that produces a detected watermark message;

detecting the watermark message, using the watermark extractor, from a plurality of additional positions within the host content, wherein each of the plurality of additional positions is shifted from either the first position or from another one of the plurality of additional positions by an amount equal to a fraction of watermark symbol extent, each detection of the watermark message from the plurality of additional positions producing a corresponding detected watermark message with a corresponding number of symbol errors in the range greater than or equal to zero;

processing the symbol errors associated with watermark messages detected from the first position and one or more of the plurality of additional positions to determine an estimated position within the host content where a number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the watermark message comprises performing an error correction code decoding.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of positions is shifted by an amount in the order of 5% of the watermark symbol extent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, for the host content that is received through an acoustic propagation channel, the amount of shift for each of the plurality of positions is computed to correspond to a particular amount of acoustic propagation delay associated with the host content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the symbol errors comprises:

processing the detected symbol errors to determine a particular position within the host content that corresponds to a detected watermark message with fewest number of symbol errors compared to all other positions within the host content; and

identifying the particular position as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the symbol errors comprises:

processing the detected symbol errors to determine two particular positions within the host content that correspond to two detected watermark messages having the fewest number of symbol errors compared to all positions other than the two particular positions within the host content; and

identifying one of the two particular positions as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the symbol errors comprises:

processing the detected symbol errors to determine two particular positions within the host content that correspond to two detected watermark messages having the fewest number of symbol errors compared to all positions other than the two particular positions within the host content; and

identifying a position between the two particular positions as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the position between the two particular positions is the midway point between the two particular positions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the symbol errors comprises:

determining a particular position within the host content that corresponds a watermark message detected with zero symbol errors; and

identifying the particular position as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the symbol errors comprises:

processing the detected symbol errors to determine two or more particular positions within the host content corresponding to the same number of symbol errors that is the lowest number of symbol errors compared to all positions other than the two or more particular positions; and

identifying a position that is located between the two or more particular positions as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

11. A device, comprising:

a watermark extractor implemented at least partially using electronic circuits and coupled to an input device to

receive a host content that includes embedded watermark messages each of the embedded watermarks including a plurality of watermark symbols,

detect from a first position within the host content a watermark message with a first number of symbol errors that is greater than or equal to one and that produces a detected watermark message,

detect the watermark message, using the watermark extractor, from a plurality of additional positions within the host content, wherein each of the plurality of additional positions is shifted from either the first position or from another one of the plurality of additional positions by an amount equal to a fraction of watermark symbol extent, and

produce for each watermark message detected from the plurality of additional positions a corresponding detected watermark message with a corresponding number of symbol errors in the range greater than or equal to zero; and

a processor implemented at least partially using electronic circuits to process the symbol errors associated with watermark messages detected from the first position and one or more of the plurality of additional positions to determine an estimated position within the host where a number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the watermark extractor uses an error correction code decoder to detect the watermark messages.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of positions is shifted by an amount in the order of 5% of the watermark symbol extent.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein, for the host content that is received through an acoustic propagation channel, the amount of shift for each of the plurality of positions is computed to correspond to a particular amount of acoustic propagation delay associated with the host content.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor processes the symbol errors to:

determine a particular position within the host content that corresponds to a detected watermark message with fewest number of symbol errors compared to all other positions within the host content; and

identify the particular position as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor processes the symbol errors to:

determine two particular positions within the host content that correspond to two detected watermark messages having the fewest number of symbol errors compared to all positions other than the two particular positions within the host content; and

identify one of the two particular positions as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor processes the symbol errors to:

determine two particular positions within the host content that correspond to two detected watermark messages having the fewest number of symbol errors compared to all positions other than the two particular positions within the host content; and

identify a position between the two particular positions as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the position between the two particular positions is the midway point between the two particular positions.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor processes the symbol errors to:

determine a particular position within the host content that corresponds a watermark message detected with zero symbol errors; and

identify the particular position as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor processes the symbol errors to:

determine two or more particular positions within the host content corresponding to the same number of symbol errors that is the lowest number of symbol errors compared to all positions other than the two or more particular positions; and

identify a position that is located between the two or more particular positions as the estimated position within the host content where the number of symbol errors is expected to be at a minimum.