Systems and methods for providing access to resources through enhanced audio signals

• US 9,299,386 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Goyal, Neel, RAMNATH KRISHNAN, Harshini, Shah, Mehul
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): SELLERS, DANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US13/570,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00688 said measures preventing that a usable copy of recorded data can be made on another medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00739 wherein the usage restriction is associated with a specific geographical region
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for using a hidden audio signal. In one exemplary embodiment, the method includes registering, at a central database, one or more of an identifier and a destination resource associated with the identifier, and encoding the one or more of the identifier and the destination resource in a hidden audio signal. The method further includes transmitting the hidden audio signal, including the one or more of the identifier and the destination resource, in connection with an acoustic signal, and receiving the acoustic signal at a user device. In addition, the method includes decoding the encoded one or more of the identifier and the destination resource at the user device; and requesting, from the central database, information associated with the one or more of the identifier and the destination resource. Further, the method includes receiving, at the user device, the requested information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing access to a resource, the method comprising:

concurrently receiving, by a microphone associated with a user device, a primary broadcast audio signal, the primary audio signal including audio content for user consumption, and an enhanced broadcast audio signal, the enhanced broadcast audio signal including a resource identifier that is encoded in the enhanced broadcast audio signal, wherein the resource identifier is associated with the resource and wherein the enhanced broadcast audio signal further includes authentication information to authenticate the resource;

detecting, by the user device, the resource identifier within the enhanced broadcast audio signal;

extracting, via a processor, the resource identifier from the enhanced broadcast audio signal;

transmitting, to a resolution server, a request for access information, wherein the request includes the resource identifier that was extracted from the enhanced broadcast audio signal and location information;

receiving, from the resolution server, the requested access information for accessing the resource via the network;

authenticating the resource with the resolution server based on the authentication data; and

retrieving, by the user device, the resource using the received access information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the encoded resource identifier is a watermark.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource identifier comprises at least one of a fingerprint associated with an audio track, the resource, an index identifier, or a data string that, when further qualified by additional data, identifies the resource.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein retrieving the resource further comprises:

sending, from the user device, the index identifier to the resolution server;

receiving, by the user device, resource identifier access information from the resolution server; and

retrieving, by the user device, the resource using the resource identifier access information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the index identifier is a unique data string.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the additional data includes at least one of information associated with the device, device identifier information, or information stored on the device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource identifier comprises one or more of a pre-registered Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a pre-registered Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), a pre-registered Uniform Resource Number (URN), a pre-registered domain name, and a preregistered Internet Protocol (IP) address, or the resource comprises one or more of a pre-registered Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a pre-registered Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), a pre-registered Uniform Resource Number (URN), a pre-registered domain name, a pre-registered Internet Protocol (IP) address, and at least one URL.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the user device, further resource access information based on the location information.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource is associated with a product and comprises at least one of:

product/service information, an advertisement for the product or service, a map, discount information, a coupon, a game, a purchase, or a promotional code.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the promotional code is displayed on the user device for use during a purchasing event of the product.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the resource comprises a web page or website.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the web page or website permits a user to cast a vote in a poll or a contest via the user device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the resource associated with the product provides, when executed by the user device, a chat functionality to allow a user to chat with an associate at a store containing the product.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the primary or the secondary enhanced audio signal is received from at least one of a radio, a loudspeaker, a public address system, a speaker, a music device, a television, or any other appropriate transducer.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium, storing a set of instructions, executable by a processor, to perform a computer-implemented method for providing access to a resource, the method comprising:

concurrently receiving, by a microphone associated with a user device, a primary audio signal including audio content for user consumption and an enhanced broadcast audio signal including a resource identifier that is encoded in the enhanced broadcast audio signal, wherein the resource identifier is associated with the resource and wherein the enhanced broadcast audio signal further includes authentication information to authenticate the source;

detecting, by the user device, the resource identifier within the enhanced broadcast audio signal;

determining, via a processor, the resource identifier from the enhanced broadcast audio signal;

transmitting, to a server, a request for access information, wherein the request includes the resource identifier that was determined from the enhanced broadcast audio signal and location information;

receiving, from the server, the requested access information for accessing the resource via the network;

authenticating the resource with the server based on the authentication data; and

retrieving, by the user device, the resource using the received access information.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the resource identifier further comprises the user device detecting the resource identifier by calculating a fingerprint.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the resource identifier comprises:

calculating, by the user device, a fingerprint of the enhanced audio signal;

sending the fingerprint to a resolution server; and

receiving, by the user device, the resource identifier.