Methods and apparatus for audio watermarking

• US 9,697,839 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: McMillan, Francis Gavin, Kilian, Istvan Stephen Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): PULLIAS, JESSE SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US14/800,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 704226, 704227, 704243
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for audio watermarking are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include obtaining a watermarked noise signal having energy in a first frequency band, the watermarked noise signal being associated with a first operating state of a device. Disclosed example methods also include adjusting the watermarked noise signal based on an ambient audio level sensed by an audio sensor. Disclosed example methods further include emitting the adjusted watermarked noise signal via a speaker in response to determining that the device is in the first operating state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by executing an instruction with a processor, a watermarked noise signal having energy in a first frequency band, the watermarked noise signal being associated with a first operating state of a device;

adjusting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the watermarked noise signal based on an ambient audio level sensed by an audio sensor; and

emitting the adjusted watermarked noise signal via a speaker in response to determining that the device is in the first operating state.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the adjusted watermarked noise signal is an amplified watermarked noise signal, and adjusting the watermarked noise signal includes amplifying the watermarked noise signal to determine the amplified watermarked noise signal.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein amplifying the watermarked noise signal includes increasing a level of the watermarked noise signal.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the first frequency band includes an audible frequency band, the audio sensor is positioned to sense audio in an environment in which the device is operating, and the amplified watermarked noise signal, when emitted by the speaker, is to have a level that is to remain substantially inaudible in the environment in which the device is operating without combining the amplified watermarked noise signal with a separate audio signal.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the adjusted watermarked noise signal is an attenuated watermarked noise signal, and adjusting the watermarked noise signal includes decreasing a level of the watermarked noise signal to determine the attenuated watermarked noise signal.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein obtaining the watermarked noise signal includes:

generating a random noise signal;

filtering the random noise signal with a bandpass filter having a passband corresponding to the first frequency band to determine a filtered noise signal; and

modulating the filtered noise signal to determine the watermarked noise signal.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first operating state corresponds to an audio mute state.

8. A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk including computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

obtain a watermarked noise signal having energy in a first frequency band, the watermarked noise signal being associated with a first operating state of a device;

adjust the watermarked noise signal based on an ambient audio level sensed by an audio sensor; and

cause the adjusted watermarked noise signal to be emitted via a speaker in response to determining that the device is in the first operating state.

9. The tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8, wherein the adjusted watermarked noise signal is an amplified watermarked noise signal, and to adjust the watermarked noise signal, the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to amplify the watermarked noise signal to determine the amplified watermarked noise signal.

10. The tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to increase a level of the watermarked noise signal to amplify the watermarked noise signal.

11. The tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 9, wherein the first frequency band includes an audible frequency band, the audio sensor is positioned to sense audio in an environment in which the device is operating, and the amplified watermarked noise signal, when emitted by the speaker, is to have a level that is to remain substantially inaudible in the environment in which the device is operating without combining the amplified watermarked noise signal with a separate audio signal.

12. The tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8, wherein the adjusted watermarked noise signal is an attenuated watermarked noise signal, and to adjust the watermarked noise signal, the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to decrease a level of the watermarked noise signal to determine the attenuated watermarked noise signal.

13. The tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8, wherein to obtain the watermarked noise signal, the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

generate a random noise signal;

filter the random noise signal with a bandpass filter having a passband corresponding to the first frequency band to determine a filtered noise signal; and

modulate the filtered noise signal to determine the watermarked noise signal.

14. The tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8, wherein the first operating state corresponds to an audio mute state.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a watermark processor to;

obtain a watermarked noise signal having energy in a first frequency band, the watermarked noise signal being associated with a first operating state of a device; and

adjust the watermarked noise signal based on an ambient audio level sensed by an audio sensor; and

an audio processor to cause the adjusted watermarked noise signal to be emitted via a speaker after the device is determined to be in the first operating state.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the adjusted watermarked noise signal is an amplified watermarked noise signal, and the watermark processor is further to amplify the watermarked noise signal to determine the amplified watermarked noise signal.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the watermark processor is to increase a level of the watermarked noise signal to amplify the watermarked noise signal.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the first frequency band includes an audible frequency band, the audio sensor is positioned to sense audio in an environment in which the device is operating, and the amplified watermarked noise signal, when emitted by the speaker, is to have a level that is to remain substantially inaudible in the environment in which the device is operating without combining the amplified watermarked noise signal with a separate audio signal.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the adjusted watermarked noise signal is an attenuated watermarked noise signal, and the watermark processor is to decrease a level of the watermarked noise signal to determine the attenuated watermarked noise signal.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the first operating state corresponds to an audio mute state.