Apparatus and method for determining co-location of services using a device that generates an audio signal

• US 9,942,711 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Inventors: Kalampoukas, Lampros, Chordia, Ashish, Kodige, Raghu Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): HUBER, PAUL W
• Application Number:
  US15/583,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/06 Creation of reference templates; Training of speech recognition systems, e.g. adaptation to the characteristics of the speaker's voice G10L15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/03 characterised by the type of extracted parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/18 the extracted parameters being spectral information of each sub-band
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/27 characterised by the analysis technique
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• 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: H04R 29/004 for microphones H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for generating an audio signature. An audio signal generator generates an audio signal. A speaker responsive to the audio signal generator outputs the generated audio signal. A probe including a microphone samples the generated audio signal detected by the microphone. An audio signature generator is connected to the probe and generates an audio signature from the sampled audio signal detected by the microphone. The audio signature generator generates the audio signature without requiring detection of any additional audio signal. A transmitter connected to the audio signature generator transmits the audio signature to a communications channel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating an audio signature comprising:

an audio signal generator configured to generate an audio signal;

a speaker responsive to the audio signal generator that outputs the generated audio signal;

a probe including a microphone, the probe configured to sample the generated audio signal detected by the microphone;

an audio signature generator connected to the probe and configured to generate an audio signature from the sampled audio signal detected by the microphone, wherein the audio signature generator is configured to generate the audio signature without requiring detection of any additional audio signal; and

a transmitter connected to the audio signature generator configured to transmit the audio signature to a communications channel.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the audio signal generator is an audio identification signal generator.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the audio identification signal generator generates a unique identification for the apparatus.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the audio signal is an inaudible audio signal which is an audio identification signal.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the audio signal generator is configured to generate an inaudible audio signal.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a smartphone or a tablet.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the probe provides a timestamp corresponding to the sampled audio signal, the timestamp being transmitted with the audio signature.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the probe provides location data corresponding to the sampled audio signal, the location data being transmitted with the audio signature.

9. A method for generating an audio signature by a user device comprising the steps of:

generating an audio signal;

outputting the audio signal through a speaker of the user device;

using a microphone of the user device to sense audio;

generating an audio signature of the audio sensed by the microphone in the user device, wherein the audio signature is generated without requiring detection of any additional audio signal; and

transmitting the audio signature from the user device to a communication channel.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the step of generating an audio signal generates an inaudible audio signal.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the audio signal indicative of the user device is a unique identification of the user device.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the user device is a smartphone or a tablet.

13. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

providing by the user device a timestamp corresponding to the sensed audio signal, the timestamp being transmitted with the audio signature.

14. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

providing by the user device location data corresponding to the sensed audio signal, the location data being transmitted with the audio signature.

15. A system for generating an audio signature comprising:

(a) an apparatus including;

(i) an audio signal generator configured to generate an audio signal,

(ii) a speaker responsive to the audio signal generator that outputs the generated audio signal,

(iii) a probe having a microphone, the probe configured to sample the generated audio signal detected by the microphone, and

(iv) a transmitter connected to the probe configured to transmit the sampled audio signal to a communications channel; and

(b) a server in communication with the communications channel configured to receive the sampled audio signal transmitted by the apparatus, the server including an audio signature generator configured to generate an audio signature from the sampled audio signal,

wherein the audio signature generator is configured to generate the audio signature without requiring detection of any additional audio signal.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein the audio signal generator is an audio identification signal generator.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein the audio identification signal generator generates a unique identification for the apparatus.

18. A system according to claim 15 wherein the audio signal is an inaudible audio signal which is an audio identification signal.

19. A system according to claim 15 wherein the audio signal generator is configured to generate an inaudible audio signal.

20. A system according to claim 15 wherein the apparatus is a smartphone or a tablet.

21. A system according to claim 15 wherein the probe provides a timestamp corresponding to the sampled audio signal, the timestamp being transmitted to the server with the sampled audio signal.

22. A system according to claim 15 wherein the probe provides location data corresponding to the sampled audio signal, the location data being transmitted to the server with the sampled audio signal.

23. A method for generating an audio signature comprising the steps of:

generating an audio signal by a user device;

outputting the audio signal through a speaker of the user device;

using a microphone of the user device to sense audio;

transmitting the sensed audio from the user device to a communication channel;

receiving the transmitted sensed audio at a server remote from the user device that is in communication with the communication channel; and

generating by the server an audio signature of the sensed audio received at the server,

wherein the audio signature is generated without requiring detection of any additional audio signal.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the step of generating an audio signal generates an inaudible audio signal.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein the audio signal indicative of the user device is a unique identification of the user device.

26. A method according to claim 23 wherein the user device is a smartphone or a tablet.

27. A method according to claim 23 further comprising the step of:

providing by the user device a timestamp corresponding to the sensed audio signal, the timestamp being transmitted to the server with the sensed audio.

28. A method according to claim 23 further comprising the step of:

providing by the user device location data corresponding to the sensed audio signal, the location data being transmitted to the server with the sensed audio.