Systems and methods for detecting and removing traceable identifying audio content from media content

• US 9,953,657 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Demsey, Seth Mitchell, Crystal, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles N
• Application Number:
  US15/205,379
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/0212 using orthogonal transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting and removing traceable identifying audio content from electronic media content. One method includes: receiving, over a network, media content to be broadcast or distributed, the media content including audio data; determining whether the audio data of the media content includes traceable identifying audio content defined by an audio identifier; generating new audio data based on the audio data of the media content when an audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data; removing audio data from the media content when the audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data; adding the new audio data to the media content when the audio data is removed from the media content; and broadcasting or distributing the media content having the new audio data to one or more user devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting and removing traceable identifying audio content from electronic media content, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network at one or more servers, media content to be broadcast or distributed, the media content including audio data;

determining, by the one or more servers, whether the audio data of the media content includes traceable identifying audio content defined by an audio identifier, wherein the determining comprises;

transforming, by the one or more servers, the audio data of the media content into a set of frequency components using an integral transformation; and

evaluating, by the one or more servers, whether the transformed audio data includes an audio identifier based on a predetermined set of frequencies, wherein the evaluating comprises;

comparing, by the one or more servers, a set of frequencies of the transformed audio data to the predetermined set of frequencies; and

determining, by the one or more servers, that the audio data of the media content includes traceable identifying audio content defined by the audio identifier when the set of frequencies of the transformed audio data matches the predetermined set of frequencies;

generating, by the one or more servers, new audio data based on the audio data of the media content when an audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data;

removing, by the one or more servers, audio data from the media content when the audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data;

adding, by the one or more servers, the new audio data to the media content when the audio data is removed from the media content; and

broadcasting or distributing, by the one or more servers, the media content having the new audio data to one or more user devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of frequencies includes at least one of inaudible human frequencies, ultrasonic audio frequencies, and infrasonic audio frequencies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the integral transformation is at least one or a Fourier transform, fast Fourier transform, Fourier sine transform, Fourier cosine transform, Hartley transform, Mellin transform, two-sided Laplace transform, Laplace transform, Weierstrass transform, Hankel transform, Abel transform, Hilbert transform, Poisson kernel, and an identity transform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating new audio data based on the audio data of the media content when an audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data comprises:

removing, by the one or more servers, a set of frequencies determined to include the audio identifier from the transformed audio data; and

transforming, by the one or more servers, a remaining set of frequencies of the transformed audio data into new audio data using the integral transform.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio identifier is in a human inaudible frequency range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio identifier is in at least one of an ultrasonic audio frequency range and an infrasonic frequency range.

7. A system for detecting and removing traceable identifying audio content from electronic media content, the system including:

a data storage device that stores instructions for detecting and removing traceable identifying audio content from electronic media content; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including;

receiving, over a network, media content to be broadcast or distributed, the media content including audio data;

determining whether the audio data of the media content includes traceable identifying audio content defined by an audio identifier, wherein the determining comprises;

transforming the audio data of the media content into a set of frequency components using an integral transformation; and

evaluating whether the transformed audio data includes an audio identifier based on a predetermined set of frequencies, wherein the evaluating comprises;

comparing a set of frequencies of the transformed audio data to the predetermined set of frequencies; and

determining that the audio data of the media content includes traceable identifying audio content defined by the audio identifier when the set of frequencies of the transformed audio data matches the predetermined set of frequencies;

generating new audio data based on the audio data of the media content when an audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data;

removing audio data from the media content when the audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data;

adding the new audio data to the media content when the audio data is removed from the media content; and

broadcasting or distributing the media content having the new audio data to one or more user devices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined set of frequencies includes at least one of inaudible human frequencies, ultrasonic audio frequencies, and infrasonic audio frequencies.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the integral transformation is at least one or a Fourier transform, fast Fourier transform, Fourier sine transform, Fourier cosine transform, Hartley transform, Mellin transform, two-sided Laplace transform, Laplace transform, Weierstrass transform, Hankel transform, Abel transform, Hilbert transform, Poisson kernel, and an identity transform.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein generating new audio data based on the audio data of the media content when an audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data comprises:

removing a set of frequencies determined to include the audio identifier from the transformed audio data; and

transforming a remaining set of frequencies of the transformed audio data into new audio data using the integral transform.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the audio identifier is in a human inaudible frequency range.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the audio identifier is in at least one of an ultrasonic audio frequency range and an infrasonic frequency range.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for detecting and removing traceable identifying audio content from electronic media content, the method including:

receiving, over a network, media content to be broadcast or distributed, the media content including audio data;

determining whether the audio data of the media content includes traceable identifying audio content defined by an audio identifier, wherein the determining comprises;

transforming the audio data of the media content into a set of frequency components using an integral transformation; and

evaluating whether the transformed audio data includes an audio identifier based on a predetermined set of frequencies, wherein the evaluating comprises;

comparing a set of frequencies of the transformed audio data to the predetermined set of frequencies; and

determining that the audio data of the media content includes traceable identifying audio content defined by the audio identifier when the set of frequencies of the transformed audio data matches the predetermined set of frequencies;

generating new audio data based on the audio data of the media content when an audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data;

removing audio data from the media content when the audio identifier is determined to be include in the audio data;

adding the new audio data to the media content when the audio data is removed from the media content; and

broadcasting or distributing the media content having the new audio data to one or more user devices.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the predetermined set of frequencies includes at least one of inaudible human frequencies, ultrasonic audio frequencies, and infrasonic audio frequencies.