Audio Watermark Masking Using Supplemental Audio Cues
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Inserting an audio watermark at a desired time point in a media stream is impractical due to potential human perceptible distortion, as the audio watermark may interfere with the underlying audio content, making it difficult to ensure the watermark is inserted without noticeable audio distortion.
Innovation Solution
Add overtly human-perceptible supplemental audio content coincident in time with the audio watermark to mask any perceptible effects, serving as an audio cue for the interactive event.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If an audio watermark is inserted into the media stream at a desired time point, then the watermark can trigger an interactive event at the appropriate moment, but the audio watermark may cause human-perceptible distortion by interfering with the underlying audio content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces supplemental audio content as an intermediary element that is added to the media stream at the same time position as the audio watermark. This supplemental content serves as a mask to cover the perceptible distortion caused by the watermark, allowing the watermark to trigger interactive events at the correct time without degrading the perceived audio quality for human listeners.
2Reliability
If the audio watermark is made more prominent to ensure reliable detection and triggering, then the interactive event can be reliably initiated, but the distortion becomes more noticeable to human listeners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of audio watermark distortion into a beneficial outcome by intentionally adding supplemental audio content that masks the distortion. The supplemental content, which may include audio cues or effects related to the interactive event, serves to hide the watermark's interference while simultaneously providing useful information or enhancement to the user experience.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the audio watermark is reduced in amplitude to minimize distortion, then the audio quality is preserved, but the watermark may not be reliably detected to trigger the interactive event
Solution Approach 1:
The supplemental audio content acts as a mediator that enables the use of lower-amplitude watermarks. By providing a masking background, the supplemental content allows the watermark to be inserted at reduced levels that minimize distortion while still maintaining sufficient strength for reliable detection by the system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The supplemental audio content effectively masks the audio watermark's distortion, providing a human-perceptible cue for the interactive event while maintaining the integrity of the underlying audio content.
Implementation Method 1
the audio watermark itself may be human perceptible... the added sin waves of the audio watermark would probably not be human perceptible. But if the underlying audio content is more discrete or low level, then the added sin waves of the audio watermark may more likely be human perceptible
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for adding overtly human-perceptible supplemental audio content into a media stream to help mask audio effects of an audio watermark in the media stream. A method involves receiving a media stream that defines a sequence of audio content presentable by a content presentation device, modifying the media stream to produce a modified media stream that defines the sequence of audio content, and outputting the modified media stream for presentation by the content presentation device. The modified media stream includes an audio watermark that is machine-detectable to trigger an interactive event. Further, the act of modifying the media stream involves adding into the media stream supplemental audio content coincident with the audio watermark, to help mask the audio watermark in the modified media stream during presentation of the modified media stream by the content presentation device.