Media Watermark Identifier Reservation for Ahead-of-Time Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing watermarking techniques for media, such as television and radio broadcasts, struggle with accurately applying timestamps for pre-broadcast encoding, leading to incorrect time stamps and overlapping identifiers, especially when multiple media programs are broadcast simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for ahead-of-time watermark encoding that includes a workflow manager, a source identification reservation system, and an encoder to determine unique identifiers and timestamps for media, ensuring non-overlapping broadcast times and efficient encoding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If watermark encoding is performed ahead of broadcast time, then encoding efficiency is improved, but timestamp accuracy deteriorates due to overlapping identifiers
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs watermark encoding in advance of the actual broadcast time. The encoder receives a scheduled broadcast time and duration, then embeds the watermark ahead of time while reserving the identifier for that specific time slot. This preliminary action improves encoding efficiency while the reservation system ensures timestamp accuracy by preventing overlaps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the encoder queries the reservation system to check if a watermark identifier is already reserved for the scheduled broadcast time. Based on the response, the encoder either proceeds with encoding using the reserved identifier or selects a different one. This feedback loop ensures timestamp accuracy while maintaining efficient ahead-of-time encoding.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple media programs are broadcast simultaneously, then media coverage is improved, but identifier uniqueness deteriorates due to overlapping timestamps
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the broadcast timeline into distinct time slots, each associated with a specific media program and watermark identifier. The reservation system divides and conquers the problem of identifier management by allocating unique identifiers to each program's scheduled broadcast window, ensuring uniqueness even when multiple programs are broadcast simultaneously across different channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a temporal dimension to identifier management by associating each watermark identifier with specific broadcast time parameters (scheduled broadcast time and duration). This dimensional approach allows the same identifier to be reused for different programs at different times while maintaining uniqueness within each time slot, thus supporting multiple simultaneous broadcasts.
3Measurement precision
If watermark encoding is performed in real-time, then timestamp accuracy is improved, but encoding speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the computationally intensive watermark encoding operation in advance of the actual broadcast time, rather than in real-time. The encoder receives the scheduled broadcast time and duration parameters ahead of time, allowing it to complete the encoding process beforehand. This preliminary action maintains timestamp accuracy through the reservation system while dramatically improving encoding speed by avoiding real-time processing constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to identify media for ahead of time watermark encoding. An example apparatus includes a media interface to determine a characteristic of media, the characteristic corresponding to a broadcast time of the media; and a controller to: determine an identifier corresponding to the media; transmit a query including the characteristic and the identifier prior to the media being broadcast, the query to request an indication whether the identifier is unique; and responsive to the indication that the identifier is unique, cause a watermark to be encoded in the media using the identifier prior to the media being broadcast.