Media Watermarking Using Discrete Frequency Code Sequences
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media watermarking technologies are limited in their ability to efficiently identify and track media content exposure across various distribution systems, particularly in systems with increased content volume and dynamic user needs, as they often require updates to encoder and monitoring devices to accommodate expanded capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The system encodes media content with a sequence of discrete, humanly imperceptible frequency components that are repeated throughout the content to ensure detection, allowing for the use of existing encoders and monitoring units to identify and track media exposure without the need for device updates, thereby expanding the number of unique identifiers exponentially.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing watermarking technologies are used to identify media content, then basic content identification is achieved, but the system cannot efficiently track exposure across increased content volume and dynamic user needs without updating encoder and monitoring devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a watermarking system where a single encoder can generate watermarks with variable-length code sequences that can identify any media content within a predefined code space. The monitoring device universally detects these watermarks regardless of content type or volume, eliminating the need for device updates when content volume expands. The code sequence structure allows the same hardware to handle both simple and complex identification scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the identification system into two independent components: the encoder that generates watermarks with embedded code sequences, and the monitoring device that detects and reports these sequences. This segmentation allows the encoder to be updated independently to handle new content volumes while existing monitoring devices continue to function, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
2Reliability
If discrete codes are encoded into media content with multiple frequency components, then reliable detection and recovery of code sequences is achieved, but the encoding process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic action by repeating the discrete code sequence multiple times within the media content duration. Each repetition uses the same set of frequency components, allowing the monitoring device to accumulate signal strength across multiple detections. This periodic encoding approach ensures reliable recovery even when some instances are missed, while maintaining a manageable encoding process through systematic repetition patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters by using variable-length code sequences where the number of discrete codes adjusts based on content duration and detection requirements. The frequency components and their modulation parameters are optimized to balance detection reliability with encoding simplicity, allowing the system to adapt to different content types without fundamentally changing the encoding architecture.
3Reliability
If code sequences are repeated throughout media content to ensure sufficient detection, then detection reliability is improved, but the time required to encode the entire content increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by encoding the complete code sequence only in selected segments of the media content rather than uniformly throughout. The monitoring device is designed to detect the sequence from any single occurrence, so full repetition is unnecessary. This approach achieves sufficient detection reliability while minimizing the time and computational resources required for encoding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary action by pre-calculating the optimal placement and number of code sequence repetitions based on content characteristics before encoding begins. This allows the system to determine the minimum necessary repetitions to achieve reliable detection, avoiding unnecessary encoding time while ensuring sufficient detections for accurate audience measurement.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for estimating media audience are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a media signal to be transmitted via a media distribution system, the media signal including multiple pieces of media content that each contain video and audio signals. One of the multiple pieces of media content within the received media signal are identified. It is determined that the identified piece of media content exceeds a threshold length, and, in response to determining that the identified piece of media content exceeds a threshold length, the audio signal of the identified piece of media content is encoded with a sequence of discrete codes. Each discrete code has a period that includes a set of sequential frequency components imperceptible to humans. The threshold length is greater than the period of a discrete code multiplied by the number of discrete codes in the sequence.