Scrambled Audio Watermark Layers for Accurate Frequency Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing audio watermarking techniques face challenges in accurately identifying media due to overlapping watermark layers sharing frequency bins, leading to increased detection errors and reduced accuracy in media information extraction.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced to distribute watermark symbols across multiple layers such that any group of N symbols from N watermarking layers share at most N-1 frequency bins, using a scrambler to optimize the distribution scheme by shifting and rotating symbols to minimize bin sharing, thereby enhancing detection accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple watermark layers are embedded in audio signals using existing techniques, then media identification capability is enhanced, but detection accuracy deteriorates due to overlapping frequency bins

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemedia identification capabilityVSAvoiddetection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments watermark symbols across multiple frequency bins in a distributed manner, ensuring that no single frequency bin contains overlapping watermark data from multiple layers. This segmentation approach divides the watermark information into distinct frequency segments that can be independently detected, thereby maintaining detection accuracy while enabling multiple watermark layers to coexist without interference

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a single-layer watermark approach to a multi-layer watermark structure by adding the dimension of layer separation. Each watermark layer is assigned to specific frequency bins in a scrambled distribution pattern, creating a multi-dimensional watermarking space where layers are differentiated by their frequency bin assignments rather than overlapping in the same bins

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Measurement precision

If watermark symbols are distributed across multiple layers, then media information extraction accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases due to optimization requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemedia information extraction accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary scrambling and optimization actions during the watermark embedding phase to pre-distribute watermark symbols across frequency bins in an optimal pattern. This preliminary arrangement of frequency bin assignments minimizes future detection complexity by ensuring that watermark symbols are already positioned for maximum detectability, reducing the computational burden during the extraction phase

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses scrambled copies of watermark symbols distributed across different frequency bins for each layer. Instead of directly embedding identical watermark data in multiple layers, the system creates scrambled variations that are distributed across different frequency assignments, allowing the receiver to reconstruct the original watermark information from any single layer without requiring complex cross-layer correlation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3899930B1Multiple scrambled layers for audio watermarking
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 THE NIELSEN CO (US) LLC
  • EP3899930B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3899930B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3899930B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed for multiple scrambled layers for audio watermarking. An example system includes a scrambler executing instructions to: divide a watermark into a plurality of watermark symbols; map the watermark symbols to a plurality of frequency bins in a plurality of frequency clumps according to a first distribution scheme to create a first watermark layer having a first combination of the frequency bins and a second watermark layer having a second combination of the frequency bins, the first combination of the frequency bins and the second combination of the frequency bins partially overlap. The scrambler also is to determine a sequence for shifting watermark symbols among the frequency bins, and generate a second distribution scheme to map the watermark symbols in accordance with the sequence. The example system also includes a transceiver to communicate the second distribution scheme to a device.