Steganographic Codeword Embedding in Speech Payloads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing telecommunications systems face challenges in transmitting supplemental messages across different network types without degrading voice quality, as techniques like bit-robbing are ineffective when speech payloads encounter diverse networks, leading to loss of supplemental information and poor voice quality.
Innovation Solution
The use of steganographic codewords embedded in speech payloads, which survive compression and transcoding, allowing supplemental messages to be transmitted across various network technologies while maintaining acceptable voice quality by summing the amplitude of codewords with the speech payload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If bit-robbing technique is used to transmit supplemental messages in traditional G.711 networks, then supplemental information can be conveyed, but the technique becomes ineffective when speech payloads encounter diverse network types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces steganographic codewords as an intermediary mechanism that can be embedded in speech payloads and survive transcoding operations. These codewords act as a universal carrier that works across different network types (G.711, G.729, etc.), resolving the incompatibility issue of bit-robbing while maintaining supplemental information transmission capability
2Loss of energy
If G.729 compression is applied to speech payloads containing supplemental messages, then bandwidth is conserved, but the supplemental messages are lost and voice quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the supplemental information by encoding it into steganographic codewords that are then embedded in the speech payload. This copied information survives the G.729 compression process because it is reconstructed from the codewords at the receiving end, not dependent on the original payload bits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the representation parameters of supplemental information from direct bit manipulation (bit-robbing) to steganographic codeword embedding. This parameter change allows the information to survive transcoding operations that would otherwise destroy the original bit structure
3Loss of information
If steganographic codewords are embedded in speech payloads, then supplemental messages survive transcoding, but there is risk of degrading voice quality at the receiving end
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by embedding codewords at controlled amplitude levels that are sufficient for detection but low enough to avoid perceptible degradation. The codeword amplitude is adjusted to provide just enough signal for reliable extraction without excessive impact on voice quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates detection mechanisms that provide feedback on the embedded codewords. Receivers can detect the presence and integrity of codewords, allowing for adaptive processing that maintains voice quality while ensuring supplemental information is successfully extracted
Data Source
AI summary
A method is presented that uses steganographic codeword(s) carried in a speech payload in such a way that (i) the steganographic codeword(s) survive compression and/or transcoding as the payload travels from a transmitter to a receiver across at least one diverse network, and (ii) the embedded steganographic codeword(s) do not degrade the perceived voice quality of the received signal below an acceptable level. The steganographic codewords are combined with a speech payload by summing the amplitude of a steganographic codeword to the amplitude of the speech payload at a relatively low steganographic-to-speech bit rate. Advantageously, the illustrative embodiment of the present invention enables (i) steganographic codewords to be decoded by a compliant receiver and applied accordingly, and (ii) legacy or non-compliant receivers to play the received speech payload with resultant voice quality that is acceptable to listeners even though the steganographic codeword(s) remain in the received speech payload.