Ultrasonic Metadata Audio Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems fail to effectively detect tampering in electronic communication recordings, particularly with the rise of sophisticated AI-based content manipulation, and struggle to determine the context of communications from partial recordings.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves mixing inaudible ultrasonic metadata with original audio information, using a unique identifier and acoustic hash to create a tamper-proof recording that can be verified by comparing extracted metadata to stored data, allowing for real-time detection of tampering and context identification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional acoustical analysis techniques are used to detect tampering, then speaker identification is improved, but tampering detection capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeaker identification accuracyVSAvoidtampering detection capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the audio verification process into two distinct components: traditional acoustical analysis for speaker identification and ultrasonic metadata analysis for tampering detection. By separating these functions and applying different technical approaches to each, the system achieves both speaker identification accuracy and tampering detection capability without the limitations of using a single method for both purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces ultrasonic metadata as an intermediary element that carries verification information independently of the audio content. This metadata acts as a mediator between the recording system and verification process, providing a reliable mechanism for detecting tampering that does not depend on analyzing the acoustic properties of the speech itself, thereby resolving the contradiction between speaker ID accuracy and tampering detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If recordings are shared through multiple transmissions, then accessibility is improved, but context determination capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecording accessibilityVSAvoidcontext information
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by embedding ultrasonic metadata with unique identifiers and verification information into the recording at the point of creation. This pre-prepared verification data remains embedded through multiple transmissions and sharing instances, allowing context determination and authenticity verification even when the recording is widely distributed, thus maintaining context information despite improved accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If AI-based systems are used to alter recording content, then content manipulation capability is improved, but detection difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent manipulation capabilityVSAvoidtampering detection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The ultrasonic metadata serves as an intermediary verification layer that is independent of the audio content itself. Even when AI-based systems manipulate the recording content, the embedded ultrasonic metadata remains intact and provides a reliable basis for detecting tampering. This mediator approach allows the system to detect manipulations regardless of how sophisticated the content alteration techniques become.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

This method provides a robust mechanism to authenticate audio recordings, preventing manipulation and ensuring the integrity of communication content, even from partial segments, by using a unique identifier and acoustic hash that is difficult to counterfeit.

Implementation Method 1

mixing inaudible ultrasonic metadata, which includes a context identifier, with original audio information

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectModulation: Phase Modulation

Implementation Method 2

generating a hash value from acoustic properties of a segment of the audio information

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcoustic analysis: Acoustics

Data Source

PatentEP3876507B1System and method for audio content verification
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 MITEL CORP
  • EP3876507B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3876507B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3876507B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Method and system for determining a context of recorded audio information and for verifying authenticity of an audio recording are disclosed. Verify recorded material/detect tampering of recorded material by mixing recordable, modulated metadata information with original audio content to form a mixed signal to form the originally-recorded information. Metadata can be extracted from a recording to be verified, and the extracted metadata can be compared to the metadata to determine whether the recording is a true copy of the originally-recorded information.