A watermark system includes an embedder, detector, and reader. The watermark embedder encodes a watermark signal in a host signal to create a combined signal. The detector looks for the watermark signal in a potentially corrupted version of the combined signal, and computes its orientation. Finally, a reader extracts a message in the watermark signal from the combined signal using the orientation to approximate the original state of the combined signal. While adapted for images, video and audio, the watermark system applies to other electronic and physical media. For example, it can be applied to mark graphical models, blank paper, film and other substrates, texturing objects for ID purposes, etc.

Watermark embedder and reader

Various improvements to steganographic systems, and applications therefore, are disclosed. The improvements include facilitating scale and rotation registration for steganographic decoding by use of rotationally symmetric steganographically embedded patterns and subliminal digital graticules; improved techniques for decoding without access to unencoded originals; improving robustness of steganographic coding in motion pictures and/or in the presence of lossy compression/decompression; and representing data by patterned bit cells whose energy in the spatial domain facilitates decoding registration. Applications include enhanced-security financial transactions, counterfeit resistant identification cards, fraud deterrent systems for cellular telephony, covert modem channels in video transmissions, photo duplication kiosks with automatic copyright detection, and hotlinked image objects (e.g. with embedded URLs) for use on the internet.

Computer system linked by using information in data objects

An automated system checks networked computers, such as computers on the internet, for watermarked audio, video, or image data. A report listing the location of such audio, video or image data is generated, and provided to the proprietor(s) thereof identified by the watermark information.

Methods for surveying dissemination of proprietary empirical data

A method of speech signal compression, by variable rate coding of frames of digitized speech samples, comprising the steps of: determining a level of speech activity for a frame of digitized speech samples; selecting an encoding rate from a set of rates based upon said determined level of speech activity within said frame; coding said frame according to a predetermined coding format for said selected rate wherein each rate has a corresponding different coding format; providing for said frame a corresponding output data packet at said selected rate.

Variable rate vocoder

An identification code signal is impressed on a carrier to be identified (such as an electronic data signal or a physical medium) in a manner that permits the identification signal later to be discerned and the carrier thereby identified. The method and apparatus are characterized by robustness despite degradation of the encoded carrier, and by permeation of the identification signal throughout the carrier.

Steganography methods employing embedded calibration data

A speech signal transmission system for transmitting coded speech signals with variable bit rate is disclosed, which comprises a coder for analyzing digital speech signals inputted in a one-frame period and transforming them into coded data comprising a plurality of parameters indicating characteristics of the inputted speech signals, a data arranging circuit for arranging the coded data outputted by the coder in the order of the priority in the decoding of the speech signals and outputting them, and a bit stealer allowing a series of coded data outputted successively by the data arranging circuit to pass through only in a period of time determined by the transmission bit rate. The bit arranging circuit outputs the parameters in the order of the priority of decomposes each of them in unit of a bit and outputs them with decreasing priority. Parameters or bits of low priority are omitted by the bit stealer, depending on the transmission bit rate. One the receiver side the parameters are extracted and the speech signals are decoded on the basis of arrangement type identification codes transmitted together with the coded data.

Method and system for transmitting variable rate speech signal

A system in which two stations are respectively provided with telephones and data terminals such that a voice and data are multiplexed for communication between the two stations. Each station has a circuit to convert voice signals inputted from the telephone into a plurality of kinds of predetermined voice parameters, a circuit to determine a transmission mode depending on a predetermined parameter of the voice signals, a circuit to extract data having a length corresponding to the transmission mode from data to be transmitted from the data terminal, a circuit to select one of the plurality of voice parameters depending on the transmission mode, and a unit to edit a mode indicator indicating the transmission mode, the selected voice parameter, and the extracted data into a transmission block format corresponding to the transmission mode. The transmission block includes only voice information containing all voice parameters in the first mode; voice information and data information in the second mode, and voice information containing the minimum voice parameters and data information in the third mode.

Voice and data multiplexer system

The feasibility of cross-language transfer of speech technology is of increasing concern as the demand for recognition systems in multiple languages grows. The paper presents a systematic study of the relative effectiveness of different methods for seeding and training HMMs in a new language, using transfer from English to Japanese for small vocabulary speaker independent continuous speech recognition as a test case. Effects of limited training data are also explored. The study found that cross-language adaptation produced better models than alternative approaches with relatively little effort, and that the number of speakers is more critical than the number of utterances for small training data sets. >

An evaluation of cross-language adaptation for rapid HMM development in a new language

A speech packet communication system for making speech communication among a plurality of speech terminals and including a communication network. The communication network includes a transmission path and a plurality of intermediate switching nodes, each controlling the traffic of a plurality of speech packets received from the transmission path or other intermediate switching nodes in accordance with priority indicators contained in the respective packets. Each speech terminal converts the input speech signal to packets, transmits the packets onto the transmission path or decodes speech packets received from the transmission path. Particularly, when the terminal converts the input speech signal to packets, it uses a special purpose function of determining a priority indicator assigned to the packet to greatly improve the quality of a reproduced speech at a receiving end.

Kazuhiro Kondo

Papers

Method and system for transmitting variable rate speech signal

Voice and data multiplexer system

An evaluation of cross-language adaptation for rapid HMM development in a new language

Speech packet communication system and method

Subjective Quality Measurement of Speech