US7421628B2
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US
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Methods and apparatus to extract codes from a plurality of channels
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP
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Filing: 2006-04-06
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Granted: 2008-09-02
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Expires: 2026-04-06
Abstract
Abstract Methods and apparatus to extract audio codes are disclosed. An example method includes receiving signals on a plurality of channels and ranking the signals based on at least one characteristic of the signals. A first channel from the plurality of channels is selected based upon the ranking of the signals. The example method further include determining whether a first signal on the first channel includes at least one code and extracting the at least one code from the first signal when the first signal includes the at least one code.
Inventors
- 👤 David H. Wright
- 👤 Daniel Nelson
- 👤 Ronald G. Schwerer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:48
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04H; H04H20/00; H04H20/28; H04H20/30; H04H20/31; G; G10; G10L; G10L19/00; G10L19/018; H04H20/86; H04H20/88; H04H20/89; H04H2201/00; H04H2201/50; H04H60/00; H04H60/35; H04H60/37; H04H60/56; H04H60/58
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
A method to extract audio codes comprising: receiving audio frequency signals on a plurality of audio channels; ranking the audio frequency signals based on at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals; selecting a first audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based upon the ranking of the audio frequency signals; determining whether a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes at least one audio code; and extracting the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal when the first audio frequency signal includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
98 words
A method to extract audio codes comprising: receiving audio frequency signals on a plurality of audio channels; ranking the audio frequency signals based on at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals; selecting a first audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based upon the ranking of the audio frequency signals; determining whether a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes at least one audio code; and extracting the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal when the first audio frequency signal includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as defined by claim 1 , further comprising buffering a second audio frequency signal from a second audio channel while determining whether the first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as defined by claim 2 , wherein buffering the second audio frequency signal comprises buffering a predetermined time interval of the second audio frequency signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as defined by claim 3 , further comprising extracting the at least one audio code from the buffered predetermined time interval of the second audio frequency signal, when the second audio frequency signal includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as defined by claim 1 , wherein the ranking dependent on one or more of signal to noise ratio of the audio frequency signals, the amplitude of the audio frequency signals, or a number of times the audio frequency signal has been successfully decoded to yield an audio code.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as defined by claim 1 , further comprising identifying a content of the audio frequency signals based on the extracted at least one audio code.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as defined by claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a digital programming bitstream; de-multiplexing an audio component from the digital programming bitstream; and de-multiplexing the audio component into the plurality of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
113 words
A system to extract audio codes comprising: a multiplexer to receive audio frequency signals on a plurality of audio channels; a ranker to rank the audio frequency signals based on at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals; a channel selector to select a first audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based upon the ranking of the audio frequency signals; and a decoder to determine whether a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes at least one audio code and to extract the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal when the first audio frequency signal includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
113 words
A system to extract audio codes comprising: a multiplexer to receive audio frequency signals on a plurality of audio channels; a ranker to rank the audio frequency signals based on at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals; a channel selector to select a first audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based upon the ranking of the audio frequency signals; and a decoder to determine whether a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes at least one audio code and to extract the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal when the first audio frequency signal includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
A system as defined by claim 8 , wherein the multiplexer is configured to buffer a second audio frequency signal from a second audio channel while the decoder determines whether the first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
A system as defined by claim 8 , wherein the ranker ranks the audio frequency signals based on one or more of signal to noise ratio of the audio frequency signals, the amplitude of the audio frequency signals, or a number of times the audio frequency signal has been successfully decoded to yield an audio code.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system as defined by claim 8 , further comprising: a de-multiplexer to receive a digital programming bitstream and to de-multiplex an audio component from the digital programming bitstream, wherein the de-multiplexer further de-multiplexes the audio component into the plurality of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
112 words
An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to: receive audio frequency signals on a plurality of audio channels; rank the audio frequency signals based on at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals; select a first audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based upon the ranking of the audio frequency signals; and determine whether a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes at least one audio code; and extract the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal when the first audio frequency signal includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
112 words
An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to: receive audio frequency signals on a plurality of audio channels; rank the audio frequency signals based on at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals; select a first audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based upon the ranking of the audio frequency signals; and determine whether a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes at least one audio code; and extract the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal when the first audio frequency signal includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
An article as defined by claim 12 , further comprising machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to buffer a second audio frequency signal from a second audio channel while the decoder determines whether the first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
An article as defined by claim 12 , further comprising machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to rank the audio frequency signals based on one or more of signal to noise ratio of the audio frequency signals, the amplitude of the audio frequency signals, or a number of times the audio frequency signal has been successfully decoded to yield an audio code.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
An article as defined by claim 12 , further comprising machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to: receive a digital programming bitstream; de-multiplex an audio component from the digital programming bitstream; and de-multiplex the audio component into the plurality of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
107 words
A method to extract an audio code, comprising: selecting a first audio channel from a plurality of audio channels; receiving a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel; determining whether the first audio frequency signal exceeds a predetermined threshold of at least one characteristic of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels; and if the first audio frequency signal exceeds the predetermined threshold of the at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals: (a) determining whether the first audio frequency signal includes at least one audio code; and (b) extracting the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
107 words
A method to extract an audio code, comprising: selecting a first audio channel from a plurality of audio channels; receiving a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel; determining whether the first audio frequency signal exceeds a predetermined threshold of at least one characteristic of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels; and if the first audio frequency signal exceeds the predetermined threshold of the at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals: (a) determining whether the first audio frequency signal includes at least one audio code; and (b) extracting the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as defined by claim 16 , further comprising buffering a second audio frequency signal from a second audio channel while receiving the first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
106 words
A method as defined by claim 17 , further comprising: selecting the second audio channel from the plurality of audio channels, when the first audio frequency signal is less than the predetermined threshold of the at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals and the at least one audio code is absent from the first audio frequency signal; receiving the second audio frequency signal on the second audio channel; determining whether the second audio frequency signal exceeds the predetermined threshold of at least one characteristic of the audio frequency signals; and determining whether the second audio frequency signal includes the at least one audio code.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
97 words
A system to extract audio codes, comprising: a multiplexer to select a first audio channel from a plurality of audio channels and to receive a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel, the multiplexer further configured to determine whether the first audio frequency signal exceeds a predetermined threshold of at least one characteristic of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels; and a decoder to determine whether the first audio frequency signal includes at least one audio code and to extract the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
97 words
A system to extract audio codes, comprising: a multiplexer to select a first audio channel from a plurality of audio channels and to receive a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel, the multiplexer further configured to determine whether the first audio frequency signal exceeds a predetermined threshold of at least one characteristic of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels; and a decoder to determine whether the first audio frequency signal includes at least one audio code and to extract the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as defined by claim 19 , wherein the multiplexer buffers a second audio frequency signal from a second audio channel while receiving the first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
95 words
An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to: select a first audio channel from a plurality of audio channels; receive a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel; determine whether the first audio frequency signal exceeds a predetermined threshold of at least one characteristic of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels; determine whether the first audio frequency signal includes at least one audio code; and extract the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
95 words
An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to: select a first audio channel from a plurality of audio channels; receive a first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel; determine whether the first audio frequency signal exceeds a predetermined threshold of at least one characteristic of audio frequency signals on the plurality of audio channels; determine whether the first audio frequency signal includes at least one audio code; and extract the at least one audio code from the first audio frequency signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
43 words
An article as defined by claim 21 , further comprising machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to buffer a second audio frequency signal from a second audio channel while receiving the first audio frequency signal on the first audio channel.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2011-09-02 | 2012-03-03 | 2012-09-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2015-09-02 | 2016-03-03 | 2016-09-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2019-09-02 | 2020-03-03 | 2020-09-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |