Acoustic signal transmission method and apparatus with insertion signal

Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

US007657435B2

(12) United States Patent

Iwaki et al.

(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:

US 7,657,435 B2 *Feb. 2, 2010

(54) ACOUSTIC SIGNAL TRANSMISSION METHOD AND APPARATUS WITH INSERTION SIGNAL

(75) Inventors: Satoshi Iwaki, Iruma (JP); Akira

Nakayama, Hachioji (JP); Tamotsu
Machino, Tokorozawa (JP); Ikuo
Kitagishi, Hachioji (JP); Yukihiro
Nakamura, Higashiyamato (JP)

(73) Assignee: Nippon Telegraph, Tokyo (JP)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 956 days.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

(21) Appl.No.: 11/200,288

(22) Filed: Aug. 8, 2005

(65) Prior Publication Data

US 2006/0153390 Al Jul. 13, 2006

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation of application No. 09/712,945, filed on Nov. 16, 2000, now Pat. No. 6,947,893.

(30) Foreign Application Priority Data

Nov. 19, 1999 (JP) 11-329914

Dec. 16, 1999 (JP) 11-356827

Dec. 22, 1999 (JP) 11-363811

Dec. 24, 1999 (JP) 11-366345

Dec. 24, 1999 (JP) 11-366346

May 10,2000 (JP) P2000-136716

May 10,2000 (JP) P2000-136717

Aug. 18, 2000 (JP) P2000-248800

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Kitawaki, "Speech Communication Technology—Speech and Acoustics Technologies for Multimedia Services", Corona Publishing Co., Ltd., 1996 (with abstract).

(Continued) Primary Examiner—Martin Lerner (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Nixon Peabody LLP

(57) ABSTRACT

The acoustic signal transmission method is based on generating a synthesized sound electrical signal by electrically synthesizing an audible sound signal and another signal different than the audible sound signal at the sending side, and transmitting the synthesized sound electrical signal, and extracting the another signal different than the audible sound signal from the synthesized sound electrical signal at the receiving side. Here, generation of the synthesized sound electrical signal is made by using a data hiding technique, for example. Accordingly, the acoustic signal represented by the synthesized sound electrical signal can be heard by human ears in the same way as the audible sound signal, and the synthesized another signal cannot be detected by human ears. Here, the synthesized sound electrical signal can be transmitted as a sound wave in air space, as electrical signal through a transmission line or as radio signals such as infrared and electromagnetic waves.

23 Claims, 54 Drawing Sheets