Cerence. has been granted a patent for a method that applies a watermark signal to speech signals to prevent unauthorized use. The process involves analyzing the original speech signal, creating a spectrogram, selecting a phase sequence, and generating an encoded watermark using frequency-dependent gain factors. GlobalData’s report on Cerence gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Cerence, Smart voice assistant was a key innovation area identified from patents. Cerence's grant share as of July 2024 was 71%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Watermarking speech signals to prevent unauthorized use
The patent US12067994B2 outlines a method for embedding a watermark signal into a speech signal to deter unauthorized usage. The process begins with receiving an original speech signal and determining its corresponding spectrogram through a short-time Fourier transform (STFT). A phase sequence of fixed frame length is selected, and a frequency-dependent gain factor is calculated based on specific frequency thresholds. This gain factor varies for frequencies below and above these thresholds, allowing for the generation of an encoded watermark signal that incorporates the spectrogram and phase sequence. Additional steps include taking the magnitude of the spectrogram, applying bit encoding based on the original speech signal, and potentially integrating cryptographic measures to enhance security.
Furthermore, the encoded watermark can include specific words from the original speech, with each word linked to a sequence position and time stamps. The method also allows for the storage of the encoded watermark to authenticate future speech signals, defining permissions for their use. The patent emphasizes the adaptability of the watermarking process, including the ability to spread bit encoding across frequency bins to ensure detection under adverse conditions. Overall, this technology aims to protect speech content in audio signals by clearly defining usage rights and preventing unauthorized access.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
