Intrasonics' technology enables innovative new services to be delivered to mobiles and other consumer devices.

Intrasonics is extremely easy to deploy for the broadcaster, and equally easy to use for the consumer. The diagram above illustrates how Intrasonics is able to bridge the "Interactivity Gap" of current solutions.

Our Link technology allows advertisers to provide a simple fast link to their website allowing a consumer to engage directly with an advertising message, to find more information, purchase a product or receive a voucher for later redemption.

Our Sync technology allows a mobile application, such as a play-along game show, to be synchronised to a broadcast allowing users to play along in time with any studio activity, with any results being available to the broadcaster.

Using just these two functions - ‘link and sync' - Intrasonics supports a full range of interactive propositions.

Clickthrough

Intrasonics' clickthrough service allows the consumer to followup directly with an advertising message. We embed a code in the audio of an advertisement which when picked up by our handset application loads your mobile website on the handset.

This allows you to deliver electronic vouchers (‘e-vouchers'), further product information or a request for further information to the handsets of anyone who is viewing a promotion.

Messaging

Intrasonics messaging service can display one of a pre-loaded set of messages a handset.

One use of this is in an emergency messaging service on subways. In the event of an incident an Intrasonics link is transmitted over the PA system causing a message be displayed on an enabled handset, in their preferred language.

The message display function will work even if there is no radio coverage. Because audio is stopped by walls and glass, it is possible to precisely define the area which gets a specific message.

Playalong

Intrasonics interactive game show application enables the user to ‘play along' with TV games. Viewers can play along with the actual game they are watching on TV, at exactly the same time as the contestant on the show, and in competition against all other Intrasonics players regardless of how they are watching the show for a prize such as entry as a contestant into the next weeks show.

When the show starts, Intrasonics links hidden in the soundtrack are picked up by the viewer's phone. Here they precisely synchronise the display of answer options with those broadcast on the TV show. The viewer responses and their time are collected and passes back to the broadcaster who can select the winner(s) and notify then through their handset.

Toys and Mascots

An Intrasonics decoder can now be implemented in a low-cost digital integrated circuit already used in a range of toys. Intrasonics links embedded in media associated with the toy can be broadcast, picked up by a microphone in the toy and stimulate a response. This could be physical actions by the toy, speech output or a prompt for viewer activity, such as answering a question. Intrasonics enabled toys offer a whole new approach to creative play and learning, especially for young children.

Interactive mascots based on exactly the same technology bring the interactivity of Intrasonics to older audiences with opportunities linked to sports and celebrity shows.

The Intrasonics system

The broadcaster or originator of the content uses the Intrasonics encoder, called ‘Composer', to insert one of a billion Link Codes into the sound of a recording, or a live broadcast stream.

The audio containing the code can be recorded and broadcast using any standard (analogue or digital) recoding system or current broadcast technology including AM, FM and DAB radio and analogue or digital cable satellite or terrestrial TV. Link Codes are carried with the audio through the broadcast chain until they reach the consumer's TV (or radio) receiver. They are then transmitted with the sound through the air from the existing loudspeaker.

Intrasonics Listener is a software application that runs on a mobile handset and analyses the signal picked up by its microphone in order to decode the Link Codes.

Link Codes are normally used to create a link between the media and a destination (e.g. a website). Once the handset has received a Link Code, it determines from the code the function required. This information is held on the Intrasonics ‘Director' server and synchronised locally by the handset. To follow a link, the handset uses the mobile network to communicate with the Intrasonics ‘Director' web server and determine the destination address. This destination address is then used by the user's handset browser to connect the user.

The server keeps a record of all "links" made between the broadcast content and the end-users and this information is available to the content originator for business purposes. This is the ‘Interactivity Gap' or missing link which characterises all current so-called interactive systems.

Increasingly, handsets allow users to easily download and run application programs, typically using Java, Android, iPhone or Symbian platforms. Intrasonics make use of this capability to provide the software-only decoder to the handsets of users who wish to receive Link Codes.

Intrasonics Link Codes use only the audible sound spectrum. They are not subsonic or ultra-sonic and therefore are perceived by animals in the same way as humans. Animals will not be disturbed by Intrasonics Link Codes. The audio levels for Intrasonics encoding are chosen to ensure they are unobtrusive to users who are listening to the broadcast audio.