Intrasonics is the leading technology for hiding data in audio and recovering it acoustically. Independent tests by our customers have shown that we consistently outperform the alternative solutions.
What does it do?
Intrasonics is a technology for embedding data in audio in a way which is unobtrusive to humans, but can be received and decoded by a portable device. Any audio source (TV, radio, PA systems) can be a transmitter, and in the vast majority of our systems the receiving portable device device is a mobile phone.
Emerging from several years of research and development, our core technology is starting to be used in comercial applications. Our acoustic data communications system is:
Robust: Broadcast tests have shown that the data remains intact though all broadcast quality compression schemes.
Reliable: Intrasonics data can be recovered in real-world situations and environments by a wide variety of mobile handsets and other portable devices.
Unobtrusive: Experts in audio quality have evaluated our encoded audio and passed it for use in broadcast services.
Versatile: Our technology can be adapted to many different applications.
Effective: Real-world trials with members of the public have shown that products built on Intrasonics can provide a novel, compelling, and appealing experience for end-users.
How does it work?
An encoder first embeds and hides data (link codes) in broadcast audio. This encoding can be done in real time or to a standard audio file on a PC/Mac.
The resulting audio with embedded data can be carried over standard broadcast networks and played out using standard TV and radio equipment (analogue or digital). The embedded data is unobtrusive and remains hidden to the listener hearing the sound, but the data is recognised by Intrasonics decoder in the portable device. The decoder, which is available as an over the air download for many mobile handsets, can recover the data and act upon it. In the case of an interactive game show, the data also synchronises the portable device to the broadcast content. Synchronisation accuracy is crucial for this since it provides the viewer at home with the experience of real time "live" interaction with a TV show.
Protected and proven
Intrasonics' technology is protected by an extensive patent portfolio covering our technology and and a variety of application areas.
End-to-end broadcast tests have demonstrated successful encode, transmit and decode through FM stereo, digital satellite and DAB.
F.A.Q.
- Oh, so it uses ultrasound or something?
- No, Intrasonics is encoded using part of the audible frequency band. This ensures wide compatibility with standard audio systems and portable devices.
- I don't want my phone listening in on everything I say!
- The Intrasonics software extracts our hidden data from audio, but does not do any other analysis of recorded audio. No recorded audio is stored on file or transmitted from the portable device.
- Do you need to have your mobile phone modified or buy extra hardware?
- No, the Intrasonics decoder has been carefully designed to run as software on standard mobile phone handsets, without requiring any extra hardware or modifications.
- What is the data being transmitted?
- Anything you want it to be! Intrasonics systems are typically used to transmit short 'trigger' codes rather than transferring large amounts of data, but the size of code and resulting action when the code is received will depend entirely on the application.
