Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to provide secondary content in association with primary broadcast media content
First Claim
1. A method of decoding a code from an audio signal associated with first media output by a first media presentation device, the method comprising:
- sampling the audio signal to generate a sampled audio signal;
transforming the sampled audio signal into a frequency domain representation;
determining characteristics of frequencies in a plurality of code bands of the frequency domain representation that may contain the code, the code representative of at least one of the first media or a broadcaster of the first media, the code, if present, being encoded in the audio signal using a plurality of frequency components across the plurality of code bands;
normalizing the characteristics of the frequencies of respective ones of the code bands, the characteristic frequencies of a first one of the code bands being normalized against a threshold characteristic of a first frequency in the first one of the code bands;
comparing sums of the normalized characteristics for groups of frequencies across the plurality of code bands to identify a first group of frequencies with a largest sum; and
determining that the first group of frequencies is representative of the code to decode the code from the first group of frequencies; and
transmitting a wireless signal to a second media presentation device, the wireless signal including the decoded code, the wireless signal to trigger the second media presentation device to A) transmit the decoded code to a ratings server to cause the ratings server to
1) obtain second media based on the decoded code and
2) determine audience rating information corresponding to presentation of the first media on the first media presentation device and presentation of the second media on the second media presentation device based on the decoded code, and B) present the second media at the second media presentation device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to provide media content are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving an audio signal output by a first media presentation device, the audio signal being associated with first media content, decoding the audio signal to extract a code from the audio signal, the code identifying at least one of the first media content or a broadcaster of the first media content, setting a clock using a timestamp associated with the code, obtaining second media content based on the code and the timestamp, the second media content comprising a plurality of pieces of secondary content for respective ones of a plurality of timestamps, and presenting, at a second media presentation device, a first of the plurality of pieces of secondary media when its respective timestamp substantially corresponds to a time value obtained from the clock.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of decoding a code from an audio signal associated with first media output by a first media presentation device, the method comprising:
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sampling the audio signal to generate a sampled audio signal; transforming the sampled audio signal into a frequency domain representation; determining characteristics of frequencies in a plurality of code bands of the frequency domain representation that may contain the code, the code representative of at least one of the first media or a broadcaster of the first media, the code, if present, being encoded in the audio signal using a plurality of frequency components across the plurality of code bands; normalizing the characteristics of the frequencies of respective ones of the code bands, the characteristic frequencies of a first one of the code bands being normalized against a threshold characteristic of a first frequency in the first one of the code bands; comparing sums of the normalized characteristics for groups of frequencies across the plurality of code bands to identify a first group of frequencies with a largest sum; and determining that the first group of frequencies is representative of the code to decode the code from the first group of frequencies; and transmitting a wireless signal to a second media presentation device, the wireless signal including the decoded code, the wireless signal to trigger the second media presentation device to A) transmit the decoded code to a ratings server to cause the ratings server to
1) obtain second media based on the decoded code and
2) determine audience rating information corresponding to presentation of the first media on the first media presentation device and presentation of the second media on the second media presentation device based on the decoded code, and B) present the second media at the second media presentation device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
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sample an audio signal associated with first media output by a first media presentation device to generate a sampled audio signal; transform the sampled audio signal into a frequency domain representation; determine characteristics of frequencies in a plurality of code bands of the frequency domain representation that may contain a code, the code representative of at least one of the first media or a broadcaster of the first media, the code, if present, being encoded in the audio signal using a plurality of frequency components across the plurality of code bands; normalize the characteristics of the frequencies of respective ones of the code bands, the characteristic frequencies of a first one of the code bands being normalized against a threshold characteristic of a first frequency in the first one of the code bands; compare sums of the normalized characteristics for groups of frequencies across the plurality of code bands to identify a first group of frequencies with a largest sum; and determine that the first group of frequencies is representative of the code to decode the code from the first group of frequencies; and transmit a wireless signal to a second media presentation device, the wireless signal including the decoded code, the wireless signal to trigger the second media presentation device to A) transmit the decoded code to a ratings server to cause the ratings server to
1) obtain second media based on the decoded code and
2) determine audience rating information corresponding to presentation of the first media on the first media presentation device and presentation of the second media on the second media presentation device based on the decoded code, and B) present the second media at the second media presentation device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus comprising:
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a decoder including; a sampler to sample an audio signal associated with first media output by a first media presentation device to generate a sampled audio signal; a time-to-frequency domain converter to transform the sampled audio signal into a frequency domain representation; a code frequency monitor to; determine characteristics of frequencies in a plurality of code bands of the frequency domain representation that may contain the code, the code representative of at least one of the first media or a broadcaster of the first media, the code, if present, being encoded in the audio signal using a plurality of frequency components across the plurality of code bands; normalize the characteristics of the frequencies of respective ones of the code bands, the characteristic frequencies of a first one of the code bands being normalized against a threshold characteristic of a first frequency in the first one of the code bands; compare sums of the normalized characteristics for groups of frequencies across the plurality of code bands to identify a first group of frequencies with a largest sum; and determine that the first group of frequencies is representative of the code and decode the code from the first group of frequencies; and a wireless interface to transmit a wireless signal to a second media presentation device, the wireless signal including the decoded code, the wireless signal to trigger the second media presentation device to A) transmit the decoded code to a ratings server to cause the ratings server to
1) obtain second media based on the decoded code and
2) determine audience rating information corresponding to presentation of the first media on the first media presentation device and presentation of the second media on the second media presentation device based on the decoded code, and B) present the second media at the second media presentation device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification