Method and apparatus for modifying a media database with broadcast media

• US 20030084459A1
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Buxton, Mark J., Lopez-Estrada, Alex A.
• Application Number:
  US10/017,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20030084459A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A method and apparatus for modifying a media database with broadcast media. A receiver receives a broadcast signal from a broadcast source. A selector selects a segment of the broadcast signal. An identifier determines if the selected broadcast segment contains valid signal content in relation to a plurality of signals, which are stored in a signal database. A modifier modifies the signal database with a portion of the selected segment if the segment is identified as having valid signal content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal from a broadcast source;

selecting a broadcast segment of said broadcast signal;

determining if said broadcast segment contains a valid signal content for a signal database, wherein said signal database is a plurality of stored signals; and

,

modifying said signal database with signal information from a portion of said broadcast segment if said broadcast segment contains a valid signal content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a broadcast signal comprises receiving an audio signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a broadcast signal includes receiving an analog signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a broadcast signal comprises receiving a signal from a network connection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if said broadcast segment contains a valid signal content includes:

selecting a portion of said broadcast segment;

measuring at least one signal characteristic value of said portion; and

,

comparing said signal characteristic value to a pre-determined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if said broadcast segment contains a valid signal content includes:

generating a signal descriptor for a portion of the broadcast segment;

computing an equivalence value for said signal descriptor and a descriptor in a descriptor database; and

,

comparing said equivalence value to a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying said signal database includes adding a portion of said broadcast segment to said signal database.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying said signal database includes updating at least one portion of a signal in the signal database with signal information from a portion of the broadcast segment.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving an analog signal includes converting the analog signal to a digital signal.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein computing said equivalence value includes calculating a correlation coefficient.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein computing said equivalence value includes calculating a likeness coefficient.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein generating a signal descriptor includes selecting a portion of said broadcast segment as the signal descriptor.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein generating a signal descriptor includes:

selecting a portion of said broadcast segment;

measuring at least one signal characteristic of said portion; and

,

selecting at least one signal characteristic as a signal descriptor.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein updating at least one portion of a signal in the signal database with signal information from a portion of said broadcast segment inlcudes:

averaging a portion of said broadcast segment with a portion of a signal in the signal database resulting in an average signal; and

,

storing the average signal in the signal database.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein measuring at least one signal characteristic includes measuring a signal amplitude.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein measuring at least one signal characteristic includes measuring at least one signal frequency.

17. A machine readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions to be executed by a processor, the execution of said instructions to implement a method comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal from a broadcast source;

selecting a broadcast segment of said broadcast signal;

determining if said broadcast segment contains a valid signal content for a signal database, wherein said signal database is a plurality of stored signals; and

,

modifying said signal database with signal information from a portion of said broadcast segment if said broadcast segment contains a valid signal content.

18. The medium of claim 17 wherein the execution of said instructions further cause the modifying of said signal database by adding a portion of the broadcast segment to said signal database.

19. The medium of claim 17 wherein the execution of said instructions further cause the modifying of said signal database by updating at least one portion of a signal in the signal database with signal information from a portion of the broadcast segment.

20. A system comprising:

a receiver to receive a broadcast signal;

a first memory coupled with said receiver to store a broadcast signal segment;

a processing device coupled with said first memory to process said broadcast signal, wherein processing comprises;

selecting a broadcast segment of said broadcast signal;

determining if said broadcast segment contains a valid signal content for a signal database, wherein a signal database is a plurality of stored signals; and

modifying said signal database with signal information from a portion of the selected broadcast segment if said broadcast segment contains a valid signal content;

a second memory coupled with said processor to store a signal database; and

a third memory coupled with said processor to store a descriptor database.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising a fourth memory coupled with said processor to store an identification database, wherein said identification database contains information associated with a signal in the signal database and a descriptor in the descriptor database.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the first, second, and third memory are in system memory.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the first, second, and third memories are separate memory devices.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver to receive a broadcast signal;

a selector to select a portion of said received broadcast signal;

an identifier to identify at least one signal characteristic of said portion;

a database to store signal information; and

a modifier to modify said database with signal information from said portion.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the identifier further includes a descriptor generator.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the receiver is a radio broadcast signal receiver.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a descriptor generator to generate descriptors of signals.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a modifier to modify a signal database.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising an identifier to analyze signal characteristics.

30. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a selector to select a segment of a broadcast signal.