Method and system for purchasing pre-recorded music

• US 20040199387A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shazam Ivestments Ltd. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, Christopher Jacques, Mukherjee, Dheeraj Shankar, Inghelbrecht, Philip, Wang, Avery Li-Chun
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system is described which allows users to identify (pre-recorded) sounds such as music, radio broadcast, commercials, and other audio signals in almost any environment. The audio signal (or sound) must be a recording represented in a database of recordings. The service can quickly identify the signal from just a few seconds of excerption, while tolerating high noise and distortion. Once the signal is identified to the user, the user may perform transactions interactively in real-time or offline using the identification information.

Claims

1. A method for identifying recorded sound signals comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a sound stream containing at least a portion of an unidentified recorded sound;

b) processing the received sound stream to construct a set of values corresponding to characteristics of the unidentified recorded sound;

c) searching a library having a plurality of sets of values corresponding to characteristics of a plurality of identified recorded sounds; and

d) comparing the constructed set of values to one or more sets of values in the library.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including a step of selecting an identified recorded sound to the unidentified recorded sound based on a result of the comparing step c).

3. The method according to claim 2, further including a step of returning information relating to the selected identified recorded sound to the user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unidentified recorded sound is provided to the user over a transmission medium.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the transmission medium includes acoustic waves.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the transmission medium includes radio waves.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the transmission medium includes digital audio streams.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the transmission medium includes PCM streams.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the transmission medium includes internet streaming broadcasts.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the digital audio stream is compressed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the compressed digital audio stream is a Dolby Digital or MP3 audio stream.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein the information is returned over a first delivery channel, the first delivery channel including a user interface selected from the group consisting of real-time reporting interfaces and offline reporting interfaces.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the real-time reporting interface is an interactive voice response interface.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the reported information is provided to the user as a voice report.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the real-time reporting interface is a WAP browser interface.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the offline reporting interface is an internet browser interface.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sound stream is received over a second delivery channel selected from the group consisting of POTS lines, wireless cellular, wireless PCM, GSM, internet, radio, satellite, and a network.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network includes a local area network.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network includes an Ethernet network.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network includes one or more private networks.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network includes a cable network.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network operates according to a short-range wireless protocol.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein short-range wireless protocol includes the Bluetooth wireless standard.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sound stream is captured by a capture device operated by a user

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes a telephone.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes a mobile telephone.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes a tape recorder.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes a digital voice recorder.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes an answering machine.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes a radio receiver.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes a walkie-talkie.

32. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes an internet streaming socket.

33. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capture devices includes a voice-over-IP transceivers.

34. The method according to claim 2, wherein the result is obtained by determining a score associated with the constructed set of values and one or more sets of values in the library.

35. An apparatus for identifying music to a user exposed to a broadcast that includes music unidentified to the user comprising:

a) a receiver arranged to receive a signal including a captured sample of the broadcast from the user;

b) a signal analyzer for determining from the signal a characteristic of the captured sample;

c) a database containing a library of identity records; and

d) a comparator that compares the determined characteristic to characteristics associated with identity records contained in the database for locating an identity record that matches the captured sample.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, further including a transmitter for transmitting information related to the located identity record to the user.

37. The apparatus according to claim 35, further including an interactive voice response unit.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the interactive voice response unit is operated from a script which includes an offer to sell to the user a music recording including at least a song which corresponds to the located identity record.

39. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the interactive voice response unit is operated from a script which includes an offer to provide to the user information relating to the located identity record.

40. The apparatus according to claim 35, further including a music player for playing a recording of a song corresponding to the located identity record to the user.

41. The apparatus according to claim 35, further including a music downloader for downloading a recording of a song corresponding to the located identity record to the user.

42. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the downloader downloads the recording to a user device.

43. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the user device is selected from the group consisting of PCs, PDAs, internet access devices, wireless internet devices, mobile telephones, wireless information devices, and pagers.

44. A method for identifying recorded sound signals comprising:

a) receiving a signal including a captured sample of an audio signal;

b) deriving from the signal a characteristic of the captured sample;

c) comparing the characteristic of the captured sample to a characteristic associated with a stored identity record of identified sound signals contained in a database; and

d) determining a probability of a match between the audio signal and a stored identity record using the results of the comparing step c).

45. A method for detecting use of copyrighted audio media, the method comprising:

a) receiving a signal including a captured sample of an audio signal;

b) deriving from the signal a characteristic of the captured sample;

c) comparing the characteristic of the captured sample to a characteristic associated with a stored identity record of copyrighted audio media contained in a database; and

d) determining a probability of a match between the audio signal and a stored identity record using the results of the comparing step c).