Inferring information about media stream objects

• US 20050086682A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Herley, Cormac E., Burges, Christopher J. C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Information about media objects within media streams is inferred based on repeat instances of the media objects within the media streams. A system and methods enable the monitoring of one or more media streams and the identification of repeat instances of media objects (e.g., audio and/or video objects) within the media streams. The monitoring and object repeat identification is performed by one or more server computers on a network. Information about a media object can be inferred based on repeat instances of the media object and based on repeat instances of related media objects. The information is transferred from a server to a client in response to a user query entered at the client through an interactive user interface.

Claims

1. A processor-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured for:

receiving a request for information regarding a media object;

inferring the information from repeat instances of media objects occurring within one or more media streams; and

returning the information.

2. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises searching a database for the information, the database including media objects and records of repeat instances of the media objects.

3. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises:

monitoring the one or more media streams;

identifying the repeat instances; and

storing records of the repeat instances in a database.

4. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises comparing temporal lengths of repeat instances of the media object with one another to determine different versions of the media object, the different versions of the media object selected from the group comprising:

a longest version of the media object;

a number of longer versions of the media object;

a shortest version of the media object; and

a number of shorter versions of the media object.

5. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises determining a most-related media object, the most-related media object being temporally adjacent to the media object with a greater frequency of repeat instances than any other media object.

6. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises determining a number of related media objects, the related media objects occurring within a close temporal proximity of the media object with a higher frequency of repeat instances relative to one another.

7. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises matching a key word from the request with metadata extracted from a media object.

8. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises matching date and time information from the request with date and time information of a media object stored in a database.

9. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises limiting returned media objects based on constraints contained within the request.

10. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the inferring comprises identifying temporal endpoints of each repeat instance of the media object.

11. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the identifying is based on an identifier included in the request, the identifier selected from the group comprising:

a fingerprint of the media object; and

a time stamp and channel code associated with the media object.

12. A server computer comprising the processor-readable medium as recited in claim 1.

13. A processor-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured for:

receiving user input regarding a media object;

sending a request for an additional media object based on the user input;

receiving the additional media object; and

rendering the additional media object.

14. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the request for information specifies information items selected from the group comprising:

a current media station delivering the media object;

an identifier of the media object;

a command to retrieve a number of media objects that each include a portion of the media object;

a command to retrieve a longest media object that includes a portion of the media object;

a command to retrieve a number of related media objects;

a command to retrieve a number of most popular media objects;

a command to search across like media stations; and

a command to search across all media stations.

15. A processor-readable medium as recited in claim 13, comprising further processor-executable instructions configured for rendering a media stream that includes the media object.

16. A client computer comprising the processor-readable medium as recited in claim 13.

17. A system comprising:

a media application configured to render a media stream; and

a user interface module configured to enable a user to enter a request for additional media objects related to a media object from the media stream.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, further comprising an object identification module configured to identify the media object within the request.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, further comprising an inference module configured to monitor the media stream and recognize repeat instances of media objects from the media stream.

20. A system as recited in claim 19, further comprising a database configured to store media objects and information about the repeat instances, the inference module further configured to receive the request for additional media objects and to determine the additional media objects based on the repeat instances.