Systems and methods of managing audio and other media

• US 20050091268A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Meyer, Joel R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,593,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and devices to manage media content. In one implementation, a method receives a media identifier that is generated by a user device. The media identifier is determined from at least a portion of a media signal. The method further includes determining a media title that corresponds to the media identifier; determining usage rights associated with at least one of the title and a user of the user device; and controlling access to the media title based at least in part on the usage rights. Another implementation provides a related user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a media identifier determined by a wireless handheld device, wherein the media identifier is determined from at least a portion of a media signal captured or received by the wireless handheld device;

determining a media title that corresponds to the media identifier;

determining usage rights associated with at least one of the media title and a user of the handheld device; and

controlling access to the media title based at least in part on the usage rights.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

.

identifying the user of the wireless handheld device; and

adding the media title to a library of media titles that is associated with the user if so permitted by the usage rights.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the library comprises a network-accessible library that is remotely located from the wireless handheld device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein usage rights associated with the user are associated through the wireless handheld device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the media title to the wireless handheld device if so permitted by the usage rights.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said controlling access controls access to the media title by the wireless handheld device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the media title comprises at least one of audio, video and image content.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the media identifier comprises a plural-bit identifier.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the media identifier is determined by deriving the identifier from at least a portion of the media signal.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the media identifier is determined by decoding steganographic encoding.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the steganographic encoding comprises digital watermarking.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the media identifier comprises or links to the usage rights.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a media identifier generated by a user device, wherein the media identifier is determined from at least a portion of a media signal;

determining a media title that corresponds to the media identifier;

determining usage rights associated with at least one of the media title and a user of the user device; and

controlling access to the media title based at least in part on the usage rights.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the user device comprises a wireless handheld device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

identifying the user of the wireless handheld device; and

adding the media title to a library of media titles that is associated with the user if so permitted by the usage rights.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the library comprises a network-accessible library that is remotely located from the wireless handheld device.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein usage rights associated with the user are associated through the user device.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing the media title to the user device if so permitted by the usage rights.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said controlling access controls access to the media title by the user device.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the media title comprises at least one of audio, video and image content.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the media identifier comprises a plural-bit identifier.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the media identifier is determined by deriving the identifier from at least a portion of the media signal.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the media identifier is determined by decoding steganographic encoding.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the steganographic encoding comprises digital watermarking.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the media identifier comprises or links to the usage rights.

26. A method comprising:

receiving a media signal in a wireless handheld device;

generating an identifier from at least a potion of the media signal;

communicating the identifier to a network resource, wherein the network resource identifies media content associated with the identifier; and

receiving the media content.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the media content is received by the wireless handheld device.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the media content is received only if a user of the wireless handheld device or the handheld device is authenticated.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the media content is received only if permitted by usage rights associated with a user of the wireless handheld device or the media content.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the media identifier comprises or links to the usage rights.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the media content is received by a device that is remotely located from the wireless handheld device.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein the wireless handheld device communicates with a cellular network.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein said generating comprises deriving a plural-bit identifier from at least of portion of the media signal.

34. The method of claim 26 wherein said generating comprises decoding a plural-bit identifier from steganographic encoding.

35. A wireless handheld device comprising:

a transceiver;

a processing unit;

a system bus;

. and memory in communication with the processing unit via the system bus, wherein the memory comprises instructions stored therein for execution by the processing unit, the instructions comprising instructions to;

(i);

determine a media identifier associated with a media signal, wherein the media identifier is determined from at least a portion of the media signal;

(ii);

provide the media identifier for communication through the transceiver, wherein the media identifier is to be provided to a network server, the network server identifying a media title associated with the media identifier and usage rights associated with at least one of the media title and a user of the wireless handheld device; and

(iii);

process a message received through the transceiver from the network server.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the message is routed through a network prior to receipt at the device.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein the network comprises a cellular network.

38. The device of claim 35, wherein the media identifier is routed through a network prior to receipt by the network server.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the network comprises a cellular network.

40. A computer readable storage medium comprising the instructions of claim 35 stored thereon.

41. The device of claim 35 wherein the message comprises at least one of audio and video.

42. The device of claim 35 wherein the media title comprises at least one of audio, video and image content.

43. The device of claim 35 wherein the instructions to determine a media identifier associated with a media signal comprise instructions to derive the identifier from a portion of the media signal.

44. The device of claim 35 wherein the identifier further comprises or links to the usage rights.

45. The device of claim 35 wherein the instructions to determine a media identifier associated with a media signal comprise instructions to decode the identifier from steganographic encoding encoded in at least a portion of the media signal.

46. The device of claim 45 wherein the identifier further comprises or links to the usage rights.