Mobile station and interface adapted for feature extraction from an input media sample

• US 20050227674A1
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Makipaa, Mikko, Kopra, Toni, Vaananen, Mauri
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8242 Transaction based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7846 Transaction based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243

Abstract

A mobile station has a processor and a user input mechanism such as a button that is operable to cause the processor to extract at least one feature from a digital media sample. The feature, such as a spectral centroid, is descriptive of an identity of a content of the media sample. Preferably, the same user input that causes the feature extraction also causes a transmitter to establish a link and to send a message to a network address, the message having a plurality of extracted features from which the digital media sample may not be reconstructed. Where a reply message identifies a media file that matches the media sample, another user input at the same or a different button causes an authorization message to be sent so that a copy of the media file, identified in the reply message and having features that exactly match the plurality of extracted and transmitted features, is downloaded to the mobile station.

Claims

1. A mobile station comprising:

a processor; and

a user input mechanism operable to cause the processor to extract at least one feature from a digital media sample, said feature being descriptive of an identity of a content of said media sample.

2. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein said user input mechanism is enabled to initiate different functions at different times, one such function being to cause the processor to extract the at least one feature.

3. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein said user input mechanism comprises a dedicated button having a single function of causing the processor to extract the at least one feature.

4. The mobile station of claim 1 further comprising a transmitter coupled to said processor, wherein a single user input at the input mechanism operates to cause the processor to extract the at least one feature, to cause the processor to initiate a wireless link to a network, and to cause the transmitter to transmit the at least one feature over the initiated wireless link.

5. The mobile station of claim 4 wherein the single user input causes the transmitter to transmit a message comprising a plurality of features extracted from the digital media sample, wherein the message carries insufficient information from which to reconstruct the digital media sample.

6. The mobile station of claim 4 wherein said link is to a network address of a music recognition service, said network address stored in a storage media of said mobile station.

7. The mobile station of claim 4 further comprising a receiver and a display interface coupled to one another through said processor, said display interface for displaying an identifier of the media sample in response to receiving a reply message at the receiver over the link from the network, said reply message in response to the transmitted at least one extracted feature.

8. The mobile station of claim 7 wherein the identifier is a text identifier.

9. The mobile station of claim 7 wherein the said user input mechanism comprises a first user input mechanism, the mobile station further comprising a second user input mechanism by which a user may send an authorization message over the link directed to purchasing a copy of a media file referenced in the reply message.

10. The mobile station of claim 9 wherein said authorization message is an authorization to immediately download said copy of the media file to the mobile station over the link that is automatically compiled in response to receiving the reply message.

11. The mobile station of claim 9 wherein said first and second user input mechanisms comprise a single input mechanism that effects first and second functions, respectively, at different times.

12. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein said single input mechanism comprises a button that changes from said first to said second function following receipt of said reply message.

13. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein said single button is enabled to effect only the first and second functions.

14. The mobile station of claim 1 further comprising a storage media and a display interface by which a digital media sample stored in the storage media may be selected, said user input mechanism operating to cause the processor to extract at least one feature from a digital media sample stored in the storage media.

15. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the means to receive a media sample comprises a transducer to receive an analog media sample from which is derived the digital media sample from which the processor extracts the at least one feature.

16. The mobile station of claim 15 further comprising a buffer memory, disposed between said transducer and said processor, to temporarily store at least a portion of the digital media sample, said user input mechanism operable to cause the processor to extract at least one feature from at least the portion that is temporarily stored in the buffer memory.

17. The mobile station of claim 16 wherein said user input mechanism is operable to cause the buffer to so temporarily store and the processor to so extract upon a single user input.

18. The mobile station of claim 1 further comprising:

means to receive the digital media sample from which the processor extracts the at least one feature, and

a display interface to display a symbol corresponding to the received digital media sample.

19. The mobile station of claim 18, further comprising:

a transducer to receive and convert an analog media sample to a second digital media sample, wherein the user input mechanism operates to cause the processor to extract at least one feature from the received digital media sample when the displayed symbol is selected by a user of the mobile station, and from the second digital media sample when no displayed symbol is selected by the user.

20. A user interface of a portable electronic device comprising:

a user input mechanism enabled to cause a processor internal to the device to extract a plurality of features from a digital media sample, and to cause the plurality of extracted features to be transmitted outside the device, upon a single user entry at the user input mechanism; and

a display screen to display, automatically in response to the device receiving a reply message to the plurality of extracted features that is transmitted, a text identifier of a media file having features that exactly match the plurality of extracted features,

wherein the plurality of extracted features are descriptive of an identity of a content of said media sample.

21. The user interface of claim 20 wherein the user input mechanism is further enabled to cause an authorization message to be transmitted outside the device following receipt of the reply message, said authorization message comprising:

a media file identifier received in the reply message, and

a request to download to the device a copy of said media file.

22. The user interface of claim 20 wherein the plurality of extracted features are transmitted in a message from which the digital media sample may not be reconstructed.

23. A mobile station comprising:

input means for receiving a media sample;

processing means extracting at least one feature from a digital version of said media sample, said feature being descriptive of an identity of a content of said media sample; and

user input means for causing the processing means to so extract.

24. The mobile station of claim 23, wherein the processing means comprises a computer processor.

25. The mobile station of claim 23, further comprising transmitting means, and the user input means further are for causing the transmitting means, automatically following the processing means extracting the at least one feature, to transmit a message that comprises the at least one extracted feature.

26. A program of machine-readable instructions, tangibly embodied on an information bearing medium within a mobile station and executable by a digital data processor, to perform actions directed toward analyzing a media sample, the actions comprising:

in response to a user input, extracting features from a digital version of a media sample and causing a transmitter to wirelessly transmit the extracted features.

27. The program of machine readable instructions of claim 26, where the features are extracted and the transmitter is caused to wirelessly transmit in response to the same user input.