Audio fingerprinting

• US 20050289066A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Weare, Christopher Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal

Abstract

A system and methods for the creation, management, and distribution of media entity fingerprinting are provided. In connection with a system that convergently merges perceptual and digital signal processing analysis of media entities for purposes of classifying the media entities, various means are provided to a user for automatically processing fingerprints for media entities for distribution to participating users. Techniques for providing efficient calculation and distribution of fingerprints for use in satisfying copyright regulations and in facilitating the association of meta data to media entities are included. In an illustrative implementation, the fingerprints may be generated and stored allowing for persistence of media from experience to experience.

Claims

1. A method for creating fingerprints for media entities, comprising:

reading data representative of a media entity for which a fingerprint is desired, said media entity data containing a sequence of random bits having a length N; and

processing said media entity data in accordance with at least one fingerprinting algorithm, said fingerprinting algorithm employing bit-to-bit comparisons and at least one approximation technique to process fingerprints.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said processing step further comprises:

calculating the average information density of said media entities.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said processing step further comprises:

determining the standard deviation of the average information density of said media entities.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said processing step further comprises:

calculating the average critical band energy of the said media entities.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said processing step further comprises:

calculating the standard deviation of the average critical band energy of said media entities.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said processing step further comprises:

determining the play-time of said media entities.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said processing step further comprises:

processing said information density and said standard deviation of said information density to produce a bit-sequence representative of said fingerprint.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said processing step further comprises:

processing said critical band energy and said standard deviation of said critical band energy to produce a bit-sequence representative of said fingerprint.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said processing step further comprises:

processing said play time to produce a bit-sequence representative of said fingerprint.

10. A computer readable medium bearing computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 1.

11. A system for creating fingerprints for media entities, comprising:

means for reading data representative of a media entity for which a fingerprint is desired, said media entity data containing a sequence of random bits having a length N; and

means for processing said media entity data in accordance with at least one fingerprinting algorithm, said fingerprinting algorithm employing bit-to-bit comparisons and at least one approximation technique to process fingerprints.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said means for processing further includes:

means for calculating the average information density of said media entities.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said means for processing further includes:

means for determining the standard deviation of the average information density of said media entities.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said means for processing further includes:

means for calculating the average critical band energy of the said media entities.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein said means for processing further includes:

means for calculating the standard deviation of the average critical band energy of said media entities.

16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said means for processing further includes:

means for determining the play-time of said media entities.

17. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said means for processing further includes:

means for processing said information density and said standard deviation of said information density to produce a bit-sequence representative of said fingerprint.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said means for processing further includes:

means for processing said critical band energy and said standard deviation of said critical band energy to produce a bit-sequence representative of said fingerprint.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein said means for processing further includes:

means for processing said play time to produce a bit-sequence representative of said fingerprint.

20. A system for creating fingerprints for media entities, comprising:

an input component for receiving data representative of a media entity for which a fingerprint is desired, said media entity data containing a sequence of random bits having a length N; and

a processor for processing said media entity data in accordance with at least one fingerprinting algorithm, said fingerprinting algorithm employing bit-to-bit comparisons and at least one approximation technique to process fingerprints.