Digital Media Methods

• US 20070195987A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1078 Logging; Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A consumer who encounters music of interest can operate a portable device to obtain a display of associated meta data (e.g., the title and artist, the artist'"'"'s concert schedule, etc.) obtained from a remote computer system. The consumer can then initiate an electronic commerce transaction from the device, e.g., ordering a copy of a song. The song, or a link thereto, can be sent to the consumer (either at the originating device, or a separate device), or can be sent to another person designated by the consumer. A variety of other technologies and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. In a method that includes sensing audio in a device, generating identifier data from the sensed audio, and determining information related to said audio by reference to said identifier data, an improvement comprising:

receiving at said device, from a remote computer system and responsive to information sent by said device to said remote computer system, meta data associated with said audio, said meta data including title and artist information;

presenting at least certain of said meta data to a user of said device;

following a user'"'"'s interaction with a user interface associated with said device, sensing a signal indicating the user'"'"'s interest in particular electronic content for which meta data is presented;

transmitting data related to said user indication from said device to a remote system; and

in response, delivering corresponding content data to a desired computer distinct from said device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said device comprises a portable device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said sensing includes sensing ambient audio, using a microphone in said portable device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said portable device comprises a cell phone.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitted data also serves to designate a recipient of said corresponding content data, different from said user, and the method includes delivering said corresponding content data to a computer associated with said recipient.

6. The method of claim 5 which further comprises selecting said recipient from an electronic address book.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said delivered content data comprises a link to a network address from which electronic content can be obtained.

8. The method of claim 1 that includes decoding steganographically embedded information from the sensed audio.

9. A method comprising:

sensing audio of interest at a portable device;

sending data related to the sensed audio to a remote computer system;

receiving at a portable device, from said remote computer, meta data associated with the sensed audio, said meta data including title information;

presenting at least certain of said meta data on a display of said portable device;

following a user'"'"'s interaction with a user interface associated with said device, sensing a signal indicating the user'"'"'s interest in particular electronic content for which meta data is displayed;

transmitting data related to said user indication from said portable device to a remote system; and

in response, delivering corresponding content data to a desired computer distinct from said portable device.

10. A method comprising:

sensing audio of interest that is being streamed to a first user device from a first remote computer;

in response to action by a user, sending identification data related to the sensed audio from said first user device to a second remote computer distinct from the first, to thereby cause delivery of corresponding content data to a recipient computer;

wherein said delivery occurs while said audio of interest is still being streamed to the first user device.

11. The method of claim 10 in which said recipient computer comprises said first user device.

12. The method of claim 10 in which said recipient computer is distinct from said first user device.

13. The method of claim 10 in which the first remote computer is distinct from the second remote computer.

14. The method of claim 10 that further includes sending address information for a desired recipient to said second remote computer, said recipient being distinct from said user.

15. The method of claim 10 in which said corresponding content data comprises a digital music file.

16. A method comprising:

sensing audio of interest at a portable device;

sending data related to the sensed audio to a remote computer system; and

receiving at said portable device, from said remote computer, concert information for an artist associated with said audio.