Fingerprinting of Media Signals

• US 20070250716A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey, Brunk, Hugh, Levy, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to fingerprinting, e.g., a reduced-bit representation or other identifier of a media signal (e.g., audio, video or still images). One method recites: receiving a partial fingerprint of a media signal, wherein the partial fingerprint is derived from the media signal itself, the partial fingerprint being computed a first location; processing the partial fingerprint to obtain a more refined fingerprint, relative to the partial fingerprint, the act of processing occurring at a second location that is remote from the first location; and based at least in part of the refined fingerprint, identifying the media signal or information associated with the media signal. Another method recites: obtaining a fingerprint derived from a media signal, the fingerprint comprising a reduce-bit representation of the media signal; determining information associated with the fingerprint or the media signal; and causing a text message to be sent to a mobile device representing at least a portion of the information. Of course, other methods and combinations are described and claimed as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining data representing a media signal;

searching the data for a digital watermark component;

obtaining information associated with the digital watermark component;

influencing a fingerprinting process according to the information associated with the digital watermark component; and

determining a fingerprint of the data representing the media signal utilizing the fingerprinting process influenced according to the information associated with the digital watermark component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital watermark component comprises an orientation signal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the information associated with the digital watermark component includes information pertaining to signal distortion.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information associated with the digital watermark component includes information corresponding to timing associated with the data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining additional data conveyed with the data representing a media signal, and wherein said act of influencing utilizes both the information associated with the digital watermark component and the additional data conveyed with the data representing a media signal to influence the fingerprinting process.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the additional data conveyed with the data representing a media signal comprises copy control information or a distribution identifier.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the fingerprinting process determines a reduced-bit identifier of the data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the fingerprint process utilizes a hash.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information includes a cue signal indicating a correct time or time window to determine the fingerprint.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said act of influencing comprising altering or changing the fingerprinting process.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the fingerprint identifies the media signal.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.

13. A computer readable memory comprising instructions or data to perform the method of claim 1.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a partial fingerprint of a media signal, wherein the partial fingerprint is derived from the media signal itself, the partial fingerprint being computed at a first location;

processing the partial fingerprint to obtain a more refined fingerprint, relative to the partial fingerprint, said act of processing occurring at a second location that is remote from the first location;

based at least in part of the refined fingerprint, identifying the media signal or information associated with the media signal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first location comprises a user device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said second location comprises a server.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein generation of the partial fingerprint is relatively less computationally intensive relative to generation of the refined fingerprint.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.

30. A computer readable memory comprising instructions or data to perform the method of claim 14.

19. A method comprising:

obtaining a fingerprint derived from a media signal, the fingerprint comprising a reduce-bit representation of the media signal;

determining information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal;

causing a text message to be sent to a mobile device representing at least a portion of the information.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.

21. A computer readable memory comprising instructions or data to perform the method of claim 19.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the mobile device generates the fingerprint.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said method is executed remotely from said mobile device.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the fingerprint is generated upon user activation of a fetch command provided by the mobile device.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the fetch command comprises a voice command.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein said method is executed remotely from said mobile device.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein the fingerprint is derived from a compressed form of the media signal.

29. The method of claim 19 wherein the mobile device comprises a cell phone.