Methods and Systems for Identifying Information of a Broadcast Station and Information of Broadcasted Content

• US 20140280265A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shazam Ivestments Ltd. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Avery Li-Chun
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Methods and systems for identifying information of a broadcast station and information of broadcasted content are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving at a client device media content rendered by a media rendering source, and the client device making an attempt to determine an identity of the media content based on information stored on the client device. The method also includes based on the attempt of the client device to determine the identity of the media content, determining an identity of the media rendering source. The method further includes based on the attempt of the client device to determine the identity of the media content and on determining the identity of the media rendering source, sending information indicative of the media content to a content recognition server to determine the identity of the media content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a client device media content rendered by a media rendering source;

the client device making an attempt to determine an identity of the media content based on information stored on the client device;

based on the attempt of the client device to determine the identity of the media content, determining an identity of the media rendering source; and

based on the attempt of the client device to determine the identity of the media content and on determining the identity of the media rendering source, sending information indicative of the media content to a content recognition server to determine the identity of the media content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the media rendering source comprises:

sending information indicative of the media content to a broadcast identification server to determine the identity of the media rendering source; and

receiving information indicative of the identity of the media rendering source from the broadcast identification server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising also receiving from the broadcast identification server information indicative of the identity of the media content.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the client device determining the identity of the media content based on reference to a playlist of content rendered by the media rendering source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the playlist of content rendered by the media rendering source is stored on the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the media rendering source comprises:

sending information indicative of the media content to a broadcast identification server to determine the identity of the media rendering source; and

wherein based on determining the identity of the media rendering source comprises based on receiving information indicative of the identity of the media rendering source from the broadcast identification server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the media rendering source comprises the client device determining the identity of the media rendering source based on a temporal comparison of characteristics of the media content with characteristics of a source sample taken from content rendered by the media rendering source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the media rendering source comprises:

the client device determining the identity of the media content; and

the client device using the identity of the media content to determine the identity of the media rendering source.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the client device successfully determining the identity of the media content based on information stored on the client device; and

the client device determining the identity of the media rendering source based on reference to a playlist of content rendered by the media rendering source and the identity of the content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device making an attempt to determine an identity of the media content based on information stored on the client device comprises comparing characteristics of the media content with one or more signature files of media content stored on the client device, wherein the one or more signature files are each indicative of one or more features extracted from given media content and information identifying the media content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a given signature file includes a temporally mapped collection of the one or more features extracted the given media content, wherein each of the one or more features describes the given media content in a vicinity of a mapped timepoint.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the client device determining the identity of the media content based on information stored on the client device comprises:

determining one or more features of the received media content; and

comparing the one or more features of the received media content with the one or more features extracted from media content as indicated by the one or more signature files to determine a match of one or more features.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving at the client device media content rendered by the media rendering source comprises receiving the media content at the client device using a microphone of the client device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the attempt of the client device to determine the identity of the media content being unsuccessful, determining an identity of the media rendering source; and

based on the attempt of the client device to determine the identity of the media content being unsuccessful and on determining the identity of the media rendering source being unsuccessful, sending information indicative of the media content to a content recognition server to determine the identity of the media content.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving media content rendered by a media rendering source;

making an attempt to determine an identity of the media content based on information stored on the client device;

based on the attempt to determine the identity of the media content, determining an identity of the media rendering source; and

based on the attempt to determine the identity of the media content and on determining the identity of the media rendering source, sending information indicative of the media content to a content recognition server to determine the identity of the media content.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the identity of the media rendering source comprises:

sending information indicative of the media content to a broadcast identification server to determine the identity of the media rendering source; and

receiving information indicative of the identity of the media rendering source from the broadcast identification server.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

based on the attempt to determine the identity of the media content being unsuccessful, determining the identity of the media rendering source; and

using the identity of the media rendering source to determine the identity of the media content.

18. A device comprising:

a database configured to receive and store information indicative of one or more features of media content and information identifying the media content; and

a content identification module coupled to the database and configured to (i) make an attempt to determine an identity of received media content rendered by a media rendering source based on a comparison with the stored information in the database, (ii) based on the attempt, to determine an identity of the media rendering source, and (iii) based on the attempt and on the determine the identity of the media rendering source, to send information indicative of the media content to a content recognition server to determine the identity of the media content.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the database is configured to store a playlist of content rendered by the media rendering source, and wherein the content identification module is further configured to determine the identity of the media rendering source based on reference to the playlist of content rendered by the media rendering source.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the content identification module is further configured to:

based on the attempt to determine the identity of the media content being unsuccessful, determine the identity of the media rendering source; and

based on the attempt to determine the identity of the media content being unsuccessful and on the determine the identity of the media rendering source being unsuccessful, send information indicative of the media content to the content recognition server to determine the identity of the media content.