Method and apparatus for recognizing broadcast information using multi-frequency magnitude detection

• US 5,437,050 A
• Filed: 11/09/1992
• Issued: 07/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew M. Economos, Elliot F. Mazer, Robert G. Lamb
• Inventors: Mazer, Elliot F., Lamb, Robert G., Economos, Andrew M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WISLER, MARK
• Application Number:
  US07/973,779
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 364/484, 364/485, 364/554, 364/487, 455/2, 358/84, 381/42, 381/43, 395/2, 382/16, 382/17, 382/14, 382/15, 382/34, 382/36, 348/1-5
• US Class Current: 725/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recognizing broadcast information, the method including the steps of receiving a set of broadcast information; converting the set of broadcast information into a frequency representation of the set of broadcast information; dividing the frequency representation into a predetermined number of frequency segments, each frequency segment representing one of the frequency bands associated with the semitones of the music scale; forming an array, wherein the number of elements in the array correspond to the predetermined number of frequency segments, and wherein each frequency segment with a value greater than a threshold value is represented by binary 1 and all other frequency segments are represented by binary 0; comparing the array to a set of reference arrays, each reference array representing a previously identified unit of information; determining, based on the comparison, whether the set of broadcast information is the same as any of the previously identified units of broadcast information.

Claims

1. A method for recognizing broadcast information comprising the following steps:

receiving a set of broadcast information;

converting said set of broadcast information into a set of digital values representing the magnitude of said broadcast information in different frequency intervals and at different broadcast times;

determining a set of threshold values, one for each member of said set of digital values, said threshold value being a function of selected members of said digital values;

forming an activity matrix composed of single-bit elements, each of said elements corresponding to each of said members of said set of digital values, the value of each element in said activity matrix being determined from a comparison of the magnitude and associated threshold of each member of said set of digital values;

generating a set of data macro vectors from said activity matrix, said set of data macro vectors containing condensed information relating to said set of activity matrices;

retrieving a set of reference matrices composed of single-bit elements from a storage device, each member of said set of reference matrices corresponding to a member of a set of previously identified information and having dimension corresponding in size to the dimension of at least one member of said set of activity matrices;

generating a set of reference macro vectors from said set of reference matrices, said set of reference macro vectors containing condensed information relating to said set of reference matrices retrieved from said storage device;

comparing said set of data macro vectors with said set of reference macro vectors;

selecting a set of macro vectors from said set of reference macro vectors, each member in said set of selected macro vectors being within a predetermined distance to a corresponding member in said set of data macro vectors;

comparing a selected set of reference matrices to said set of activity matrices, the members of said selected set of reference matrices corresponding to the members of said set of selected macro vectors; and

determining, based on the comparison of said selected sets of reference and activity matrices, whether members of said set of broadcast information correspond to any member of said set of previously identified information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing macro vectors includes the following steps:

normalizing said set of data macro vectors to a predetermined length;

normalizing said set of reference macro vectors to said predetermined length of said set of data macro vectors; and

comparing the direction of said set of normalized data macro vectors with said set of normalized reference macro vectors.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

converting said activity matrix into a packed number sequence amendable to mass storage; and

storing said packed number sequence.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of comparing said data and reference matrices includes the following steps:

retrieving said packed number sequence; and

converting said packed number sequence back to said set of activity matrices.

5. A method for recognizing broadcast information, comprising the following steps:

receiving broadcast information;

generating a set of single-bit activity values representative of said received broadcast information, each member of said set of activity values representing a non-overlapping time interval of said broadcast information;

retrieving a set of single-bit reference values from a storage device, each member of said set of reference values corresponding to a member of a set of previously identified information;

dividing said set of activity values into a set of recognized values and a set of unrecognized values, said set of recognized values being the portion of said set of activity values which is similar to at least one member of said set of reference values;

selecting suspect members from said set of unrecognized values, the activity value of each suspect member being similar to the activity value of at least one other member within said set of unrecognized values;

playing said recorded broadcast information which corresponds to said suspect members in the presence of a human operator; and

determining, based on the playing of the said recorded broadcast information, whether individual suspect member should be added to said set of reference values.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

dividing the time interval corresponding to a first member of said set of unrecognized values into a first set of non-overlapping time segments;

generating a first set of suspect values, each member of said first set of suspect values representing said received broadcast information during a distinct one of said first set of time segments;

dividing the time interval corresponding to a second member of the set of unrecognized values into a second set of non-overlapping time segments;

generating a second set of suspect values, each member of said second set of suspect values representing said received broadcast information during a distinct one of said second set of time segments; and

identifying said first member as one of said suspect members if said first set of suspect values is similar to said second set of suspect values.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said set of activity values comprises a set of activity matrices and said set of reference values comprises a set of reference matrices, and wherein said step of dividing comprises the steps of:

generating a set of data macro vectors which condenses information contained in said set of activity matrices;

generating a set of reference macro vectors which condenses information contained in said set of reference matrices;

selecting a set of macro vectors from said set of data macro vectors, each member in said set of selected macro vectors being within a predetermined distance to members in said set of reference macro vectors;

comparing a selected set of activity matrices to said set of reference matrices, the members of said selected set of activity matrices corresponding to the members of said set of selected macro vectors; and

determining, based on the comparison of said selected set of activity matrices, whether individual members of said set of selected activity matrices belongs to said set of recognized values.

9. The method of recognizing broadcast information of claim 5 wherein said step of comparing matrices further includes the step of compensating for playback speed differences between said broadcast information and said previously identified information.

8. The method of 7 wherein each member of said set of activity macro vectors contains information relating to tempo frequency distribution, musical key distribution, and semitone duty cycle of said received broadcast information.

10. The method of 5 further comprising the step of generating a history file containing identification information for each member of said set of recognized values.

11. The method of 5 further comprising the step of adding to said history file the identification information of each suspect member which has been added to said set of reference values.

12. An apparatus for recognizing broadcast information comprising:

means for receiving broadcast information;

means for converting said received broadcast information into a set of digital values representing the magnitude of said broadcast information in different frequency intervals and at different broadcast times;

means for determining a set of threshold values, one for each member of said set of digital values, said threshold value being a function of selected members of said digital values;

means for forming an activity matrix composed of single-bit elements, each of said elements corresponding to each of said members of said set of digital values, the value of each element in said activity matrix being determined from a comparison of the magnitude and associated threshold of each member of said set of digital values;

means for generating a set of data macro vectors from said activity matrix, said set of data macro vectors containing condensed information relating to said set of activity matrices;

a storage device for storing a set of reference matrices composed of single-bit elements, each member of said set of reference matrices corresponding to a member of a set of previously identified information and having dimension corresponding in size to the dimension of at least one of said set of activity matrices;

means for retrieving said set of reference matrices;

means for generating a set of reference macro vectors from said set of reference matrices, said set of reference macro vectors containing condensed information relating to said set of reference matrices;

means for comparing said set of data macro vectors with said set of reference macro vectors;

means for selecting a set of macro vectors from said set of reference macro vectors, each member in said set of selected macro vectors being within a predetermined distance to a corresponding member in said set of data macro vectors;

means for comparing a selected set of reference matrices to said set of activity matrices, the members of said selected set of reference matrices corresponding to the members of said set of selected macro vectors; and

means for determining, based on the comparison of said selected sets of reference and activity matrices, whether members of said set of broadcast information correspond to any member of said set of previously identified information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for receiving broadcast information comprises a tuner.

14. An apparatus for recognizing broadcast information comprising:

means for receiving broadcast information;

means for generating a set of single-bit activity values representative of said received broadcast information, each member of said set of activity values representing a non-overlapping time interval of said broadcast information;

a storage device for storing a set of reference values;

means for retrieving said set of single-bit reference values from said storage device, each member of said set of reference values corresponding to a member of a set of previously identified information;

means for dividing said set of activity values into a set of recognized values and a set of unrecognized values, said set of recognized values being the portion of said set of activity values which is similar to at least one member of said set of reference values;

means for selecting suspect members from said set of unrecognized values, the activity value of each suspect member is similar to the activity value of at least one other member within said set of unrecognized values;

means for playing said recorded broadcast information which corresponds to said suspect members in the presence of a human operator; and

means for determining, based on the playing of said recorded broadcast information, whether individual suspect member should be added to said set of reference values.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said means for selecting suspect members comprises:

means for dividing the time interval corresponding to a first member of said set of unrecognized values into a first set of non-overlapping time segments;

means for generating a first set of suspect values, each member of said first set of suspect values representing said received broadcast information during a distinct one of said first set of time segments;

means for dividing the time interval corresponding to a second member of the set of unrecognized values into a second set of non-overlapping time segments;

means for generating a second set of suspect values, each member of said second set of suspect values representing said received broadcast information during a distinct one of said second set of time segments; and

means for identifying said first member as one of said suspect members if said first set of suspect values is similar to said second set of suspect values.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising means for generating a history file containing identification information for each member of said set of recognized values.

17. The apparatus of 14 further comprising means for adding to said history file the identification information of each suspect member which has been added to said set of reference values.