Method and apparatus for identifying media content presented on a media playing device

• US 6,834,308 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2000
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Audible Magic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Audible Magic Corporation
• Inventors: Schrempp, James B., Ikezoye, Vance E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US09/511,632
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/238, 709/227, 709/231, 713/193, 713/194, 705/39, 705/54, 705/65
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/634 Query by example, e.g. query by humming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/783 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7834 using audio features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for identifying media content presented over a media playing device. The media content, such as, such as audio and/or video, is either available digitally or digitally sampled. The media content is sampled to generate a media sample or analytical representation of the media content. The media sample is compared to a collection of sampled (or represented) media content to identify it and to ascertain information related to the sample. This media content-related information is then presented to the user via a display means on the media player. The media player then presents the user specific and related actions that are based upon the information presented and allows the user to directly execute their choice of actions.

Claims

1. A method for identifying media content presented on a client media player comprising:

creating an analytical representation from a segment of media content of a recording presented on said client media player, wherein said media content is audio data for a song, said segment of said media content is a predetermined portion of said media content present on said media player and said analytical representation is a digital fingerprint of said segment measuring acoustical/perceptual features of said segment;

comparing said analytical representation to a collection of analytical representation of reference sampled media content to obtain content-related data from said collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content wherein said content related data includes at least one of a group consisting of a song title, artist performing said song, and title of an album including said song; and

presenting said content-related data on said client media player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content is maintained in a lookup server in communication with said client media player, said method further comprising:

transmitting said analytical representation segment to a lookup server, before comparing said analytical representation segment to said collection of reference sampled media content; and

transmitting said content-related data to said client media player, before presenting said content-related data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a user-initiated command to identify said media content before creating an analytical representation of a segment of said media content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said creating an analytical representation of a segment of said media content is carried out periodically.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said creating an analytical representation of a segment of said media content is carried out continuously.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said creating an analytical representation of a segment of said media content further comprises maintaining a fixed buffer of media content presented on said client media player.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting said analytical representation to a lookup server is carried out over an Internet connection.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting said content-related data to said client media player is carried out over an Internet connection.

9. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of identifying media content presented on a client media player, said method comprising:

creating an analytical representation from a segment of media content of a recording presented on said client media player, wherein said media content is audio data for a song, said segment of said media content is a predetermined portion of said media content present on said media player and said analytical representation is a digital fingerprint of said segment measuring acoustical/perceptual features of said segment;

comparing said analytical representation to a collection of analytical representation of reference sampled media content to obtain content-related data from said collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content wherein said content related data includes at least one of a group consisting of a title of said song, an artist name of an artist performing said song; and

presenting said content-related data on said client media player.

10. The program storage device of claim 9, wherein said collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content is maintained in a lookup server in communication with said client media player, said method further comprising:

transmitting said analytical representation to a lookup server, before comparing said sample to said collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content; and

transmitting said content-related data to said client media player, before presenting said content-related data.

11. In a network having at least on client media player operatively coupled for communication with a lookup server, a system for identifying media content presented on the client media player comprising:

a client engine executing within the client media player, said client engine structured and configured to create an analytical representation from a segment of media content of a recording presented on said client media player, wherein the media content is audio data for a song played on said client media player and communicate said sample to said lookup server wherein said segment of said media content is a predetermined portion of said media content present on said media player and said analytical representation is a digital fingerprint of said segment measuring acoustical/perceptual features of said segment;

a collection of analytical representation of reference sampled media content containing a plurality of analytical representations of sampled media content, each associated with corresponding content-specific information including at one from the group consisting of title of a song, an artist performing said song, and an title of an album including said song; and

a server engine executing with said lookup server connected to said collection of analytical representation of sampled media content, said server engine structured and configured to receive said analytical representation from said client media player and compare said received analytical representation with said plurality analytical representations of sampled to media content in said collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content to query and ascertain content-specific information related to said received analytical representation, said server engine further structured and configured to transmit said content-specific information to said client media player.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said client engine is further structured and configured to display said content information.

13. In a network having at least on client media player operatively coupled for communication with a lookup server, a client engine executing within the client media player for identifying media content presented on the client media player comprising:

an interrupt unit structured and configured to monitor the client media player for media content presented thereon, wherein said media content is audio data for a song;

a sampling unit structured and configured to generate an analytical representation of segment from media content of a recording presented on said client media player, wherein the media content is data of a recording from said media content monitored by said interrupt unit and transmit said analytical representation to said lookup server wherein said segment of said media content is a predetermined portion of said media content present on said media player and said analytical representation is a digital fingerprint of said segment measuring acoustical/perceptual features of said segment; and

a user interface structured and configured to receive content information related to said analytical representation from said lookup server and presenting said content information is at least one from a group consisting of a title of said song, an artist performing said song, and an album including said song.

14. The client engine of claim 13, wherein said user interface is further structured and configured to receive user-requests from a user of said client media player, said sampling unit further structured and configured to generate said analytical representation upon receipt of said user request.

15. In a network having at least on client media player operatively coupled for communication with a lookup server, a server engine executing within the lookup server for identifying media content presented on the client media player comprising:

a collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content containing a plurality of analytical representations of sampled media content wherein said media content is a song, each associated with corresponding content-specific information; and

a lookup unit coupled to said collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content, said lookup unit structured and configured to receive an analytical representation from a segment of media content of a recording presented on said client media player, wherein the media content is data for a song played on said client media player, said segment of said media content is a predetermined portion of said media content present on said media player and said analytical representation is a digital fingerprint of said segment measuring acoustical/perceptual features of said segment and compare said received analytical representation with said plurality of analytical representations of sampled media content in said collection of analytical representations of reference sampled media content to query and ascertain content information related to said received analytical representation wherein said content information is at least one from a group consisting of a title of said song, a name of an artist performing said song, and a title of an album including said song, said server engine further structured and configured to transmit said content information to said client media player.