Method and device for monitoring and analyzing signals

• US 7,346,472 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blue Spike, Inc.
• Inventors: Moskowitz, Scott A., Berry, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Carol S. W.
• Application Number:
  US09/657,181
• Time in Patent Office: 2,749 Days
• Field of Search: 702/182, 707/3, 707/1, 707/2, 707/10, 382/100, 382/232, 382/282, 380/200, 380/201, 380/202, 380/203, 380/217, 380/28, 713/176, 709/209, 705/51
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3003 Monitoring arrangements specially adapted to the computing system or computing system component being monitored
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2468 Fuzzy queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring and analyzing at least one signal are disclosed. An abstract of at least one reference signal is generated and stored in a reference database. An abstract of a query signal to be analyzed is then generated so that the abstract of the query signal can be compared to the abstracts stored in the reference database for a match. The method and system may optionally be used to record information about the query signals, the number of matches recorded, and other useful information about the query signals. Moreover, the method by which abstracts are generated can be programmable based upon selectable criteria. The system can also be programmed with error control software so as to avoid the re-occurrence of a query signal that matches more than one signal stored in the reference database.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and analyzing at least one signal comprising:

receiving at least one reference signal to be monitored;

creating an abstract of said at least one reference signal wherein the step of creating an abstract of said at least one reference signal comprises;

inputting the reference signal to a processor;

creating an abstract of the reference signal using perceptual qualities of the reference signal such that the abstract retains a perceptual relationship to the reference signal from which it is derived;

storing the abstract of said at least one reference signal in a reference database;

receiving at least one query signal to be analyzed;

creating an abstract of said at least one query signal wherein the step of creating an abstract of said at least one query signal comprises;

inputting the at least one query signal to the processor;

creating an abstract of the at least one query signal using perceptual qualities of the at least one query signal such that the abstract retains a perceptual relationship to the at least one query signal from which it is derived; and

comparing the abstract of said at least one query signal to the abstract of said at least one reference signal to determine if the abstract of said at least one query signal matches the abstract of said at feast one reference signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating an abstract of said at least one reference signal comprises:

using a portion of said at least one reference signal to create an abstract of said at least one reference signal; and

the step of creating an abstract of said at least one query signal comprises;

using a portion of said at least one query signal to create an abstract of said at least one query signal.

3. A method for monitoring and analyzing at least one signal comprising:

receiving at least one reference signal to be monitored;

creating an abstract of said at least one reference signal;

storing the abstract of said at least one reference signal in a reference database;

receiving at least one query signal to be analyzed;

creating an abstract of said at least one query signal;

comparing the abstract of said at least one query signal to the abstract of said at least one reference signal to determine if the abstract of said at least one query signal matches the abstract of said at least one reference signal;

creating at least one counter corresponding to one of said at least one reference signals, said at least one counter being representative of the number of times a match is found between the abstract of said at least one query signal and the abstract of said at least one reference signal; and

incrementing the counter corresponding to a particular reference signal when a match is found between an abstract of said at least one query signal and the abstract of the particular reference signal.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

recording an occurrence of a match between the abstract of said at least one query signal and the abstract of said at least one reference signal; and

generating a report that identifies the reference signal whose abstract matched the abstract of said at least one query signal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

recording an occurrence of a match between the abstract of said at least one query signal and the abstract of said at least one reference signal.

6. A method for monitoring a plurality of reference signals, comprising:

creating an abstract for each of the plurality of reference signals wherein the step of creating an abstract for each of a plurality of reference signals comprises;

inputting each of the plurality of reference signals to a processor;

creating an abstract of each one of the plurality of reference signals using perceptual qualities of each one of a plurality of reference signals such that the abstract retains a perceptual relationship to the reference signal from which it is derived;

storing each of said abstracts in a reference database;

receiving at least one query signal to be analyzed;

creating an abstract of each of the at least one query signals wherein the step of creating an abstract of each of the at least one query signals comprises;

inputting each of the at least one query signals to a processor;

creating an abstract of each one of a plurality of reference signals using perceptual qualities of each one of a plurality of reference signals such that the abstract retains a perceptual relationship to the reference signal from which it is derived;

locating an abstract in the reference database that matches the abstract of each at least one query signal; and

recording the identify of the reference signal whose abstract matched the abstract of each at least one query signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the step of creating an abstract of said at least one reference signal comprises:

using a portion of said at least one reference signal to create an abstract of said at least one reference signal;

and the step of creating an abstract of said at least one query signal comprises;

using a portion of said at least one query signal to create an abstract of said at least one query signal.

8. A method for monitoring a plurality of reference signals, comprising:

creating an abstract for each of the plurality of reference signals;

storing each of said abstracts in a reference database;

receiving at least one query signal to be analyzed;

creating an abstract of each of the at least one query signals;

locating an abstract in the reference database that matches the abstract of each at least one query signal;

recording the identify of the reference signal whose abstract matched the abstract of each at least one query signal;

creating at least one counter corresponding to one of said plurality of reference signals, said at least one counter being representative of the number of times a match is found between the abstract of said at least one query signal and an abstract of one of said plurality of reference signals; and

incrementing the counter corresponding to a particular reference signal when a match is found between an abstract of said at least one query signal and the abstract of the particular reference signal.

9. A computerized system for monitoring and analyzing at least one signal:

a processor that creates an abstract of a signal using selectable criteria;

a first input that receives at least one reference signal to be monitored, said first input being coupled to said processor such that said processor may generate an abstract for each reference signal input to said processor;

a reference database, coupled to said processor, that stores abstracts of each at least one reference signal;

a second input that receives at least one query signal to be analyzed, said second input being coupled to said processor such that said processor may generate an abstract for each query signal;

a comparing device, coupled to said reference database and to said second input, that compares an abstract of said at least one query signal to the abstracts stored in the reference database to determine if the abstract of said at least one query signal matches any of the stored abstracts;

a storage medium coupled to said first input, that stores each of said at least one reference signals to be monitored; and

a controller coupled to the first input, the processor, the comparing device, the reference database and the storage medium, said controller causing an abstract for each reference signal being input for the first time to be compared to all previously stored abstracts in the reference database, such that in the event that the comparing device determines that it cannot distinguish between the abstract of a reference signal being input for the first time from a previously stored abstract in the reference database, the controller adjusts the criteria being used by the processor and re-generates the reference database, by re-processing each reference signal stored on the storage medium to create new abstracts and storing said new abstracts in the reference database.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a means to adjust compression rates at which the processor processes a signal to create an abstract.

11. A computerized system for monitoring and analyzing at least one signal:

a processor that creates an abstract of a signal using selectable criteria;

a first input that receives at least one reference signal to be monitored, said first input being coupled to said processor such that said processor may generate an abstract for each reference signal input to said processor;

a reference database, coupled to said processor, that stores abstracts of each at least one reference signal;

a second input that receives at least one query signal to be analyzed, said second input being coupled to said processor such that said processor may generate an abstract for each query signal;

a comparing device, coupled to said reference database and to said second input, that compares an abstract of said at least one query signal to the abstracts stored in the reference database to determine if the abstract of said at least one query signal matches any of the stored abstracts, wherein the comparing device identifies at least two abstracts in the reference database that match the abstract of said at least one query signal and an index of relatedness to said at least one query signal for each of said at least two matching abstracts.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a security controller that controls access to a secured area, such that access is granted only if the comparing device confirms that an abstract of said at least one query signal matches an abstract of said at least one reference signal.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a recorder that records the identify of the reference signal whose abstract matched the abstract of said at least one query signal; and

a report generator that generates a report that identifies the reference signals whose abstracts matched the abstract of said at least one query signal.

14. A electronic system for monitoring and analyzing at least one signal, comprising:

a first input that receives at least one reference signal to be monitored,

a first processor that creates an abstract of each reference signal input to said first processor through said first input;

a second input that receives at least one query signal to be analyzed,

a second processor that creates an abstract of each query signal;

a reference database that stores abstracts of each at least one reference signal;

a comparing device that compares an abstract of said at least one query signal to the abstracts stored in the reference database to determine if the abstract of said at least one query signal matches any of the stored abstracts;

a storage medium coupled to said first input, that stores each of said at least one reference signals to be monitored; and

a controller that compares an abstract for each reference signal being input for the first time to be compared to all previously stored abstracts in the reference database, such that in the event that the comparing device determines that it cannot distinguish between the abstract of a reference signal being input for the first time from a previously stored abstract in the reference database, the controller adjusts the criteria being used by the processor and re-generates the reference database, by re-processing each reference signal stored on the storage medium to create new abstracts and storing said new abstracts in the reference database.