Fingerprint database updating method, client and server

• US 7,523,312 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Haitsma, Jaap Andre, Kalker, Antonius Adrianus Cornelis Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bayou; Yonas
• Application Number:
  US10/495,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,371 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/3, 348/598, 386/109, 386/125, 386/46, 382/195, 382/239, 382/236
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/483 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A method of updating a database (211) comprising a fingerprint of and an associated set of metadata for each of a number of multimedia objects, A multimedia object and a set of metadata for the multimedia object is downloaded from a file sharing client (101-105). A fingerprint is computed from the multimedia object, and the computed fingerprint and the obtained set of metadata are included in the database (211). The database (211) can be maintained by a central server (210), or be maintained in a distributed fashion by servers (404) running on the file sharing clients (101-105). The database (211) in this way accumulates plural sets of metadata associated with one particular fingerprint. When a sufficient number of sets has been collected, a definite set can be determined using filtering techniques.

Claims

1. A method of updating a database comprising a fingerprint of and an associated set of metadata for each of a number of multimedia objects, the method comprising:

obtaining a multimedia object and a set of metadata for the multimedia object over a network from a file sharing peer-to-peer client connected to the network;

computing a fingerprint from the multimedia object, and including the computed fingerprint and the obtained set of metadata in the database;

determining whether the computed fingerprint is present in the database, and selecting one of;

associating the obtained set of metadata with said fingerprint in said database, and adding the computed fingerprint and the obtained set of metadata, associated with the computed fingerprint to the database;

determining a definite set of metadata associated with said fingerprint, wherein each element in said definite set of metadata is determined based on a number of corresponding elements in each set of the obtained set of metadata; and

deleting sets of metadata other than said definite set of metadata from said database.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of including the fingerprint and the set of metadata comprising receiving the computed fingerprint and the obtained set of metadata in a server.

3. The method of claim 2, in which said definite set of metadata associated with a particular fingerprint is determined once a sufficient number of sets of metadata are associated with said particular fingerprint in the database.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising supplying the definite set of metadata to at least one client from which a set of metadata associated with the particular fingerprint was previously obtained.

5. A file sharing peer-to-peer client arranged for updating a database comprising a fingerprint of and an associated set of metadata for each of a number of multimedia objects, comprising:

means for obtaining a multimedia object and a set of metadata for the multimedia object over a network from a further file sharing peer-to-peer client connected to the network,

computing a fingerprint from the multimedia object, and means for including the computed fingerprint and the obtained set of metadata in the database;

determining a definite set of metadata associated with said fingerprint, wherein each element in said definite set of metadata is determined based on corresponding elements in each set of the obtained set of metadata; and

deleting sets of metadata other than said definite set of metadata from said database.

6. A server arranged for updating a database comprising a fingerprint of and an associated set of metadata for each of a number of multimedia objects, comprising:

networking means for receiving a computed fingerprint and a set of metadata;

verifying means for determining whether the computed fingerprint is present in the database, and if so, associating the obtained set of metadata with said fingerprint, and if not, adding the computed fingerprint and the obtained set of metadata, associated with each other, to the database;

filtering means for determining a definite set of metadata associated with said fingerprint, wherein each element in said definite set of metadata is determined based on corresponding elements in each set of the obtained set of metadata; and

deleting sets other than said definite set of metadata from said database.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein said definite set of metadata associated with a particular fingerprint is determined once a sufficient number of sets of metadata are associated with said particular fingerprint in the database.

8. The server of claim 7, further-comprising:

means for supplying the definite set of metadata to at least one client from which a set of metadata associated with the particular fingerprint was previously obtained.