Fingerprint methods and systems for media signals

• US 8,121,843 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Levy, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALBERTALLI, BRIAN LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/738,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to fingerprinting, e.g., a reduced-bit representation or other identifier of a media signal (e.g., audio, video or still images). One method recites: receiving a partial fingerprint of a media signal, wherein the partial fingerprint is derived from the media signal itself, the partial fingerprint being computed a first location; processing the partial fingerprint to obtain a more refined fingerprint, relative to the partial fingerprint, the act of processing occurring at a second location that is remote from the first location; and based at least in part of the refined fingerprint, identifying the media signal or information associated with the media signal. Another method recites: obtaining a fingerprint derived from a media signal, the fingerprint comprising a reduce-bit representation of the media signal; determining information associated with the fingerprint or the media signal; and causing a text message to be sent to a mobile device representing at least a portion of the information. Of course, other methods and combinations are described and claimed as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed representation of a media signal, wherein the fingerprint comprises a reduced-bit representation of the compressed media signal;

receiving a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;

computing a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;

determining, using a processor, information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal; and

sending at least a portion of the information to a mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device generates the first portion of the fingerprint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint is generated upon activation of a fetch command provided by the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fetch command comprises a voice command.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a cell phone.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deriving the fingerprint from a compressed form of the media signal; and

mapping the information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal using the fingerprint.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed representation of a media signal, wherein the fingerprint comprises a reduced-bit representation of the compressed media signal;

instructions to receive a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;

instructions to compute a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;

instructions to determine information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal; and

instructions to trigger transmission of at least a portion of the information to a mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed representation of a media signal, wherein the fingerprint comprises a reduced-bit representation of the compressed media signal;

means for receiving a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;

means for computing a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;

means for determining information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal; and

means for sending at least a portion of the information to a mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an input configured to;

receive a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed form of a media signal; and

receive a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal; and

a processing system configured to;

compute a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;

determine information associated with the fingerprint; and

control sending of at least a portion the information to a mobile device.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.

17. A system comprising:

a server configured to receive a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed form of a media signal;

a database configured to store information associated with the media signal using the fingerprint; and

the server further configured to;

receive a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;

compute a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal; and

retrieve the information from the database using the fingerprint and send at least a portion of the information to a mobile device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a registration process configured to derive the fingerprint from the compressed from of the media signal; and

a mapping process configured to map the information associated with the media signal to the fingerprint.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.