Information processing apparatus and method, information processing system, and transmission medium

• US 8,996,063 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: MobileMedia Ideas LLC
• Inventors: Kawamoto, Yoji
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAN, RAYMOND S
• Application Number:
  US13/886,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20130244567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301- 306, 455/414.3, 455/414.4, 455/556.1, 455/66.1, 455/344, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/634 Query by example, e.g. query by humming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/091 Info, i.e. juxtaposition of unrelated auxiliary information or commercial messages with or between music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/87 accessed over computer networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/553 Data upload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

When a user gets interested in some music he/she listens to somewhere, for example, in a coffee shop, the user records that music in a memory provided in a portable terminal. A processor reads the information recorded in the memory and performs a predetermined process on it. The resultant information is stored on a storage device. The information stored on the storage device is then transferred to a remote server via a communication device. The remote server searches the database for the title of the music corresponding to the received information and returns the results to the terminal. Thus, the user can easily get information about the title of the music.

Claims

1. A portable hand-held communication terminal comprising:

a memory;

a loudspeaker configured to output audio data;

a microphone for inputting audio content;

a recording device configured to record at least a portion of audio content input via the microphone into the memory;

a circuit configured to obtain data based on the at least a portion of the audio content recorded in the memory, to transmit the obtained data to a remote server, and to acquire from the remote server information associated with the audio content including a title of a program associated with the audio content, wherein the acquired information associated with the audio content is based on the obtained data, the circuit comprising a communication device configured to communicate with the remote server via a network;

a display device configured to display the acquired information, wherein the acquired information displayed on the display device includes at least one candidate; and

an input device configured to receive user input, said input device being further configured to cause the recording device to record the at least a portion of audio content in response to a particular user input, and to receive user input selecting one of the at least one candidates displayed on the display device,

wherein the circuit is further configured to respond to the user input selecting the one of the at least one candidates by retrieving audio data corresponding to the candidate, and

wherein the loudspeaker is configured to output the retrieved audio data.

4. The portable hand-held communication terminal of claim 1 wherein the portable hand-held communication terminal is a mobile phone.

5. The portable hand-held communication terminal of claim 1 wherein said input device is further configured to receive user-input information associated with the at least a portion of audio content, and the circuit is further configured to transmit the user-input information.

6. The portable hand-held communication terminal of claim 1 wherein the audio content is part of a television program.

7. The portable hand-held communication terminal of claim 1 wherein the circuit is further configured to obtain and store in the memory a date and time at which the information associated with the audio content is acquired.

8. The portable hand-held communication terminal of claim 1 wherein the circuit comprises a plurality of processors.

9. The portable hand-held communication terminal of claim 8 wherein one of the plurality of processors is configured for extracting information from the audio content recorded in the memory.

2. A processor readable storage device containing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor in a terminal, causes the terminal to execute the steps of:

inputting audio content via a microphone;

receiving user input;

recording at least a portion of input audio content into a memory in response to a particular user input;

obtaining data based on the at least a portion of the audio content recorded in the memory;

transmitting the obtained data to a remote server;

acquiring from the remote server information associated with the audio content including a title of a program associated with the audio content, wherein the acquired information associated with the audio content is based on the obtained data; and

displaying the acquired information.

3. The processor readable storage device of claim 2, wherein the acquired information displayed on the display device includes at least one candidate, and wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the terminal to execute the steps of:

receiving user input selecting one of the at least one candidates displayed on the display device; and

responding to the user input selecting the one of the at least one candidates by retrieving audio data corresponding to the candidate.