Method and system for automatic content recognition network operations

• US 9,020,948 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sinha, Nishith Kumar, Loheide, Donald Jude, Giles, Matthew Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US13/730,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 707/741
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24558 Binary matching operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A network fingerprint manager within an automatic content recognition (ACR) system may be operable to receive one or more versions of media content associated with a network. One or more proxy content may be generated by the network fingerprint manager for each version of the received media content. The network fingerprint manager may generate a set of fingerprints from a particular one of the generated one or more proxy content for each version of the received media content. The particular one being fingerprinted may comprise proxy content with highest quality among the generated proxy content. The set of fingerprints and corresponding content ID and media time for each version of the received media content may be stored. The network fingerprint manager may generate real-time fingerprints from content in a received network feed. The network fingerprint manager may compare the generated real-time fingerprints to the stored sets of fingerprints for matching.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a network fingerprint manager that is within an automatic content recognition (ACR) system, wherein the ACR system is operable to assign same interactive event identifiers to different sets of video and/or audio fingerprints that are generated from same content utilizing different fingerprint technologies by timing the assignment of the interactive event identifiers to the different sets of the video and/or audio fingerprints that are generated from the same content but with the different fingerprinting technologies;

receiving one or more versions of media content associated with a network;

generating one or more proxy content corresponding to each of said received one or more versions of said media content;

generating a set of fingerprints from a particular one of said generated one or more proxy content for each of said received one or more versions of said media content, wherein said particular one of said generated one or more proxy content comprises proxy content with highest quality among said generated one or more proxy content; and

storing said set of fingerprints and corresponding content ID and media time for said corresponding each of said received one or more versions of said media content.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said received one or more versions of said media content comprises a master version of said media content and/or one or more derivative versions of said media content; and

said one or more derivative versions are derived from said master version of said media content.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising:

comparing each of said one or more derivative versions to said master version based on said stored set of fingerprints corresponding to each version of said received media content; and

Identifying a list of differences between each of said one or more derivative versions and said master version based on said comparison and said associated media time.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising:

generating, for each of said received one or more versions of said media content, an interactive timeline that is linked to a media timeline corresponding to said fingerprinted proxy content, wherein said interactive timeline comprises event information associated with particular time(s) in said media timeline; and

storing said generated interactive timeline for each of said received one or more versions of said media content.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising generating said interactive timeline utilizing said identified list of differences for each of said one or more derivative versions.

6. The method according to claim 4, comprising:

receiving a network feed associated with said network;

generating real-time fingerprints from content in said received network feed;

comparing said generated real-time fingerprints to said stored sets of fingerprints; and

when a match occurs based on said comparison, determining, from among said stored content IDs and said stored media times, a particular content ID and a particular media time associated with a particular version of said received media content.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising determining one or more particular event IDs from said stored interactive timeline based on said determined particular content ID and said determined particular media time.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising generating, utilizing said determined one or more particular event IDs, an event timeline for identifying one or more events during presentation of said content of said network feed.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said generated event timeline comprises break structure information and/or break duration information.

10. The method according to claim 7, comprising generating, utilizing said determined one or more particular event IDs, one or more event triggers for triggering one or more events in real-time during presentation of said content of said network feed.

11. A system, comprising:

a network fingerprint manager that is operational within an automatic content recognition (ACR) system, wherein the ACR system is operable to assign same interactive event identifiers to different sets of video and/or audio fingerprints that are generated from same content utilizing different fingerprint technologies by timing the assignment of the interactive event identifiers to the different sets of the video and/or audio fingerprints that are generated from the same content but with the different fingerprinting technologies, said network fingerprint manager being comprising one or more processors and/or circuits that are operable to;

receive one or more versions of media content associated with a network;

generate one or more proxy content corresponding to each of said received one or more versions of said media content;

generate a set of fingerprints from a particular one of said generated one or more proxy content for each of said received one or more versions of said media content, wherein said particular one of said generated one or more proxy content comprises proxy content with highest quality among said generated one or more proxy content; and

store said set of fingerprints and corresponding content ID and media time for said corresponding each of said received one or more versions of said media content.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

said received one or more versions of said media content comprises a master version of said media content and/or one or more derivative versions of said media content; and

said one or more derivative versions are derived from said master version of said media content.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to:

compare each of said one or more derivative versions to said master version based on said stored set of fingerprints corresponding to each version of said received media content; and

Identify a list of differences between each of said one or more derivative versions and said master version based on said comparison and said associated media time.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to:

generate, for each of said received one or more versions of said media content, an interactive timeline that is linked to a media timeline corresponding to said fingerprinted proxy content, wherein said interactive timeline comprises event information associated with particular time(s) in said media timeline; and

store said generated interactive timeline for each of said one or more versions of said media content.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to generate said interactive timeline utilizing said identified list of differences for each of said one or more derivative versions.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said is one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to:

receive a network feed associated with said network;

generate real-time fingerprints from content in said received network feed;

compare said generated real-time fingerprints to said stored sets of fingerprints; and

when a match occurs based on said comparison, determine, from among said stored content IDs and said stored media times, a particular content ID and a particular media time associated with a particular version of said received media content.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to determine one or more particular event IDs from said stored interactive timeline based on said determined particular content ID and said determined particular media time.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to generate, utilizing said determined one or more particular event IDs, an event timeline for identifying one or more events during presentation of said content of said network feed.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said generated event timeline comprises break structure information and/or break duration information.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to generate, utilizing said determined one or more particular event IDs, one or more event triggers for triggering one or more events in real-time during presentation of said content of said network feed.