Media processing methods and arrangements

• US 9,043,845 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Bruce L., Rodriguez, Tony F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Featherstone, Mark D
• Application Number:
  US13/191,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20110283328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/167 Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes
• 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: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 : Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 : involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 : for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83 : Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

The present technology concerns cell phones and other portable devices, and more particularly concerns use of such devices in connection with media content (electronic and physical) and with other systems (e.g., televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). Some aspects of the technology allow users to easily transfer displayed content from cell phone screens onto a television screens for easier viewing, or vice versa for content portability. Others enable users to participate interactively in entertainment content, such as by submitting plot directions, audio input, character names, etc., yielding more engaging, immersive, user experiences. Still other aspects of the technology involve a program directory database, compiled automatically from information reported by network nodes that watch and identify content traffic passing into (and/or out of) networked computers. By identifying content resident at a number of different repositories (e.g., web sites, TV networks, P2P systems, etc.), such a directory allows cell phone users to identify the diversity of sources from which desired content can be obtained—some available on a scheduled basis, others available on demand. Depending on the application, the directory information may be transparent to the user—serving to identify sources for desired content, from which application software can pick for content downloading, based, e.g., on context and stored profile data. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a networked data store, receiving information from a video display system, the received information identifying first audio-visual entertainment content being displayed by said system, the received information also indicating a position of said system; and

from said networked data store, allowing access to such information by a portable user device conveyed by a user;

wherein the method enables the portable user device to determine proximity to the video display system, by reference to information determined by the portable user device about the user device location and comparison of said determined information with the information indicating the position of said video display system, and to take action based on the first audio-visual entertainment content being displayed on the video display system, the action comprising presenting second content that is different than the first content, but complements the first content.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the information received from the video display system comprises information indicating the latitude and longitude of the video display system.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the information received from the video display system comprises information indicating a compass direction that the video display system is facing.

4. The method of claim 1 that includes enabling access, by the portable user device, to map data indicating the position of the user device relative to the display system.

5. The method of claim 1 that includes presenting map data indicating a position of the cell phone relative to the display system.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the user'"'"'s cell phone is located within line of sight of the video display system.

7. A method comprising the acts:

determining that a user'"'"'s cell phone is located proximate to a video display system, said determining using a hardware processor configured to perform such act;

from the user'"'"'s cell phone, accessing a networked data store, to obtain information posted to the data store by the video display system, said information identifying first audio-visual entertainment content being rendered by said system and also indicating a position of said system; and

based on said content identification information and position information, presenting auxiliary content related to but different from said first audio-visual entertainment content on the user'"'"'s cell phone.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the information obtained from the networked data store comprises information indicating the latitude and longitude of the video display system.

9. The method of claim 7 in which the information obtained from the networked data store comprises information indicating a compass direction that the video display system is facing.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing software instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a networked data store, configure the networked data store to perform acts including:

receiving information from a video display system, the received information identifying first audio-visual entertainment content being displayed by said system, the received information also indicating a position of said system;

allowing access to such information by a portable user device conveyed by a user;

wherein said instructions allow the portable user device to determine proximity to the video display system, by reference to information determined by the portable user device about the user device location and comparison of same with said information indicating the position of said video display system, and to take action based on the first audio-visual entertainment content being displayed on the video display system, the action comprising presenting second content that is different than the first content, but complements the first content.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing software instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a cell phone, configure the phone to perform acts including:

accessing a networked data store to obtain information identifying audio-visual entertainment content being rendered by a video display system and also indicating a position of said system, said position information having earlier been provided to the networked data store from the video display system; and

based on said content identification information and position information, presenting auxiliary content related to but different from said first audio-visual entertainment content on the cell phone.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 in which the obtained information comprises information indicating the latitude and longitude of the video display system.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 in which the obtained information comprises information indicating a compass direction that the video display system is facing.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11 in which the instructions further configure the phone to present map data indicating a position of the cell phone relative to the display system.

15. A method involving first and second video display devices that respectively display first and second entertainment content, the second device comprising a user phone device, the method comprising the acts:

determining that the first and second devices are proximate to each other, said determining employing (a) data sent from one of said devices in packet form, (b) RF sensing, or (c) GPS data, said determining also employing position information that was earlier provided to a networked data store from the video display system, said determining being performed by one or more hardware processors configured to perform such act; and

based in part on said determined proximity, selecting second entertainment content for display on the user phone device, the selected second entertainment content being different than the first entertainment content, wherein the user can enjoy watching the second entertainment content on the user phone device while watching the first entertainment content on the first video display device.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the determining employs RF sensing.

17. The method of claim 15 in which the determining employs GPS data.

18. The method of claim 15 in which the determining employs data sent from one of said devices in packet form.

19. The method of claim 15 in which the selecting comprises selecting second entertainment content that is related to the first entertainment content.