Time-synchronizing a parallel feed of secondary content with primary media content
First Claim
1. A method of operating a secondary device in a manner associated with operation of a primary device, the method comprising:
- (a) obtaining first information corresponding to a media asset being output by the primary device;
(b) processing the first information to determine local media-signature information;
(c) transmitting the first information for receipt by a server;
(d) receiving secondary information from the server, wherein the secondary information includes a plurality of asset-media signatures that respectively correspond to respective portions of the media asset;
(e) determining a time-based correlation between at least one portion of the local media-signature information and at least one of the asset-media signatures; and
based at least in part upon the plurality of asset-media signatures, further determining whether the media asset is no longer being output by the primary device; and
(f) outputting one or more portions of time-relevant asset streams from the secondary device, the one or more portions being determined at least indirectly based upon the correlation;
wherein steps (a), (b), and (e) are each repeated periodically, and wherein each repeated step (e) includes, in the secondary device, comparing the first information with a first subset of the plurality of asset-media signatures, the first subset corresponding to one or more time points close to a latest synchronization time point, to identify a match between the first information and one or more of the first subset of the plurality of asset-media signatures at the one or more time points.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method of operating a secondary device in a manner associated with operation of a primary device including obtaining first information corresponding to a media asset being output by the primary device, processing the first information to determine local media-signature information, transmitting the first information for receipt by a server, receiving secondary information from the server, wherein the secondary information includes a plurality of asset-media signatures that respectively correspond to respective portions of the media asset, attempting to determine a time-based correlation between at least one portion of the local media-signature information and at least one of the asset-media signatures, and outputting one or more portions of time-relevant asset streams from the secondary device, the one or more portions being determined at least indirectly based upon the correlation.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of operating a secondary device in a manner associated with operation of a primary device, the method comprising:
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(a) obtaining first information corresponding to a media asset being output by the primary device; (b) processing the first information to determine local media-signature information; (c) transmitting the first information for receipt by a server; (d) receiving secondary information from the server, wherein the secondary information includes a plurality of asset-media signatures that respectively correspond to respective portions of the media asset; (e) determining a time-based correlation between at least one portion of the local media-signature information and at least one of the asset-media signatures; and
based at least in part upon the plurality of asset-media signatures, further determining whether the media asset is no longer being output by the primary device; and(f) outputting one or more portions of time-relevant asset streams from the secondary device, the one or more portions being determined at least indirectly based upon the correlation; wherein steps (a), (b), and (e) are each repeated periodically, and wherein each repeated step (e) includes, in the secondary device, comparing the first information with a first subset of the plurality of asset-media signatures, the first subset corresponding to one or more time points close to a latest synchronization time point, to identify a match between the first information and one or more of the first subset of the plurality of asset-media signatures at the one or more time points. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A mobile device comprising:
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an input device by which first information corresponding to primary content being output by an external device is periodically and repeatedly obtained, the first information including video or audio information; a processing device coupled at least indirectly to the input device, the processing device configured to periodically and repeatedly develop local media-signature information based at least in part upon the first information; a wireless transceiver configured to receive communication signals originating at a server, the communication signals including one or more portions of secondary information that includes a plurality of time-relevant asset-media signatures that respectively correspond to respective portions of the primary content; and a memory device configured to store one or more portions of the secondary information; wherein the processing device is further configured to periodically and repeatedly determine a time-based correlation between at least one portion of the media-signature information and at least one of the time-relevant asset-media signatures, wherein each repeated determining includes, in the mobile device, comparing the first information with a first subset of the plurality of time-relevant asset-media signatures, the first subset corresponding to one or more time points close to a latest synchronization time point, to identify a match between the first information and one or more of the first subset of the plurality of time-relevant asset-media signatures at the one or more time points, and based at least in part upon the plurality of time-relevant asset-media signatures, further determining whether the primary content is no longer being output by the primary device; the processing device being further coupled at least indirectly to each of the wireless transceiver and the memory device; and an output device by which one or more portions of time-relevant asset streams are output from the mobile device, the one or more portions being determined at least indirectly based upon the correlation. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of synchronizing secondary content presented on a mobile device with primary content viewable on a primary device, the method comprising:
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(a) obtaining first information corresponding to a media asset being output by a primary device; (b) processing the first information to determine local media-signature information; (c) transmitting the first information for receipt by a server; (d) receiving secondary information from the server, wherein the secondary information includes a plurality of asset-media signatures that respectively correspond to respective portions of the media asset; (e) determining a time-based correlation between at least one portion of the local media-signature information and at least one of the asset-media signatures; and
, based at least in part upon the plurality of asset-media signatures, further determining whether the media asset is no longer being output by the primary device; and(f) outputting one or more portions of time-relevant asset streams from the mobile device, the one or more portions being determined at least indirectly based upon the correlation; wherein steps (a), (b), and (e) are each repeated periodically, and wherein each repeated step (e) includes, in the mobile device, comparing the first information with a first subset of the plurality of asset-media signatures, the first subset corresponding to one or more time points close to a latest synchronization time point, to identify a match between the first information and one or more of the first subset of the plurality of asset-media signatures at the one or more time points.
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21. A method of synchronizing secondary content presented on a mobile device with primary content viewable on a primary device, the method comprising:
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periodically and repeatedly capturing at least one of a video sample and an audio sample using one or more input devices of a mobile device, wherein the at least one of a video sample and an audio sample is taken from a primary device that outputs a media asset; generating local media signatures from a local media-signature generator on the mobile device; receiving one or more asset-media signatures related to the media asset, where the asset-media signatures substantially span the time length of the media asset; storing the one or more asset-media signatures on the mobile device; periodically and repeatedly correlating the local media signatures against the asset-media signatures wherein each repeated correlation includes, in the mobile device, comparing one or more of the local media signatures with a first subset of the one or more asset-media signatures, the first subset corresponding to one or more time points close to a latest synchronization time point, to identify a match between the one or more of the local media signatures and one or more of the first subset of the one or more asset-media signatures at the one or more time points; establishing a time reference based on the match between the local media signatures and the asset-media signatures; and periodically updating the time reference, and based at least in part upon the one or more asset-media signatures, determining whether the primary content is no longer being output by the primary device.
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Specification