Interactive streaming content apparatus, systems and methods

• US 9,160,837 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Jeffrey, Michael, Cremer, Markus K., Lee, Dong-In
• Primary Examiner(s): Eskandarnia, Arvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESAI, MARGISHI V
• Application Number:
  US13/287,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/066 for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/071 for rhythm pattern analysis or rhythm style recognition rhythm pattern per se G10H2210/341
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/81 for discriminating voice from music
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• 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 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and systems that operate to provide interactive streaming content identification and processing are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

continuously receiving an incoming audio signal including audio content;

processing the audio signal to determine audio characteristics that include a rhythm of the audio content;

classifying the audio content into a classification among multiple classifications that include a music classification and a talk classification based on the audio characteristics that include the rhythm of the audio content and based on multiple sets of threshold values that each correspond to a different one of the multiple classifications;

identifying a transition between the music classification and the talk classification by detecting that a change in the rhythm of the audio content transgresses at least one of the multiple sets of threshold values;

in response to the transition between the music classification and the talk classification being identified by the detecting that the change in the rhythm of the audio content transgresses at least one of the multiple sets of threshold values, adjusting at least one of the multiple sets of threshold values; and

selecting a behavior of a device in response to the identified transition between the music classification and the talk classification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

equalizing the audio signal, based on the environmental context, to substantially eliminate selected bands of frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

windowing the audio signal to limit a time period for the processing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

thresholding the audio signal to reject amplitude components that exceed a defined level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio characteristics comprise:

at least one of amplitude, frequency, pitch, tempo, or energy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold values comprise:

the multiple sets of threshold values include at least one of a minimum threshold, a maximum threshold, and a historical average threshold to measure against the audio characteristics that include the rhythm of the audio content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the transition, updating time position information associated with the incoming audio signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the transition, triggering the selected behavior of the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying of the transition between the music classification and the talk classification includes detecting an increase in the rhythm of the audio content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying of the transition between the music classification and the talk classification includes detecting a decrease in the rhythm of the audio content.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying of the transition between the music classification and the talk classification identifies a transition from the music classification to the talk classification based on a decrease in the rhythm of the audio content.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying of the transition between the music classification and the talk classification identifies a transition from the talk classification to the music classification based on an increase in the rhythm of the audio content.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying of the transition between the music classification and the talk classification identifies a transition from the music classification to the talk classification based on an increase in concentration of pitch in the audio content.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying of the transition between the music classification and the talk classification identifies a transition from the talk classification to the music classification based on a decrease in concentration of pitch in the audio content.

15. A method comprising:

determining an implicit context in which a mobile device is receiving an incoming audio signal including audio content;

processing the audio signal to determine audio characteristics that include a rhythm of the audio content;

determining a classification of the audio content among multiple classifications that include a music classification and a talk classification based on the audio characteristics that include the rhythm of the audio content and based on multiple sets of threshold values that each correspond to a different one of the multiple classifications;

identifying a transition between the music classification and the talk classification by detecting that a change in the rhythm of the audio content transgresses at least one of the multiple sets of threshold values;

selecting a behavior of the mobile device in response to the transition between the music classification and the talk classification being identified by the detecting that the change in the rhythm of the audio content transgresses at least one of the multiple sets of threshold values; and

changing the classification of the audio content by adjusting at least one of the multiple sets of threshold values in accordance with the implicit context.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining previous content recognition, wherein the changing of the classification of the audio content comprises changing the classification in accordance with the implicit context and the previous content recognition.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a device operating mode, power supply type, and network connection type for the mobile device, wherein the changing of the classification of the audio content comprises changing the classification in accordance with the implicit context and the device operating mode, power supply type, and network connection type.

18. An apparatus for determining the environmental context associated with a mobile device, comprising:

a classifier comprising one or more processors and configured to;

receive an incoming audio signal that includes audio content;

process the audio signal to provide audio characteristics that include a rhythm of the audio content; and

to classify the audio content into a classification among multiple classifications that include a music classification and a talk classification based on the audio characteristics that include the rhythm of the audio content and based on multiple sets of threshold values that each correspond to a different one of the multiple classifications;

a transition detector comprising one or more processors of the machine and configured to recognize a transition between the music classification and the talk classification by detecting that a change in the rhythm of the audio content transgresses at least one of the multiple sets of threshold values; and

a context manager comprising one or more processors of the machine and configured to trigger a selected behavior of the mobile device in dependence on the transition between the music classification and the talk classification being recognized by the detecting that the change in the rhythm of the audio content transgresses at least one of the multiple sets of threshold values.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the classifier is configured to equalize the signal, based on the environmental context, to substantially eliminate selected bands of frequency, or threshold the signal to reject amplitude components that exceed a defined level.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, configured to be assisted by meta-data returned from a network service.