Content metadata directory services

• US 9,275,157 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khakhar, Nirav K
• Application Number:
  US11/614,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,358 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/61 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• 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: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/80 of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 : Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32283 : Hashing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/218 : Source of audio or video content , e.g. local disk arrays details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2355 : involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; tracking of instant messages H04L51/234; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 : involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 : Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26258 : for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/42203 : sound input device, e.g. microphone
• 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 21/4415 : using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 : Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

The content metadata directory system connects consumers of identified content to managed metadata databases and other digital resources. The system manages links between identifiers in content objects and metadata sources. It supports a variety of different type of content identifiers and allows for overlap among different content identification schemes. One method of associating a content object with metadata uses a combination of a content identifier and a bounding identifier to enable handling of disparate sets of content identifiers for content objects with potentially conflicting content identifiers. The method receives a content identifier for a content object from among a set of content identifiers and provides a unique bounding identifier for the set of content identifiers. This unique bounding identifier is used in combination with the content identifier to form a globally unique identifier for the content object. This globally unique identifier is associated with a metadata source, which enables routing of a user to the metadata source.

Claims

1. A method of associating a content object with metadata comprising:

using one or more programmed computers to perform the acts of;

receiving a content identifier for a content object from among a set of content identifiers;

providing a unique bounding identifier for the set of content identifiers;

using a combination of the content identifier and the unique bounding identifier to form a globally unique identifier for the content object; and

associating the globally unique identifier with a metadata source to enable routing of an entity that supplies the globally unique identifier to the metadata source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the globally unique identifier with the metadata source comprises storing a metadata source identifier that identifies the metadata source located at another network location.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the metadata source identifier comprises a URL of the metadata source.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of content identifiers is pre-assigned by an ID provider and registered with a directory by providing the unique bounding identifier to the set of content identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a directory assigns both the content identifier for the content object and the unique bounding identifier for the ID provider and provides the content identifier to an ID provider for inserting the content identifier in the content object.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the directory utilizes the unique bounding identifier to determine the content identifier.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a first set of content identifiers is pre-assigned by a first ID provider and registered with a directory by providing a first unique bounding identifier to the first set of content identifiers, and wherein the directory assigns a second set of content identifiers for a second ID provider, which in turn, inserts the second set of content identifiers in corresponding content objects.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique bounding identifier comprises an ID provider identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the unique bounding identifier further comprises an ID version.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the combination of the content identifier and the unique bounding identifier are provided by a user to a directory, which in turn, routes the user to the metadata source associated with the globally unique identifier for the content object.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata source is provided by the content provider of the content object and is represented as at least a first link to metadata of the content provider and at least a second link to metadata of another participant.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the metadata of another participant includes a link to an online commerce transaction opportunity relating to the content object.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the content provider is a content owner of the content object.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said content object is associated with a second, different metadata source, the method comprising:

receiving a second content identifier for said content object from among a second set of content identifiers;

providing a second unique bounding identifier for the second set of content identifiers;

using a second combination of the second content identifier and the second unique bounding identifier to form a second globally unique identifier for said content object; and

associating the second globally unique identifier with a metadata source to enable routing of an entity that supplies the globally unique identifier to the metadata source.

15. The method of claim 1, including:

receiving a content signal in a fingerprint reader;

in the fingerprint reader, calculating sub-fingerprints of the content signal;

receiving in a server the sub-fingerprints and matching the sub-fingerprints to a set of sub-fingerprints in a database that are linked to the content identifier; and

providing the content identifier to a router system, which combines the content identifier with the unique bounding identifier to form the globally unique identifier for the content object.

16. The method of claim 15, including:

receiving at least a portion of the content signal in a digital watermark reader;

in the digital watermark reader, extracting a second content identifier;

providing the second content identifier to the router system, which combines the second content identifier with a second unique bounding identifier to form a second globally unique identifier for the content object; and

using the second globally unique identifier to identify a second metadata source for the content object.

17. The method of claim 1 comprising:

providing first digital watermark readers, the first digital watermark readers being executed to extract content identifiers in the set of content identifiers from content objects identified by the set of content identifiers;

providing second digital watermark readers, the second digital watermark readers being executed to extract content identifiers in a second set of content identifiers from content objects identified by the second set of content identifiers;

providing a second unique bounding identifier for the second set of content identifiers;

using a combination of a content identifier from the second set and the second unique bounding identifier to form a second globally unique identifier for a content object;

and associating the second globally unique identifier with a second metadata source to enable routing of a metadata request from a device with one of the second digital watermark readers to the second metadata source.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first and second digital watermark readers are executed to extract content identifiers from images captured of physical objects.

19. One or more non-transitory computer readable media on which is stored instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, perform acts of associating a content object with metadata, including:

receiving a content identifier for a content object from among a set of content identifiers;

providing a unique bounding identifier for the set of content identifiers;

using a combination of the content identifier and the unique bounding identifier to form a globally unique identifier for the content object; and

associating the globally unique identifier with a metadata source to enable routing of an entity that supplies the globally unique identifier to the metadata source.

20. A system for associating a content object with metadata comprising:

a registration interface of a registration system comprising one or more processors, the registration interface for receiving a content identifier for a content object from among a set of content identifiers, and for providing a unique bounding identifier for the set of content identifiers; and

a database system comprising one or more processors, the database system operable to use a combination of the content identifier and the unique bounding identifier to form a globally unique identifier for the content object, and to associate the globally unique identifier with a metadata source to enable routing of an entity that supplies the globally unique identifier to the metadata source.

21. The system of claim 20 further including a router operable to receive a content identifier, and in response to use the bounding identifier in combination with the content identifier to look up the corresponding metadata source in the database system.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the router provides a metadata source identifier to a requesting entity, which in turn, uses the metadata source identifier to establish a connection with the metadata source and obtain metadata associated with the content object.

23. The system of claim 20 further including:

a first fingerprint calculator, associated with the unique bounding identifier, for extracting a first set of sub-fingerprints from a content signal of the content object;

a first fingerprint database for assigning the content identifier to the first set of sub-fingerprints; and

a second fingerprint calculator, associated with a second unique bounding identifier, for extracting a second set of sub-fingerprints from the content signal of the content object; and

a second fingerprint database for assigning a second content identifier to the second set of sub-fingerprints.

24. The system of claim 20 further including:

a first fingerprint calculator, associated with the unique bounding identifier, for extracting a first set of sub-fingerprints from a content signal of the content object;

a first fingerprint database for assigning the content identifier to the first set of sub-fingerprints; and

a digital watermark reader, associated with a second unique bounding identifier, for extracting a second content ID from a content signal of the content object.

25. The system of claim 20 comprising:

a first digital watermark reader, associated with the unique bounding identifier, for extracting a content identifier from the set of content identifiers from first audio or visual content signals of content objects identified by the set of content identifiers; and

a second digital watermark reader, associated with a second unique bounding identifier, for extracting a content identifier from a second set of content identifiers from second audio or visual content signals of content objects identified by the second set of content identifiers;

the database system in communication with the first and second digital watermark readers for receiving metadata requests, and configured to use a combination of the unique bounding identifier and a content identifier from the set of content identifiers to route a metadata request to a first metadata source, and configured to use a combination of the second unique bounding identifier and a content identifier from the second set of content identifiers to route a metadata request to a second metadata source, different from the first metadata source.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the first and second audio or visual content signals comprise images captured from physical objects.