Smartphone arrangements responsive to musical artists and other content proprietors

• US 9,367,886 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Bruce L., Rodriguez, Tony F., Brandis, Robert Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Farhan
• Application Number:
  US14/326,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/005 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

Methods and arrangements involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. One particular arrangement concerns a software program that is launched following detection of audio content performed by a first musical artist. A phone can be provided with plural such software programs, tailored to respond to different types of detected content. Another aspect of the disclosed technology enables a creator of content to select software with which that creator'"'"'s content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A smartphone-based system comprising:

a microphone, one or more processors, and one or more memories containing software instructions for execution by said processor(s), the smartphone including circuitry adapted to process first audio content captured by the microphone, and to provide the processed audio to an audio fingerprinting or digital watermark decoding service that outputs content identification data corresponding to said audio content, the one or more memories defining one or more data structures that associate metadata with content identification data, the metadata associated with content identification data for the first audio content including data indicating a musical artist that performed the first audio content, and also identifying a first plurality of alternative application programs that correspond to the first audio content, said software instructions further including instructions for selecting between said alternative application programs and invoking a selected one of said alternative application programs to provide a response to a user related to said first audio content, wherein said selected application program is invoked responsive to audio content performed by some, but not all, musical artists, indicated by said metadata, and wherein said one or more data structures include second metadata associated with second content identification data for second audio content that is different than the first audio content, said second metadata indicating a second musical artist different than the first artist, and identifying plural second application programs, said instructions being operative to invoke all of said plural second application programs upon identification of the second audio content by said service.

2. The smartphone system of claim 1 in which said one or more data structures include third metadata associated with third content identification data for third audio content that is different than both the first and second audio content, said third metadata indicating a third musical artist different than the first or second artist, and identifying plural third application programs, said instructions being operating to invoke all of said plural third application programs upon identification of the third audio content by said service.

3. The smartphone of claim 1 in which said circuitry comprises said one or more processors.

4. The smartphone of claim 1 wherein said first application program is configured to receive the artist data from the one or more data structures via an application programming interface (API) that provides for message passing from said service to said first application program.

9. The method of claim 1 in which said instructions for selecting between said alternative application programs comprise instructions for selecting a most-recently-used one of said alternative application programs.

10. The method of claim 1 in which said instructions for selecting between said alternative application programs comprise instructions for selecting a one of said alternative application programs with a smallest memory footprint.

5. A method for invoking different application programs in response to identification of music of first and second different classes, the method comprising one or more acts:

processing input audio data, or a pointer to stored audio data, and publishing resultant metadata corresponding to the audio data to a metadata output, said processing being performed by a hardware processor configured to perform one or both of said processing and publishing acts, wherein the published metadata is obtained through use of, audio fingerprint data or decoded watermark data identifying the audio data;

monitoring the published metadata on said metadata output to determine whether the audio data is music of a first class;

monitoring said published metadata on said metadata output to determine whether the audio data is music of a second class;

selecting between a first plurality of application programs and invoking the selected program to provide a response to a user, when metadata indicating said first class of music is published;

invoking a second plurality of application programs to provide a response to the user, when metadata indicating said second class of music is published, the second plurality of application programs being different than the first plurality of application programs; and

wherein said selected program is invoked responsive to audio data of said first class but is not invoked responsive to audio data of said second class.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the music of the first class comprises music by a particular performing artist.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the particular performing artist is the Beatles.

8. The method of claim 5 in which the music of the second class comprises Disney movie soundtracks.

11. The method of claim 5 in which the metadata output comprises a message queue.