Modifying playback of content using pre-processed profile information

• US 9,380,383 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Brenner, Vadim, Cremer, Markus K., Becker, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US14/020,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• 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: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26606 for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

Example methods and systems for modifying the playback of content using pre-processed profile information are described. In some example embodiments, the methods and systems may access a stream of content to be delivered to a playback device, identify a piece of content within the stream of content to be delivered to the playback device, determine a profile for the identified piece of content, and deliver the determined profile to the playback device. In some example embodiments, the methods and systems may receive a stream of content at a playback device, access profile information associated with the stream of content, and modify playback of the stream of content based on the accessed profile information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing, at a computer system, a stream of media content to be delivered via a communication network to a playback device configured to play the media content;

identifying, using the computer system, a digital fingerprint for a piece of media content within the stream of media content to be delivered to the playback device;

determining, using the computer system, profile information for the identified piece of media content, the profile information identifying playback frequency characteristics of the piece of media content; and

providing the digital fingerprint and the determined profile information to the playback device independently of the stream of media content, the digital fingerprint and the profile information to allow the playback device to identify the piece of media content and automatically modify the playback frequency characteristics during playback of the piece of media content based on the profile information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the profile information for the identified piece of media content includes determining one or more characteristics for an entire portion of the piece of media content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the profile information for the identified piece of media content includes determining a first set of one or more frequency characteristics for a first portion of the piece of media content and a second set of one or more frequency characteristics for a second portion of the piece of media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the profile information for the identified piece of media content includes determining a set of one or more characteristics for each block of frames of the piece of media content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the profile information for the identified piece of media content includes determining a set of one or more characteristics for the piece of media content based on a category type applied to the piece of media content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the profile information for the identified piece of media content includes determining a genre for the piece of media content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the profile information for the identified piece of media content includes determining signal strength parameters for different frequencies of the piece of media content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the piece of media content within the stream of media content to be communicated to the playback device includes identifying the piece of media content based on a comparison of a fingerprint associated with the piece of media content to a set of fingerprints associated with known media content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the piece of media content is a song, and wherein determining the profile information for the song includes determining a set of equalization settings to be used when playing the song via the playback device.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the profile information for the identified piece of media content includes determining a mood for the piece of media content.

10. A system, comprising:

a content access module, executing on one or more hardware processors of the system, that is configured to access a stream of media content to be delivered to a playback device;

a content identification module executing on the one or more processors that is configured to identify a digital fingerprint of a piece of media content within the stream of media content to be communicated to the playback device; and

a profile module executing on the one or more hardware processors that is configured to determine profile information for the identified piece of media content and deliver the determined profile information to the playback device, the profile information identifying playback frequency characteristics of the piece of media content, the digital fingerprint and the determined profile information to the playback device independently of the stream of media content to allow the playback device to automatically modify the playback frequency characteristics during playback of the piece of media content based on the profile information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the content access module accesses a stream of media content from a media content provider that is providing the stream of content to the playback device over a network.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the content access module accesses the stream of content from a media content provider that is locally stored by the playback device.

13. A method, comprising:

accessing a stream of media content at a playback device;

identifying using one or more hardware processors a digital fingerprint of a piece of media content within the stream of media content to be delivered to the playback device;

accessing, using the digital fingerprint, profile information associated with the piece of media content, the profile information identifying playback frequency characteristics of the piece of media content and being provided independently of the stream of media content; and

automatically modifying, using the one or more hard processors, playback of the stream of media content based on the accessed profile information, the modifying comprising adjusting the playback frequency characteristics during playback of the piece of media content based on the profile information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying playback of the piece of media content includes:

synchronizing the profile information to the piece of media content using fingerprints associated with the piece of media content; and

modifying playback of the piece of media content using the synchronized profile information for the piece of media content.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying playback of the piece of media content includes:

synchronizing the profile information to the piece of media content using events within the stream of media content; and

modifying playback of the piece of media content using the synchronized profile information for the stream of media content.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying playback of the piece of media content based on the accessed profile information includes modifying equalization settings associated with playback of the piece of media content.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein accessing profile information associated with the piece of media content includes accessing multiple sets of one or more characteristics corresponding to multiple portions of the piece of media content.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein accessing profile information associated with the piece of media content includes accessing a single set of one or more characteristics for the piece of media content.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the stream of media content is an audio stream, the playback device is a car stereo system, and wherein modifying playback of the piece of media content includes modifying playback settings of the car stereo system.

20. A system, comprising:

an adjustment module using one or more hardware processors that is configured to;

access, using a digital fingerprint of a piece of media content, profile information associated with a piece of media content, the profile information identifying playback frequency characteristics of the piece of media content and being provided independently of the piece of media content; and

automatically modify playback of the piece of media content based on the accessed profile information.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a synchronization module that is configured to synchronize the piece of media content to the profile information based on fingerprints associated with the piece of media content.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a synchronization module that is configured to synchronize the piece of media content to the profile information based on acoustic events within the piece of media content.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the adjustment module is configured to access information identifying a genre assigned to the piece of media content and modify playback of the piece of media content by adjusting equalization settings of a playback device to settings associated with the identified genre.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the adjustment module is configured to access information identifying signal strength parameters for different frequencies of the piece of media content and modify playback of the piece of media content by adjusting equalization settings of a playback device to settings using the signal strength parameters.