SEAMLESS PLAYBACK OF MEDIA CONTENT USING DIGITAL WATERMARKING

• US 20160165297A1
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jamal-Syed, Shaheer, Ljunggren, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,832,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43078 for seamlessly watching content streams when changing device, e.g. when watching the same program sequentially on a TV and then on a tablet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/44008 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described that provide a mechanism for transferring and/or synchronizing playback of media content from one media device to another in a seamless fashion. A media device 102 may be arranged to detect playback of media content from another media device 104. The media device 102 captures a portion of the media content being played back and identifies the captured media content and content provider 106a. The media device downloads or streams the identified media content from the content provider 106a, while also synchronising playback of the identified/downloaded/streamed media content on the media device 102 with the playback of the media content on the other device 104. The media content may be embedded with a digital watermark for identification of the media content and the content provider 106a. A machine-to-machine platform 108 may assist in identifying the media content and content provider 106a from the captured media content.

Claims

1. A method for a media device to playback media content, the method comprising:

detecting playback of the media content output from a second media device;

capturing and storing the media content;

identifying the media content and a content provider from the captured media content;

downloading the identified media content from the content provider; and

substantially synchronising playback of the downloaded media content from the media device with the playback of the media content output from the second media device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying the captured media content and the content provider further comprises:

sending at least a portion of the captured media content to a machine-to-machine, M2M, platform provider for determining the identity of the media content and content provider; and

receiving, in response from the M2M platform, an indication of the identity of the media content and the content provider associated with the captured media content.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the media content includes a digital watermark for identifying the content provider and the media content, and the captured media content includes data representative of the digital watermark.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the digital watermark is embedded within the media content at a plurality of locations in the media content.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the captured media content comprises a plurality of frames of an audio signal corresponding to the audio signal of the media content, and the downloaded media content comprises a plurality of frames of an audio signal corresponding to the audio signal of the identified media content, wherein the step of substantially synchronising the playback further comprises starting playback of the downloaded media content from an audio signal frame of the downloaded media content based on the most recently captured audio signal frame of the captured media content.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the digital watermark further includes a timestamp signal, and substantially synchronising the playback further comprises starting playback of the downloaded media content from an audio signal frame of the downloaded media content based on the timestamp signal.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein substantially synchronising the playback further comprises cross-correlating at least one of the audio signal frames of the captured media content with the plurality of audio signal frames of the downloaded media content to determine the most likely starting point for playback of the downloaded media content.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

incrementing a frame counter for each captured frame of the audio signal when capturing the media content; and

substantially synchronising playback further comprising;

determining the most recently captured audio signal frame of the captured media content by reading the current frame count of the frame counter; and

starting playback of the downloaded media content based on current frame count.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

detecting playback of the media content output from a second media device further comprises detecting playback of the media content output in an analogue format from the second media device; and

capturing and storing the media content further comprises capturing and storing the media content in a digital format.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the media content is audio media content.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the media content is audiovisual media content.

13. A method for identifying captured media content for playback on a media device based on playback of media content output from a second media device, the method comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the captured media content from the media device;

determining the identity of the media content and content provider; and

transmitting an indication of the identity of the media content and the content provider for use by the media device in playback of the identified media content.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein determining the identity of the captured media content and the content provider further comprises:

sending at least a portion of the captured media content to an analysis module for determining the identity of the media content and content provider; and

receiving the indication of the identity of the media content and the content provider associated with the captured media content.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the media content includes a digital watermark comprising data representative of the content provider and the identity of the media content, and the captured media content includes data representative of the digital watermark, wherein:

determining the identity of the media content and content provider further comprises detecting, extracting and reading the digital watermark in the captured media content.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the method is performed by a mobile-to-mobile platform.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the media content is audio media content.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the media content is audiovisual media content.

19. A media device comprising a receiver, a transmitter, a memory unit, a capture unit, a media playback unit, and a processor, the processor being connected to the receiver, to the transmitter, to the memory unit, to the capture device, and to the media playback device, wherein:

the processor and capture unit are configured to;

detect playback of the media content output from a second media device; and

capture the output media content;

the memory unit is configured to store the captured media content;

the processor is further configured to identify the media content and a content provider from the captured media content;

the receiver and transmitter are configured to download the identified media content from the content provider; and

the processor and media playback unit are configured to substantially synchronise playback of the downloaded media content from the media device with the playback of the media content output from the second media device.

20. The media device as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

the transmitter and processor are further configured to send at least a portion of the captured media content to a machine-to-machine, M2M, platform provider for determining the identity of the media content and content provider; and

the receiver is further configured to receive, in response from the M2M platform, an indication of the identity of the media content and the content provider associated with the captured media content.

22. The service platform as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

the transmitter is further configured to send at least a portion of the captured media content to an analysis module for determining the identity of the media content and content provider; and

the receiver is further configured to receive the indication of the identity of the media content and the content provider associated with the captured media content.

21. A service platform comprising a receiver, a transmitter, a memory unit, and processor, the processor being connected to the receiver, to the transmitter, and to the memory unit wherein:

the receiver is configured to receive at least a portion of the captured media content from the media device;

the processor is configured to determine the identity of the media content and content provider; and

the transmitter is configured to transmit an indication of the identity of the media content and the content provider for use by the media device in playback of the identified media content.