Method and apparatus for identificaton of broadcast source
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for identifying a broadcast source of content comprising:
- receiving an audio sample and a time at which the audio sample was recorded, the audio sample being a rendition of a segment of an original recording;
identifying characteristics of the audio sample and an estimated time offset of the audio sample, the estimated time offset of the audio sample defining a time difference between a beginning of the original recording and a beginning of the audio sample;
comparing the characteristics and the estimated time offset of the audio sample with characteristics and time offsets of broadcast samples taken from broadcast stations at approximately the time at which the audio sample was recorded, each of the time offsets of the broadcast samples defining a time difference between a beginning of a broadcast sample and a beginning of a corresponding original recording; and
based on the comparison, identifying a broadcast station from which the audio sample was broadcast.
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Abstract
A user (102) hears an audio program being broadcast and can record a sample of the audio. The sample is then conveyed to an analyzing means (106) to determine to which broadcast station the user is listening. The analyzing means monitors many broadcast channels. Thus, characteristics of the audio sample and samples taken from the broadcast channels can be compared to find a match. Broadcast information pertaining to the broadcast channel from which the match was found may then be reported back to the user, combined with an advertisement of a promotion, prize notification, discount offers, and other information specific for a certain radio station for example.
60 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for identifying a broadcast source of content comprising:
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receiving an audio sample and a time at which the audio sample was recorded, the audio sample being a rendition of a segment of an original recording; identifying characteristics of the audio sample and an estimated time offset of the audio sample, the estimated time offset of the audio sample defining a time difference between a beginning of the original recording and a beginning of the audio sample; comparing the characteristics and the estimated time offset of the audio sample with characteristics and time offsets of broadcast samples taken from broadcast stations at approximately the time at which the audio sample was recorded, each of the time offsets of the broadcast samples defining a time difference between a beginning of a broadcast sample and a beginning of a corresponding original recording; and based on the comparison, identifying a broadcast station from which the audio sample was broadcast. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for identifying a broadcast source of content comprising:
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comparing an identity of an audio sample with identities of broadcast audio samples taken from broadcast channels being monitored; comparing a time offset of the audio sample with time offsets of the broadcast audio samples, wherein a time offset of a sample defines a relative time offset of the sample plus an elapsed time between when the sample was taken and a common reference time, wherein the sample corresponds to a segment of a media file and the time offset of the sample defines a time difference between a beginning of the media file and a beginning of the sample; and based on substantially matching identities and substantially matching time offsets, identifying a broadcast channel from which the audio sample was recorded. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A monitoring station comprising:
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broadcast channel samplers for sampling audio from respective broadcast stations; an audio recognition engine for determining characteristics of the audio sampled from the respective broadcast stations, and for determining an estimated time offset of the audio between a beginning of an original recording from which the audio sample was taken and a time at which the audio sample was taken; and a processor for (i) receiving a user audio sample, (ii) comparing the characteristics and the estimated time offset of the audio sampled from the respective broadcast stations and taken at approximately the time at which the user audio sample was recorded with characteristics and a time offset of the user audio sample, and (iii) based on the comparisons, identifying a broadcast station from which the user audio sample was broadcast. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for identifying a broadcast source of content comprising:
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recording an audio sample; recording a time at which the audio sample was recorded; identifying characteristics of the audio sample and an estimated time offset of the audio sample, the estimated time offset defining a time difference between a beginning of a corresponding identified content file and when the recording of the audio sample begins; recording audio samples from each of a plurality of broadcast stations; recording a time at which each of the audio samples from each of the plurality of broadcast stations was sampled; identifying characteristics and estimated time offsets of the broadcast samples from each of the plurality of broadcast stations, each estimated time offset of the broadcast samples defining a time difference between a beginning of a corresponding identified content file and when the respective recording of the respective broadcast sample begins; comparing the characteristics and the estimated time offset of the audio sample with the characteristics and the estimated time offsets of the broadcast samples taken from the plurality of broadcast stations at approximately the time at which the audio sample was recorded; and based on the comparison, identifying a broadcast station from which the audio sample was broadcast.
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Specification