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(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2011/0119149 A1 Ikezoye Et Al

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(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2011/0119149 A1 Ikezoye Et Al US 2011 0119149A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2011/0119149 A1 Ikezoye et al. (43) Pub. Date: May 19, 2011 (54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR Publication Classification IDENTIFYING MEDIA CONTENT (51) Int. Cl PRESENTED ON A MEDIA PLAYING DEVICE G06F 5/16 (2006.01) (76) Inventors: Vance E. Ikezoye, Los Gatos, CA G06Q 30/00 (2006.01) (US); James B. Schrempp, (52) U.S. Cl. ........................................ 705/26.7; 709/219 Saratoga, CA (US) (57) ABSTRACT (21) Appl. No.: 13/011,776 A media device generates a digital fingerprint of perceptual 1-1. features of a segment of a work. The segment is less than an (22) Filed: Jan. 21, 2011 entirety of the work and includes at least one of audio or video O O media content. The media device sends a query to a lookup Related U.S. Application Data server for data associated with the work, the query including (63) Continuation of application No. 12/251,404, filed on said digital fingerprint. The media device receives the data Oct. 14, 2008, now Pat. No. 7,917,645, which is a associated with said work from said lookup server in response continuation of application No. 10/955,841, filed on to said query, wherein the data was identified based on a Sep. 29, 2004, now Pat. No. 7,500,007, which is a comparison of the digital fingerprint to a collection of digital continuation of application No. 09/51 1,632, filed on fingerprints of known works. The media device then pro Feb. 17, 2000, now Pat. No. 6,834,308. cesses the received data. 10 ? 14 22 CENT MEDIA PLAYER 20 8 SOUND CARO SPEAKERS MEDA CENT 24 APPLICATION VIDEO CARO DSPLAY w 36 26 34 NERCEP SAMPLNG UNIT UNRT CLENT ENGINE 28 \ NETWORK iNTERFACE 3O - p LOOKUP SERVER 17 NETWORK iNTERFACE p SERVER ENGENE 44 a 47 - - -46 48 MEA OG DATABASE | DAABASE S Patent Application Publication May 19, 2011 Sheet 1 of 5 US 2011/01 19149 A1 14f 22 CLENT MEDA PLAYER 20 18 SOUND CAR) SPEAKERS MEDA CENT APPLICATION DISPLAY \ 26 SAMPNG USER UNT INTERFACE INTERNET Y-32 12 CONNECTION LOOKUP SERVER SERVER ENGINE 44 LOG UNIT MEDIA LOG F.G. 1 artist DAABASE Patent Application Publication May 19, 2011 Sheet 2 of 5 US 2011/01 19149 A1 50 52a 52b 52C 52n CLENT CLIENT CLENT CLENT NODE 1 NODE 2 NODE 3 NODE in |P(HTTP) LOOKUP SERVER FIG. 2 Patent Application Publication May 19, 2011 Sheet 3 of 5 US 2011/01 19149 A1 NITATE NTERCEPT UNIT RECEIVE USER 120 REQUEST FOR MEDIA NFORMATION 130 SAMPLE MEDA CONTENT IN FFO BUFFER 140- TRANSMT SAMPLE TO LOOKUP SERVER 50 RECEIVE CONTENT RELATED INFORMATION FROM LOOKUP SERVER DISPLAY 60 CONTENT-RELATED NFORMATION TO USER FIG. 3 Patent Application Publication May 19, 2011 Sheet 4 of 5 US 2011/01 19149 A1 21 O MONTOR MEDIA HARDWARE DEVICES 220 ANY MEDIA NO CONTENT? YES BUFFER YES FULLP PURGE OLDEST 240 CLP NO STORE INTO 250 FFO BUFFER F.G. 4 Patent Application Publication May 19, 2011 Sheet 5 of 5 US 2011/01 19149 A1 RECEIVE MEDIA SAMPLE FROM 300 CLENT COMPUTER QUERY 31 O STRUCTURE 47 FOR CONTENT-RELATED NFORMATION 32O NO CURRENT 350 NFORMATION RETRIEVE CONTENT-RELATED INFOREIGN TO 360 NFORMATION CLENT COMPUTER TRANSMT CONTENT-RELATED INFORMATION TO CLENT COMPUTER 370 NTTATE LOG PROCESS F.G. 5 US 2011/01 19149 A1 May 19, 2011 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR equipped to provide streaming audio works, much like tradi IDENTIFYING MEDIA CONTENT tional AM or FM radio broadcast. A user that would like to PRESENTED ON A MEDIA PLAYING DEVICE listen to an Internet radio broadcast would use a client appli cation (such as Real PlayerTM, MicrosoftTM media player, or RELATED APPLICATIONS Apple QuickTimeTM viewer, for example) and direct the cli ent application to the appropriate server computer. The server 0001. This application is a continuation of U.S. patent computer then transmits the media content of a work to the application Ser. No. 12/251,404, filedon Oct. 14, 2008, which client application via the Internet. The client application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/955, receives the media content of the work transmitted from the 841, filed Sep. 29, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,500,007, which server computer and plays the content of the work using the is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/511, user's Sound card and speaker. 632, filed on Feb. 17, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,308. U.S. 0009 Internet video broadcasts (anotherform of webcast) patent application Ser. No. 12/251,404, U.S. Pat. No. 7,500, are carried out in a similar fashion to that of Internet radio 007, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,308 are hereby incorporated by broadcasts, except video broadcasts typically contain both reference. audio and video content of a work. As such, the audio com ponent of the work is played to the user via a sound card and BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION speakers, while the video component of the work is displayed 0002 1. Field of the Invention using a video card and a monitor. 0003. This invention pertains generally to media content 0010. In many cases, webcasts will not provide content identification methods. More particularly, the invention is an identifying information, Such as song title, artist name or apparatus and method for identifying media content pre album name, as part of a broadcast work. Other information, sented on a media playing device and presenting media such as where the content of the work can be purchased in the content related information and/or action to the user of the form of a CD, DVD (digital video disk) or VHS (video home media playing device. system) tape, for example, are also typically not included. The 0004 2. The Prior Art primary reason a webcast provider (station) fails to provide 0005. The use of a data processing means, such as a com such content-related information of the work is that the sta puter or personal digital assistant (PDA), for playing works is tion does not have real-time access to accurate playlists. For well known. For purposes of the present discussion, a work is example, it is common for a station disk jockey to make anything that is fixed in a tangible medium. Some examples of real-time adjustments to the playlist order and timing. Thus works include, but are not limited to, audio renderings, video current radio station systems do not transmit or attach iden renderings, images, video/audio renderings, and Software. An tification data of a work with the broadcast. example of an audio rendering is a song or other audio track. 0011. In addition to webcasts, many Internet sites provide Examples of video renderings include animation or video archived or pre-recorded works for download and playback sequence. Examples of an image include photographs and on a user's PC. Examples of such content of works include paintings. Examples of audio/video renderings include mov “way”, “mp3”, “mov, and “midi files, among others. Once ies, television shows, and cartoons. Examples of Software these files have been downloaded from the Internet site to the include word processing programs and video games. user's PC, the user is able to play back the audio or video 0006. Some examples of playing a work include using a content of a work using an appropriate client application. personal computer (PC) to play Songs from audio compact Many of these media files, like webcasts, also fail to provide disks (CD), normally with the use of a CD-ROM drive, a identifying data or other information for a work. Sound card, and speakers. Other types of media, including 0012. Additionally, PCs often have the ability to play other various formats of audio and video, are also commonly forms of media content for other works via PC sound card and played using a PC. speakers and/or PC video card and monitor. For example, 0007. With the increasing popularity of the global infor tuner expansion cards (tuners) which may be inserted into (or mation network commonly known as the “Internet, various interfaced with) a user's PC are presently available (some audio and video formats have been introduced to providelive computers already include such tuners). In either case, “tele (as well as archived) broadcasts of works over the Internet. vision” (TV) tuners allow a user of the PC to view conven These broadcasts may be viewed by users connected to the tional television, cable or satellite transmissions on the PC Internet with the use of a PC and the proper client application. monitor and hear the audio via the PC speaker. “Radio’ tuners For example, Real NetworksTM provides Real PlayerTM (a allow a user to hear conventional (FM or AM) radio broadcast client application) for playing streaming audio and video using the PC speaker. Conventional TV and radio broadcast works (in RealTM format) which is broadcast over the Internet. also fail to provide rich content-related information of a work Various servers (also connected to the Internet) carry out the to the user. operation of making such works available and streaming data 0013. Other media playing devices such as televisions, for the appropriate works to users upon request. In this way, radio/stereo systems, and portable audio devices also typi RealTM media content of the work may be played by a user cally do not provide content-related information of a work on using RealPlayerTM on the user's PC.
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