Methods, apparatus and programs for generating and utilizing content signatures

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first fingerprint of a media signal;

querying a data repository, using a processor, to identify a plurality of records associated with the first fingerprint;

receiving a second fingerprint of the media signal, wherein the second fingerprint comprises a more refined fingerprint relative to the first fingerprint; and

selecting a record, based at least on the second fingerprint, out of the plurality of records.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data repository comprises structure for grouping neighborhoods of related fingerprints.

3. A method comprising:

obtaining data from a remote device, wherein the data comprises a reduced-bit representation of an audio or video signal;

, deriving, using a processor, a fingerprint of the data, wherein the fingerprint of the data serves as an identifier of the audio or video signal, and wherein the fingerprint comprises an even more reduced-bit representation of the audio or video signal relative to the data;

obtaining, using at least the fingerprint, information or content associated with the audio or video signal; and

providing the information or content to the remote device or to a device associated with the remote device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the data comprises a first fingerprint of the audio or video signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fingerprint of the data comprises a more unique identifier of the audio or video signal relative to the first fingerprint of the audio or video signal.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the data represents perceptual features of the audio or video signal.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein providing the information or content utilizes email.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the information or content comprises purchasing information for additional audio or video.

9. An article of manufacture including a tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining data from a remote device, wherein the data comprises a reduced-bit representation of an audio or video signal;

deriving a fingerprint of the data, wherein the fingerprint of the data serves as an identifier of the audio or video signal, and wherein the fingerprint comprises an even more reduced-bit representation of the audio or video signal relative to the data;

obtaining, using at least the fingerprint, information or content associated with the audio or video signal; and

providing the information or content to the remote device or to a device associated with the remote device.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the information or content comprises a link to purchase audio or video.

11. A method comprising:

obtaining an audio or video signal;

processing, using a processor, the audio or video signal to produce data representing some, but not all, features of the audio or video signal;

communicating the data to a remote computer server, and

receiving, from the remote computer server, information or content associated with the audio or video signal, wherein the information or content is obtained using a fingerprint derived from the data, and wherein the fingerprint comprises a more precise identifier of the audio or video signal relative to the data.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising carrying out an action, using a processor, associated with the information or content.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data comprises a first fingerprint of the audio or video signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fingerprint derived from the data comprises a more unique representation of the audio or video signal relative to the first fingerprint of the audio or video signal.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data comprises a reduced-bit representation of the audio or video signal.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the information or content is received via email.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the information or content comprises purchasing information for additional audio or video.

18. An article of manufacture including a tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining an audio or video signal;

processing the audio or video signal to produce data representing some, but not all, features of the audio or video signal;

communicating the data to a remote computer server; and

receiving, from the remote computer server, information or content associated with the audio or video signal, wherein the information or content is obtained using a fingerprint derived from the data, and wherein the fingerprint comprises a more precise identifier of the audio or video signal relative to the data.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the information or content comprises a link to purchase audio or video.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the some, but not all, features of the audio or video signal comprise perceptual features from the audio or video signal.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the perceptual features are selected from a group of features determined to be perceptually relevant features.

22. The method of claim 3 , wherein the some, but not all, features of the audio or video signal comprise perceptual features from the audio or video signal.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the perceptual features are selected from a group of features determined to be perceptually relevant features.

24. An article of manufacture including a tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first fingerprint of a media signal;

querying a data repository to identify a plurality of records associated with the first fingerprint;

receiving a second fingerprint of the media signal, wherein the second fingerprint comprises a more refined fingerprint relative to the first fingerprint; and

selecting a record, based at least on the second fingerprint, out of the plurality of records.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to:

receive a first fingerprint of a media signal; and

receive a second fingerprint of the media signal, wherein the second fingerprint comprises a more refined fingerprint relative to the first fingerprint; and

a processor configured to:

query a data repository to identify a plurality of records associated with the first fingerprint; and

select a record, based at least on the second fingerprint, out of the plurality of records.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive data, wherein the data comprises a reduced-bit representation of an audio or video signal;

a processor configured to:

derive a fingerprint of the data, wherein the fingerprint of the data serves as an identifier of the audio or video signal, and wherein the fingerprint comprises an even more reduced-bit representation of the audio or video signal relative to the data; and

obtain, using at least the fingerprint, information or content associated with the audio or video signal; and

a provider configured to provide the information or content to the remote device or to a device associated with the remote device.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an audio or video signal;

a processor configured to process the audio or video signal to produce data representing some, but not all, features of the audio or video signal;

a transmitter configured to communicate the data to a remote computer server; and

the receiver further configured to receive information or content associated with the audio or video signal, wherein the information or content is obtained using a fingerprint derived from the data, and wherein the fingerprint comprises a more precise identifier of the audio or video signal relative to the data.