Fingerprint methods and systems for media signals
View Patent ↗The present invention relates generally to fingerprinting, e.g., a reduced-bit representation or other identifier of a media signal (e.g., audio, video or still images). One method recites: receiving a partial fingerprint of a media signal, wherein the partial fingerprint is derived from the media signal itself, the partial fingerprint being computed a first location; processing the partial fingerprint to obtain a more refined fingerprint, relative to the partial fingerprint, the act of processing occurring at a second location that is remote from the first location; and based at least in part of the refined fingerprint, identifying the media signal or information associated with the media signal. Another method recites: obtaining a fingerprint derived from a media signal, the fingerprint comprising a reduce-bit representation of the media signal; determining information associated with the fingerprint or the media signal; and causing a text message to be sent to a mobile device representing at least a portion of the information. Of course, other methods and combinations are described and claimed as well.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed representation of a media signal, wherein the fingerprint comprises a reduced-bit representation of the compressed media signal;
receiving a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;
computing a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;
determining, using a processor, information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal; and
sending at least a portion of the information to a mobile device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device generates the first portion of the fingerprint.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint is generated upon activation of a fetch command provided by the mobile device.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the fetch command comprises a voice command.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a cell phone.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deriving the fingerprint from a compressed form of the media signal; and
mapping the information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal using the fingerprint.
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to receive a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed representation of a media signal, wherein the fingerprint comprises a reduced-bit representation of the compressed media signal;
instructions to receive a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;
instructions to compute a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;
instructions to determine information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal; and
instructions to trigger transmission of at least a portion of the information to a mobile device.
10. An apparatus comprising:
means for receiving a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed representation of a media signal, wherein the fingerprint comprises a reduced-bit representation of the compressed media signal;
means for receiving a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;
means for computing a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;
means for determining information associated with the fingerprint or with the media signal; and
means for sending at least a portion of the information to a mobile device.
11. An apparatus comprising:
an input configured to:
receive a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed form of a media signal; and
receive a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal; and
a processing system configured to:
compute a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;
determine information associated with the fingerprint; and
control sending of at least a portion the information to a mobile device.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.
17. A system comprising:
a server configured to receive a first portion of a fingerprint derived from a compressed form of a media signal;
a database configured to store information associated with the media signal using the fingerprint; and
the server further configured to:
receive a portion of the compressed representation of the media signal;
compute a second portion of the fingerprint from the received portion of the compressed representation of the media signal; and
retrieve the information from the database using the fingerprint and send at least a portion of the information to a mobile device.
18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a registration process configured to derive the fingerprint from the compressed from of the media signal; and
a mapping process configured to map the information associated with the media signal to the fingerprint.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the fingerprint is derived using at least a hashing process.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the media signal comprises at least audio, video or a still image.