Methods and apparatus for identifying media
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus are disclosed for identifying media and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for decoding identifiers after broadcast. An example method includes a portion of an identifying code from a media signal, determine a partition of the look-up table based on the portion of the identifying code wherein the partition of the look-up table includes reference signatures associated with the portion of the identifying code, and identify the media signal by comparing a signature extracted from the media signal to reference signatures in the partition of the look-up table.
1. A method comprising:
determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, an identifying timestamp that is unreadable or otherwise unavailable, the identifying timestamp associated with an identifying code obtained from a media signal;
determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, an approximate time from the identifying timestamp;
determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a time range based on the approximate time; and
identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, entries of a look-up table for inclusion in a partition of the look-up table, the entries including timestamps in the time range;
constructing, by executing an instruction with the processor, based on the entries, the partition of the look-up table including respective reference signatures;
comparing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a signature extracted from the media signal to the reference signatures in the partition of the look-up table; and
identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, media associated with the media signal based on the comparing.
2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein identifying the media includes matching a sequence of signatures extracted from the media signal to reference signatures.
3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the look-up table contains:
timestamps; and
signatures from a reference media signal wherein the signatures are associated with the timestamps.
4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the partition of the look-up table is determined by decreasing a search space of the look-up table.
5. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including synchronizing a media presentation device with the media signal using the identity of the media.
6. A method comprising:
determining a portion of an identifying code from a media signal, the portion of the identifying code including an identifying timestamp that is unreadable or otherwise unavailable;
determining an approximate timestamp from the identifying timestamp;
determining a time range based on the approximate timestamp;
identifying entries of a look-up table for inclusion in a partition of the look-up table, the entries including timestamps in the time range, the partition of the look-up table including reference signatures associated with the portion of the identifying code; and
identifying the media signal by comparing a signature extracted from the media signal to reference signatures in the partition of the look-up table.
7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the identifying code is source identification data.
8. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein the entries include the source identification data.
9. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein
the portion of the identifying code contains source identification data and
the entries include the source identification data.
10. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the media signal contains an audio signal.
11. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the identifying code is determined from an audio watermark.
12. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the look-up table is stored on at least one of a database, a hard disk, a storage facility, or a removable media storage device.
13. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein determining a partition of the look-up table is performed by:
determining filtering parameters for the partition based on the identifying code; and
executing the filtering parameters to populate the partition.
14. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein a sequence of signatures are extracted from the media signal, wherein the sequence of signatures matches at least two instances of media presentation in the look-up table, and wherein the sequence of signatures matches one instance of the media presentation in the partition of the look-up table.
15. A system for identifying media, the system comprising:
a code extractor to determine an identifying timestamp that is unreadable or otherwise unavailable, the identifying timestamp associated with an identifying code from a media signal;
an interface to:
determine an approximate time from the identifying timestamp;
determine a time range based on the approximate time; and
identify entries of a look-up table for inclusion in a partition of the look-up table, the entries including timestamps in the time range;
construct based on the entries, the partition of the look-up table including respective reference signatures; and
a media identifier to compare a signature extracted from the media signal to the reference signatures in the partition of the look-up table and identify media associated with the media signal based on the comparison.
16. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein the media identifier is to identify the media by matching a sequence of signatures extracted from the media signal to reference signatures.
17. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein the look-up table contains:
timestamps; and
signatures from a reference media signal wherein the signatures are associated with the timestamps.
18. The system as defined in claim 15 , further including a media manager to synchronize a media presentation device with the media signal using the identity of the media.
19. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein the partition of the look-up table is determined by decreasing a search space of the look-up table.
20. A system for identifying media, the system comprising:
a code extractor to determine a portion of an identifying code from a media signal, the portion of the identifying code containing an identifying timestamp, a portion of the identifying timestamp being unreadable or otherwise unavailable;
an interface to:
determine an approximate timestamp from the identifying timestamp,
determine a time range based on the approximate timestamp, and
identify entries of a look-up table for inclusion in a partition of the look-up table, the entries including timestamps in the time range, the partition of the look-up table including reference signatures associated with the portion of the identifying code; and
a media identifier to identify the media signal by comparing a signature extracted from the media signal to reference signatures in the partition of the look-up table.
21. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein the identifying code is source identification data.
22. The system as defined in claim 21 , wherein the entries include the source identification data.
23. The system as defined in claim 20 , wherein the portion of the identifying code contains source identification data and
the entries include the source identification data.
24. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein the media signal contains an audio signal.
25. The system as defined in claim 24 , wherein the identifying code is determined from an audio watermark.
26. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein the look-up table is stored on at least one of a database, a hard disk, a storage facility, or a removable media storage device.
27. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein determining the partition of the look-up table is performed by:
determining filtering parameters for the partition based on the identifying code; and
executing the filtering parameters to populate the partition.
28. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein a sequence of signatures are extracted from the media signal, wherein the sequence of signatures matches at least two instances of media presentation in the look-up table, and wherein the sequence of signatures matches one instance of the media presentation in the partition of the look-up table.
29. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions, which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
determine, by executing an instruction with a processor, an identifying timestamp that is unreadable or otherwise unavailable, the identifying timestamp associated with an identifying code obtained from a media signal;
determine, by executing an instruction with the processor, an approximate time from the identifying timestamp;
determine, by executing an instruction with the processor, a time range based on the approximate time; and
identify, by executing an instruction with the processor, entries of a look-up table for inclusion in a partition of the look-up table, the entries including timestamps in the time range;
construct, by executing an instruction with the processor, based on the entries, the partition of the look-up table including respective reference signatures;
compare, with the processor, a signature extracted from the media signal to the reference signatures in the partition of the look-up table; and
identify, by executing an instruction with the processor, media associated with the media signal based on the comparison.
30. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify the media by matching a sequence of signatures extracted from the media signal to reference signatures.
31. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein the look-up table contains:
timestamps; and
signatures from a reference media signal wherein the signatures are associated with the timestamps.
32. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to synchronize a media presentation device with the media signal using a determined identity of the media.
33. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein the partition of the look-up table is determined by decreasing a search space of the look-up table.
34. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed cause a machine to at least:
determine a portion of an identifying code from a media signal, the portion of the identifying code including an identifying timestamp that is unreadable or otherwise unavailable;
determine an approximate timestamp from the identifying timestamp;
determine a time range based on the approximate timestamp; and
identify entries of a look-up table for inclusion in a partition of the look-up table, the entries including timestamps in the time range, the partition of the look-up table including reference signatures associated with the portion of the identifying code; and
identify the media signal by comparing a signature extracted from the media signal to reference signatures in the partition of the look-up table.
35. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein the identifying code is source identification data.
36. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 35 , wherein the entries include the source identification data.
37. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 34 , wherein
the portion of the identifying code contains source identification data and the entries include the source identification data.
38. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein the media signal contains an audio signal.
39. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 38 , wherein the identifying code is determined from an audio watermark.
40. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein the look-up table is stored on at least one of a database, a hard disk, a storage facility, or a removable media storage device.
41. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein determining the partition of the look-up table is performed by:
determining filtering parameters for the partition based on the identifying code; and
executing the filtering parameters to populate the partition.
42. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29 , wherein a sequence of signatures are extracted from the media signal, wherein the sequence of signatures matches at least two instances of media presentation in the look-up table, and wherein the sequence of signatures matches one instance of the media presentation in the partition of the look-up table.