Efficient apparatus and method for audio signature generation using audio threshold
View Patent ↗An automatic content recognition system that includes a user device for the purpose of capturing audio and generating an audio signature. The user device may be a smartphone or tablet. The system is also capable of determining sound level at a user device and refraining from audio monitoring and/or generating audio signatures when the sound level is below a threshold. Sound level may also be used to reduce the frequency of audio monitoring and/or signature generation. The system may have a database within the user device or the user device may communicate with a server having a database that contains reference audio signatures.
1. An apparatus for monitoring audio information comprising:
a probe component to convert audio information to an electrical signal;
a sound level detector;
an audio signature generator responsive to said probe component and said sound level detector configured to generate an audio signature at a first frequency when the sound level is at or above a threshold and to generate an audio signature at a reduced frequency compared to the first frequency when the sound level is below a threshold;
a transmitter responsive to said audio signature generator that transmits any generated audio signature over a communication channel to a remote server for potential identification of the content represented by the audio signature.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said probe component comprises a microphone.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sound level detector is frequency based.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a time delay element associated with said sound level detector.
5. A method for monitoring audio information comprising the steps of:
capturing audio information using a probe component that converts audio information to an electrical signal;
determining sound level using a sound level detector;
generating an audio signature, using an audio signature generator responsive to the probe component and the sound level detector, from the captured audio information at a first frequency when the determined sound level is at or above a threshold and generating an audio signature at a reduced frequency compared to the first frequency when the determined sound level is below a threshold; and
transmitting any generated audio signature over a communication channel to a remote server for potential identification of the content represented by the audio signature.
6. A method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of scheduling the audio signature generation.
7. A method according to claim 5 wherein said step of determining sound level comprises the steps of determining sound level in a limited frequency range.
8. A method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of scheduling an audio capture.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the audio signature is an audio fingerprint.
10. A method according to claim 5 wherein the audio signature is an audio fingerprint.