Method and system for verifying scheduled media assets
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are described herein for validating content scheduled to be transmitted from a content source. The system may generate a media fingerprint of the content that is transmitted during a specific time from a specific content source. The system may then compare the media fingerprint with media fingerprints in a database of known media assets. When a match is found, the system may retrieve a unique identifier associated with the matched fingerprint. The system may further determine a unique identifier associated with generated media fingerprint. The system may then compare the two identifiers and if the unique identifiers match the media asset is validated. If the unique identifiers do not match, a discrepancy is found and various actions may be taken in response.
1. A method for validating scheduled content, the method comprising:
generating, using a control circuitry, at a first time, a first media fingerprint based on a first media asset and a second media fingerprint based on a second media asset, wherein the first media asset has a first media identifier and the second media asset has a second media identifier;
populating, using the control circuitry, a database with a first record for the first media asset, wherein the first record includes a first field for the first media fingerprint and a second field for the first media identifier;
generating, using the control circuitry, at a second time, a third media fingerprint based on a third media asset that is received at a first scheduled time from a content source;
comparing, using the control circuitry, the third media fingerprint with the first media fingerprint to determine whether the third media asset matches the first media asset, wherein the comparing comprises:
identifying the first record in the database based on a value in the second field;
retrieving the first record from the database; and
extracting the first media fingerprint from the first field;
determining, using the control circuitry, that the third media asset matches the first media asset based on the comparison of the third media fingerprint and the first media fingerprint;
in response to determining that the third media asset matches the first media asset, generating, using the control circuitry, a third media identifier for the third media asset by assigning the first media identifier as the third media asset identifier;
receiving, using the control circuitry, program guide information comprising a list of media asset identifiers that identify a respective plurality of media assets scheduled to be transmitted from the content source at the first scheduled time;
analyzing, using the control circuitry, the list of media asset identifiers to determine that the third identifier, assigned to the third media asset which has been received at the first scheduled time, matches a fourth media identifier from the list of media assets identifiers that identifies a media asset scheduled to be transmitted at the first scheduled time from the content source;
determining, using the control circuitry, based on the third identifier of the third media asset matching the fourth media identifier, whether the third media asset was scheduled to be transmitted at the first scheduled time; and
in response to determining that the third media asset was scheduled to be transmitted at the first scheduled time, storing, using the control circuitry, an indication that the media asset scheduled to be transmitted at the first scheduled time from the content source was transmitted at the first scheduled time from the content source.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the third media fingerprint does not match the first media fingerprint, comparing the third media fingerprint with the second media fingerprint to determine whether the third media asset matches the second media asset.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the third media fingerprint does not match the second media fingerprint, designating the third media asset as a new media asset.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the third media fingerprint for the third media asset further comprises generating an alphanumeric character that uniquely identifies media content having a common characteristic.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the common characteristic includes a series episode number and a title, or a serial number.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the third media fingerprint for the third media asset further comprises generating an alphanumeric character that uniquely identifies media content based on an object appearing in the third media asset.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the third media fingerprint for the third media asset further comprises generating an alphanumeric character that uniquely identifies media content having common metadata.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a validation of the third media asset to a remote source.
9. A system for validating scheduled content, the system comprising:
storage; and
control circuitry that:
generates, at a first time, a first media fingerprint based on a first media asset and a second media fingerprint based on a second media asset, wherein the first media asset has a first media identifier and the second media asset has a second media identifier;
populates, a database with a first record for the first media asset, wherein the first record includes a first field for the first media fingerprint and a second field for the first media identifier
generates, at a second time, a third media fingerprint based on a third media asset that is received at a first scheduled time from a content source;
compares the third media fingerprint with the first media fingerprint to determine whether the third media asset matches the first media asset, wherein the control circuitry when comparing the third media fingerprint with the first media fingerprint:
identifies the first record in the database based on a value in the second field,
retrieves the first record from the database, and
extracts the first media fingerprint from the first field;
determines that the third media asset matches the first media asset based on the comparison of the third media fingerprint and the first media fingerprint;
in response to determining that the third media asset matches the first media asset, generates a third media identifier for the third media asset by assigning the first media identifier as the third media asset identifier;
receives program guide information comprising a list of media asset identifiers that identify a respective plurality of media assets scheduled to be transmitted from the content source at the first scheduled time;
analyzes the list of media asset identifiers to determine that the third media identifier, assigned to the third media asset which has been received at the first scheduled time, matches a fourth media identifier from the list of media assets identifiers that identifies a media asset scheduled to be transmitted at the first scheduled time from the content source;
determines, based on the third media identifier of the third media asset matching the fourth media identifier, whether the third media asset was scheduled to be transmitted at the first scheduled time; and
in response to determining that the third media asset was scheduled to be transmitted at the first scheduled time, stores an indication that the media asset scheduled to be transmitted at the first scheduled time from the content source was transmitted at the first scheduled time from the content source.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry:
in response to determining that the third media fingerprint does not match the first media fingerprint, compares the third media fingerprint with the second media fingerprint to determine whether the third media asset matches the second media asset.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry:
in response to determining that the third media fingerprint does not match the second media fingerprint, designates the third media asset as a new media asset.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry when, generating the third media fingerprint for the third media asset to, generates an alphanumeric character that uniquely identifies media content having a common characteristic.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the common characteristic includes a series episode number and a title, or a serial number.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry, when generating the third media fingerprint for the third media asset to, generates an alphanumeric character that uniquely identifies media content based on an object appearing in the third media asset.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry, when generating the third media fingerprint for the third media asset, generates an alphanumeric character that uniquely identifies media content having common metadata.
16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry transmits a validation of the third media asset to a remote source.