Media channel identification with multi-match detection and disambiguation based on single-match

1. A method comprising:

determining by a computing system that first digital fingerprint data representing first one or more segments of media content being rendered by a media presentation device matches reference fingerprint data corresponding respectively with each of multiple different channels,

after determining that the first digital fingerprint data matches reference fingerprint data corresponding respectively with each of multiple different channels, performing disambiguation based at least in part on an earlier determination that second digital fingerprint data representing second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches reference fingerprint data corresponding with just a single channel, the disambiguation establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel, and

causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device comprises content selected from the group consisting of commercial content and news programming.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel comprises causing an advertisement to be presented in place of a portion of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device.

4. The method of claim 1 , carried out by an entity other than the media presentation device, wherein the digital fingerprint data representing the first one or more segments is generated by the media presentation device, wherein the digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments is generated by the media presentation device, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the media presentation device, the digital fingerprint data representing the first one or more segments and the digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting and flagging a multi-match group comprising multiple instances of reference fingerprint data each corresponding with a different respective channel,

wherein determining by a computing system that first digital fingerprint data representing the first one or more segments of media content being rendered by a media presentation device matches reference fingerprint data corresponding respectively with each of multiple different channels comprises determining that the digital fingerprint data representing the first one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches the flagged multi-match group.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising making the determination that second digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches the reference fingerprint data corresponding with just a single channel, wherein making the determination comprises:

comparing the digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device with at least each of multiple instances of reference fingerprint data, and

based on the comparing, determining that the digital fingerprint data of the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches just a single one of the multiple instances of reference fingerprint data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference fingerprint data corresponding with just the single channel comprises reference fingerprint data representing channel-distinguishing content specific to the single channel, the method further comprising:

making the determination that the digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches the reference fingerprint data corresponding with just the single channel, wherein making the determination comprises comparing the digital fingerprint data representing the second segment of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device with the reference fingerprint data representing the channel-distinguishing content.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel comprises causing supplemental channel-specific content to be presented in conjunction with the media content being rendered by the media presentation device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel comprises causing an advertisement to be presented in place of a portion of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel comprises recording presentation of the single channel for use in a channel ratings system.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processing unit to carry out operations comprising:

determining that first digital fingerprint data representing first one or more segments of media content being rendered by a media presentation device matches reference fingerprint data corresponding respectively with each of multiple different channels,

after determining that the first digital fingerprint data matches reference fingerprint data corresponding respectively with each of multiple different channels, performing disambiguation based at least in part on an earlier determination that second digital fingerprint data representing second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches reference fingerprint data corresponding with just a single channel, the disambiguation establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel, and

causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device comprises content selected from the group consisting of commercial content and news programming.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel comprises causing an advertisement to be presented in place of a portion of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise

receiving, from the media presentation device, the digital fingerprint data representing the first one or more segments and the digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting and flagging a multi-match group comprising multiple instances of reference fingerprint data each corresponding with a different respective channel,

wherein determining that first digital fingerprint data representing the first one or more segments of media content being rendered by a media presentation device matches reference fingerprint data corresponding respectively with each of multiple different channels comprises determining that the digital fingerprint data representing the first one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches the flagged multi-match group.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise making the determination that second digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches the reference fingerprint data corresponding with just a single channel, wherein making the determination comprises:

comparing the digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device with at least each of multiple instances of reference fingerprint data, and

based on the comparing, determining that the digital fingerprint data of the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches just a single one of the multiple instances of reference fingerprint data.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the reference fingerprint data corresponding with just the single channel comprises reference fingerprint data representing channel-distinguishing content specific to the single channel, the operations further comprising:

making the determination that the digital fingerprint data representing the second one or more segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device matches the reference fingerprint data corresponding with just the single channel, wherein making the determination comprises comparing the digital fingerprint data representing the second segment of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device with the reference fingerprint data representing the channel-distinguishing content.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel comprises causing supplemental channel-specific content to be presented in conjunction with the media content being rendered by the media presentation device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the media presentation device is receiving the media content on the single channel comprises causing an advertisement to be presented in place of a portion of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device.

20. A system comprising:

a network communication interface;

a processing unit;

non-transitory data storage; and

program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processing unit to carry out operations including:

comparing (i) query digital fingerprint data representing sequential time segments of media content being rendered by a media presentation device with (ii) reference fingerprint data respectively representing each of a plurality of known channels of media content;

based on the comparing with respect to a first one or more of the time segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device, detecting a multi-match where the media content rendered by the media presentation device matches multiple ones of the plurality of channels of media content;

based on the comparing with respect to a second one or more of the time segments of the media content being rendered by the media presentation device, detecting a single-match where the media content rendered by the media presentation device matches just a single one of the multiple channels of media content, wherein each of the second one or more time segments is before each of the first one or more time segments;

using the detected single-match to disambiguate the detected multi-match, establishing that the single channel of media content is the channel carrying the media content being rendered by the media presentation device; and

causing action to be taken based on the establishing that the single channel is the channel carrying the media content being rendered by the media presentation device.