Method and device for generating and detecting a fingerprint functioning as a trigger marker in a multimedia signal

1. A system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

one or more processors configured by the instructions to perform operations comprising:

deriving fingerprints from respective segments of multimedia content while the multimedia content is being played by a multimedia playback device;

comparing the derived fingerprints to one or more reference fingerprints representing features of the multimedia content, wherein at least one reference fingerprint of the one or more reference fingerprints is associated with an action;

determining that one of the derived fingerprints matches the at least one reference fingerprint; and

in response to determining that the one of the derived fingerprints matches the at least one reference fingerprint, causing execution of the action associated with the at least one reference fingerprint,

wherein the action to be executed is associated with a time point indicating when, in the multimedia content, the action is to be executed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each derived fingerprint is a respective audio fingerprint.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multimedia playback device comprises at least one of a display device or a speaker, and

wherein playing the multimedia content on the multimedia playback device comprises at least one of (i) displaying at least some of the multimedia content on the display device or (ii) playing at least some of the multimedia content via the speaker.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise playing the multimedia content on the multimedia playback device.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the action to be executed comprises at least one action in the group consisting of:

retrieving and displaying additional information on the display device; or

retrieving and playing additional information via the speaker.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action to be executed comprises playing another multimedia content instead of the multimedia content for a period of time.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action to be executed comprises presenting data overlayed on the multimedia content.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action to be executed comprises replacing national content in the multimedia content with local content.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action to be executed comprises executing a control command.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action to be executed comprises preparing the multimedia playback device to receive a user input.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a receiver, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the receiver, the one or more reference fingerprints;

responsive to receiving the one or more reference fingerprints, storing the one or more reference fingerprints in the memory for comparison with the derived fingerprints;

receiving, by the receiver, for each reference fingerprint of the at least one reference fingerprint, a representation of the action with which the reference fingerprint is associated; and

responsive to receiving each representation of the action, storing in the memory the representation in association with the reference fingerprint associated with the representation.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon, program instructions that when executed by a processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

determining a trigger fingerprint from a segment of a media stream, wherein the trigger fingerprint is a representation of features of the segment;

matching the trigger fingerprint to a reference fingerprint, wherein the reference fingerprint is stored in a database of reference fingerprints and is associated with a reference action, and wherein the reference action is associated with a time point indicating when, in the media stream, the reference action is to be performed; and

responsive to matching the trigger fingerprint to the reference fingerprint, causing execution of the reference action at the time point.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the trigger fingerprint is an audio fingerprint.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein causing the execution of the reference action at the time point comprises playing, using at least one of a display device or a speaker, a second media stream in place of the media stream at the time point.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein causing the execution of the reference action at the time point comprises presenting, using a display device, data overlayed on multimedia content of the media stream.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

before determining the trigger fingerprint, receiving a plurality of reference fingerprints that include the reference fingerprint matched with the trigger fingerprint;

storing, in a memory, the received plurality of reference fingerprints for comparison with the trigger fingerprint;

receiving for the reference fingerprint matched with the trigger fingerprint, a representation of one or more actions with which the reference fingerprint is associated; and

responsive to receiving the representation of the one or more actions, storing in the memory the representation in association with the reference fingerprint.

17. A method comprising:

deriving fingerprints from respective segments of multimedia content while the multimedia content is being played by a multimedia playback device;

comparing the derived fingerprints to one or more reference fingerprints representing features of the multimedia content, wherein at least one reference fingerprint of the one or more reference fingerprints is associated with an action;

determining that one of the derived fingerprints matches the at least one reference fingerprint; and

in response to determining that the one of the derived fingerprints matches the at least one reference fingerprint, causing execution of the action associated with the at least one reference fingerprint,

wherein the action to be executed is associated with a time point indicating when, in the multimedia content, the action is to be executed.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein each derived fingerprint is a respective audio fingerprint.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the multimedia playback device comprises at least one of a display device or a speaker, and

wherein playing the multimedia content on the multimedia playback device comprises at least one of (i) displaying at least some of the multimedia content on the display device or (ii) playing at least some of the multimedia content via the speaker.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising playing the multimedia content on the multimedia playback device.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the action to be executed comprises retrieving and displaying additional information on the display device.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the action to be executed comprises retrieving and playing additional information via the speaker.