Method and system for remotely controlling consumer electronic devices
A media system replaces content in a first sequence of media content. The media system presents the first sequence of media content to an end-user and generates a fingerprint of the sequence of media content. The fingerprint is for comparison with a plurality of reference fingerprints so as to identify the first sequence of media content and determine a reference position within the first sequence of media content. The media system sends a request for a replacement sequence of content to a content replacement system, and receives replacement media content selected based on the identified first sequence of media content. The media system presents the replacement media content to the end-user instead of the first sequence of media content. Presenting the replacement media content begins at a position in the first sequence of media content that is determined based on the reference position.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a media system, a sequence of media content being broadcast by a content provider, the sequence of media content including steganographic data, wherein the steganographic data is encrypted;
providing, by the media system, the sequence of media content for presentation; and
while providing the sequence of media content for presentation, (i) detecting, by the media system, the steganographic data in the sequence of media content and (ii) in response to detecting the steganographic data in the sequence of media content:
sending the steganographic data to a remote computing system that is configured to decrypt the steganographic data and send instructions to the media system based on the decryption;
receiving, by the media system, the instructions from the remote computing system; and
requesting, by the media system, information about the sequence of media content based on the instructions.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein requesting the information about the sequence of media content comprises requesting, by the media system, program information about the sequence of media content.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequence of media content defines a current program, and wherein requesting the information about the sequence of media content comprises requesting, by the media system, times when the current program will be rebroadcast.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein requesting the information about the sequence of media content comprises requesting, by the media system, from the content provider, the information about the sequence of media content.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the content provider comprises a television network.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the sequence of media content being broadcast by the content provider comprises receiving the sequence of media content over a first network, the method further comprising:
switching, by the media system, from the first network to a second network in order to request the information about the sequence of media content.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein switching from the first network to the second network comprises switching, by the media system, from a managed network to an unmanaged network.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising extracting the steganographic data from the sequence of media content.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steganographic data is encoded inside of a transport layer.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steganographic data is a watermark.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequence of media content comprises a sequence of video content, and wherein detecting the steganographic data in the sequence of media content comprises detecting an adjusted chrominance of a pixel of the sequence of media content.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequence of media content comprises an audio signal, and wherein the steganographic data comprises data steganographically encoded in the audio signal.
13. A media system comprising:
one or more processors;
memory; and
instructions stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to cause the media system to carry out operations including:
receiving over a first network a sequence of media content being broadcast by a content provider, the sequence of media content including steganographic data,
providing the sequence of media content for presentation on a display, and
while providing the sequence of media content for presentation on the display, (i) detecting the steganographic data in the sequence of media content and (ii) in response to detecting the steganographic data in the sequence of media content:
sending the steganographic data to a remote computing system that is configured to decrypt the steganographic data and send instructions to the media system based on the decryption;
receiving the instructions from the remote computing system; and
requesting information about the sequence of media content based on the instructions.
14. The media system of claim 13 , wherein requesting the information about the sequence of media content comprises requesting program information about the sequence of media content.
15. The media system of claim 13 , wherein the sequence of media content defines a current program, and wherein requesting the information about the sequence of media content comprises requesting times when the current program will be rebroadcast.
16. The media system of claim 13 , wherein requesting the information about the sequence of media content comprises requesting, from the content provider, the information about the sequence of media content.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a media system, cause the media system to carry out operations comprising:
receiving a sequence of media content being broadcast by a content provider, the sequence of media content including steganographic data, wherein the steganographic data is encrypted,
providing the sequence of media content for presentation on a display, and
while providing the sequence of media content for presentation on the display, (i) detecting the steganographic data in the sequence of media content and (ii) in response to detecting the steganographic data in the sequence of media content:
sending the steganographic data to a remote computing system that is configured to decrypt the steganographic data and send instructions to the media system based on the decryption;
receiving the instructions from the remote computing system; and
requesting information about the sequence of media content based on the instructions.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein requesting the information about the sequence of media content comprises requesting program information about the sequence of media content.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the sequence of media content defines a current program, and wherein requesting the information about the sequence of media content comprises requesting times when the current program will be rebroadcast.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein receiving the sequence of media content being broadcast by the content provider comprises receiving the sequence of media content over a first network, the operations further comprising:
switching, by the media system, from the first network to a second network in order to request the information about the sequence of media content.