IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,346,836
Granted Patent B2
US 12,346,836 · App. 18/244,511 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Systems and methods for determining that a media item is being presented

Inventor: Vincent Dureau (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G06N5/048H04N21/43615H04N21/4394H04N21/44008H04N21/44222H04N21/44224H04N21/4667H04N21/4782H04N21/8358H04N21/84H04N21/4431H04N21/4668
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,346,836
App. No.
18/244,511
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The various implementations described herein include systems and methods for determining that media items are currently being presented. In one aspect, a method performed at a client device includes: (1) identifying a media item potentially being presented on an output device coupled to the client device; (2) calculating a level of confidence that the identified media item is currently being presented to the user; (3) subsequent to the calculating, determining that at least one predetermined event associated with user interaction with the media item has occurred; and (4) based on the at least one predetermined event, increasing or decreasing the level of confidence that the identified media item is currently being presented to the user.

Claims (47)

1. A method for determining a level of confidence that an identified media item is currently being presented to a user, comprising:

analyzing the media item to extract a digital watermark from a media item;

identifying the media item based on the digital watermark;

calculating a confidence level associated with the media item that is being presented on a media device;

receiving the confidence level associated with the media item that is being presented on the media device;

modifying the confidence level based on a determining that at least one predetermined event associated with user interaction with the media device has occurred; and

recommending related media content that is related to the media item being presented on the media device based on the modified confidence level being greater than a confidence threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in accordance with a determination that the confidence level exceeds the confidence threshold, updating interest data of a user associated with the media device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined event includes a frequency of input events received from an input device of the media device exceeding a predetermined threshold frequency of input events.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined event includes detecting that a user is using another input device to access media items.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined event includes a current time that is in a range of times during which a user uses an input device of the media device to instruct the media device to acquire and present media items.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined event includes a current time that is in a range of times during which a user does not use an input device of the media device to instruct the media device to present media items.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined event includes a time period since a most-recent tune-in event exceeding a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the confidence level is below the confidence threshold; and

identifying the media item currently being presented on an output device coupled to the media device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises analyzing the media item to identify patterns in the media item, wherein the confidence level that the media item is currently being presented to the user is increased when the patterns includes expected patterns for the media item and wherein the confidence threshold that the identified media item is currently being presented to the user is decreased when the patterns do not include expected patterns for the media item.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein an expected pattern is selected from an audio watermark in an audio signal of the media item.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein an expected pattern is selected from a video watermark in a video signal of the media item.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises identifying the media item based on input events received from an input device of the media device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

using an optical character recognition technique to extract text from a video signal of the media item; and

identifying the media item based on the extracted text.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

issuing a command to the media device to provide information relating to the media item; and

identifying the media item based on an analysis of the information relating to the media item.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to identifying the media item, the method further comprises:

receiving, via an input device, a request from a user to access the media item from the media device;

acquiring the media item using the media device; and

presenting the media item to the user on an output device associated with the media device.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media device is a television set top box.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media device includes an input device that is distinct from an output device.

18. A media device comprising:

at least one processor that is configured to:

analyze the media item to extract a digital watermark from a media item;

identify the media item based on the digital watermark;

calculate a confidence level associated with the media item that is being presented on a media device;

receive the confidence level associated with the media item that is being presented on the media device;

modify the confidence level based on a determining that at least one predetermined event associated with user interaction with the media device has occurred; and

recommend related media content that is related to the media item being presented on the media device based on the modified confidence level being greater than a confidence threshold.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

analyzing the media item to extract a digital watermark from a media item;

identifying the media item based on the digital watermark;

calculating a confidence level associated with the media item that is being presented on a media device;

receiving the confidence level associated with the media item that is being presented on the media device;

modifying the confidence level based on a determining that at least one predetermined event associated with user interaction with the media device has occurred; and

recommending related media content that is related to the media item being presented on the media device based on the modified confidence level being greater than a confidence threshold.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2024
From: DUREAU, VINCENT
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 067548/0409 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 29, 2024
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 067566/0552 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17567437 · Jan 3, 2022
Continuation 16935056 · Jul 21, 2020
Continuation 15659126 · Jul 25, 2017
Continuation 14241394
Provisional Application 61528105 · Aug 26, 2011
Related Publication 20230419138A1 · Dec 28, 2023
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