IP Library Granted Patent US 12,380,153
Granted Patent B2
US 12,380,153 · App. 18/602,253 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Systems and methods for partitioning search indexes for improved efficiency in identifying media segments

Inventors: Zeev Neumeier (Berkeley, CA); Michael Collette (San Rafael, CA)
Assignee: INSCAPE DATA, INC.
G06F16/41G06F16/61G06F16/71G06V20/49H04N21/23418H04N21/6582H04N21/8352H04N21/8456
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,380,153
App. No.
18/602,253
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying a media segment of audio or video content are described. The video segment is identified by deriving data from media content and comparing said data to a reference database in order to identify said video segment. Embodiments of the invention improve the speed and accuracy of the media identification process by advantageously partitioning the indexes in subdivisions where high value reference information is separated from the bulk information, for example.

Claims (52)

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media containing instructions which when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving a set of known media content, wherein the set of known media content includes associated known content identifiers;

partitioning the known content identifiers associated with the set of known media content into a set of indexes;

discarding, in response to determining that a first index of the set of indexes is full, the first index from the set of indexes;

combining two or more of the remaining indexes of the set of indexes into a single combined index, wherein the single combined index excludes the first index;

receiving an unknown content identifier corresponding to unknown media content being displayed by a media system;

matching, using the single combined index, the unknown content identifier corresponding to the unknown media content to a known content identifier associated with known media content; and

identifying the unknown media content as the known media content associated with the known content identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein partitioning the known content identifiers associated with the set of known media content into the set of indexes is based on parameters of the known media content.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further include:

retrieving contextually targeted data associated with the known media content associated with the known content identifier; and

transmitting the contextually targeted data to the media system for display.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unknown content identifier includes pixel data associated with the unknown media content.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unknown content identifier includes audio data associated with the unknown media content.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the known content identifiers are hashed before being indexed.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further include:

determining an offset time within the known media content associated with the known content identifier using the unknown content identifier, wherein the offset time corresponds to a time within the unknown media content that is being displayed by the media system.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a set of known media content, wherein the set of known media content includes associated known content identifiers;

partitioning the known content identifiers associated with the set of known media content into a set of indexes;

discarding, in response to determining that a first index of the set of indexes is full, the first index from the set of indexes;

combining two or more of the remaining indexes of the set of indexes into a single combined index, wherein the single combined index excludes the first index;

receiving an unknown content identifier corresponding to unknown media content being displayed by a media system;

matching, using the single combined index, the unknown content identifier corresponding to the unknown media content to a known content identifier associated with known media content; and

identifying the unknown media content as the known media content associated with the known content identifier.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein partitioning the known content identifiers associated with the set of known media content into the set of indexes is based on parameters of the known media content.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

retrieving contextually targeted data associated with the known media content associated with the known content identifier; and

transmitting the contextually targeted data to the media system for display.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the unknown content identifier includes pixel data associated with the unknown media content.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the unknown content identifier includes audio data associated with the unknown media content.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the known content identifiers are hashed before being indexed.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining an offset time within the known media content associated with the known content identifier using the unknown content identifier, wherein the offset time corresponds to a time within the unknown media content that is being displayed by the media system.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving a set of known media content, wherein the set of known media content includes associated known content identifiers;

partitioning the known content identifiers associated with the set of known media content into a set of indexes;

discarding, in response to determining that a first index of the set of indexes is full, the first index from the set of indexes;

combining two or more of the remaining indexes of the set of indexes into a single combined index, wherein the single combined index excludes the first index;

receiving an unknown content identifier corresponding to unknown media content being displayed by a media system;

matching, using the single combined index, the unknown content identifier corresponding to the unknown media content to a known content identifier associated with known media content; and

identifying the unknown media content as the known media content associated with the known content identifier.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further include:

retrieving contextually targeted data associated with the known media content associated with the known content identifier; and

transmitting the contextually targeted data to the media system for display.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the unknown content identifier includes pixel data associated with the unknown media content.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the unknown content identifier includes audio data associated with the unknown media content.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the known content identifiers are hashed before being indexed.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further include:

determining an offset time within the known media content associated with the known content identifier using the unknown content identifier, wherein the offset time corresponds to a time within the unknown media content that is being displayed by the media system.

Continuity (4)
Continuation 17689174 · Mar 8, 2022
Continuation 15211492 · Jul 15, 2016
Provisional Application 62193351 · Jul 16, 2015
Related Publication 20240289377A1 · Aug 29, 2024
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