IP Library Granted Patent US 12,483,738
Granted Patent B2
US 12,483,738 · App. 18/810,917 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Use of steganographically-encoded data as basis to disambiguate fingerprint-based channel-multi-match

Inventors: Shashank C. Merchant (Sunnyvale, CA); Andrew L. Ashbacher (Aptos, CA)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04N21/23892H04N21/23424H04N21/435H04N21/812
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,483,738
App. No.
18/810,917
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure provides for use of steganographically-encoded data as a basis to disambiguated a fingerprint-based channel-multimatch. A fingerprint-matching server or other entity could detect a channel-multi-match scenario by determining that query fingerprints representing media content being rendered by a content presentation device match reference fingerprints respectively representing multiple channels. In view of that detected channel-multi-match scenario, the content presentation device could then provide channel-identification information that the content presentation device extracts from a watermark that is steganographically encoded in the media content of the channel that the content presentation device is rendering, for use of the extracted channel-identification information to determine which channel the content presentation device is rendering. Identifying the channel being rendered could then facilitate channel-specific action, such as then detecting a content-modification opportunity on the identified channel and preparing and enabling the content presentation device to carry out an associated content modification.

Claims (31)

1 . A method comprising:

detecting a fingerprint-based channel-multi-match with respect to a channel of media content being rendered by a content presentation device; and

responsive to the detecting of the fingerprint-based channel-multi-match, (i) causing the content presentation device to extract channel-identification information from a watermark encoded in the media content and (ii) using the channel-identification information extracted from the watermark encoded in the media content as a basis to determine which channel the content presentation device is rendering.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, based on the determining of which channel the content presentation device is rendering, causing the content presentation device to carry out a content modification in the determined channel.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the content modification comprise dynamic ad insertion.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the fingerprint-based channel-multi-match with respect to the channel of media content being rendered by the content presentation device is based on a comparison of query fingerprint data generated by the content presentation device with reference fingerprint data representing multiple known channels.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the content presentation device to extract the channel-identification information from the watermark encoded in the media content comprises transmitting to the content presentation device a request for the content presentation device to report watermarked channel-identification information extracted from the media content.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the content presentation device comprises a watermark decoder, and wherein the request triggers use of the watermark decoder to decode the watermark.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, based on the determining of which channel the content presentation device is rendering, reporting presentation of the identified channel for use in a channel ratings system.

8 . A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

non-transitory data storage; and

program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the one or more processors to carry out operations including:

detecting a fingerprint-based channel-multi-match with respect to a channel of media content being rendered by a content presentation device, and

responsive to the detecting of the fingerprint-based channel-multi-match, (i) causing the content presentation device to extract channel-identification information from a watermark encoded in the media content and (ii) using the channel-identification information extracted from the watermark encoded in the media content as a basis to determine which channel the content presentation device is rendering.

9 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the operations additionally include, based on the determining of which channel the content presentation device is rendering, causing the content presentation device to carry out a content modification in the determined channel.

10 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the content modification comprise dynamic ad insertion.

11 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein detecting the fingerprint-based channel-multi-match with respect to the channel of media content being rendered by the content presentation device is based on a comparison of query fingerprint data generated by the content presentation device with reference fingerprint data representing multiple known channels.

12 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein causing the content presentation device to extract the channel-identification information from the watermark encoded in the media content comprises transmitting to the content presentation device a request for the content presentation device to report watermarked channel-identification information extracted from the media content.

13 . The computing system of claim 12 , wherein the content presentation device comprises a watermark decoder, and wherein the request triggers use of the watermark decoder to decode the watermark.

14 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the operations additionally include, based on the determining of which channel the content presentation device is rendering, reporting presentation of the identified channel for use in a channel ratings system.

15 . Non-transitory data storage having stored program instructions executable by at least one processing unit to carry out operations comprising:

detecting a fingerprint-based channel-multi-match with respect to a channel of media content being rendered by a content presentation device; and

responsive to the detecting of the fingerprint-based channel-multi-match, (i) causing the content presentation device to extract channel-identification information from a watermark encoded in the media content and (ii) using the channel-identification information extracted from the watermark encoded in the media content as a basis to determine which channel the content presentation device is rendering.

16 . The non-transitory data storage of claim 15 , wherein the operations additionally include, based on the determining of which channel the content presentation device is rendering, causing the content presentation device to carry out a content modification in the determined channel.

17 . The non-transitory data storage of claim 16 , wherein the content modification comprise dynamic ad insertion.

18 . The non-transitory data storage of claim 15 , wherein detecting the fingerprint-based channel-multi-match with respect to the channel of media content being rendered by the content presentation device is based on a comparison of query fingerprint data generated by the content presentation device with reference fingerprint data representing multiple known channels.

19 . The non-transitory data storage of claim 15 ,

wherein causing the content presentation device to extract the channel-identification information from the watermark encoded in the media content comprises transmitting to the content presentation device a request for the content presentation device to report watermarked channel-identification information extracted from the media content, and

wherein the content presentation device comprises a watermark decoder, and the request triggers use of the watermark decoder to decode the watermark.

20 . The non-transitory data storage of claim 15 , wherein the operations additionally include, based on the determining of which channel the content presentation device is rendering, reporting presentation of the identified channel for use in a channel ratings system.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2024
From: MERCHANT, SHASHANK; ASHBACHER, ANDREW
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 068358/0858 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18313822 · May 8, 2023
Continuation 15929217 · Feb 6, 2020
Provisional Application 62863015 · Jun 18, 2019
Related Publication 20240414386A1 · Dec 12, 2024
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