System and method for engaging a person in the presence of ambient audio
A computerized method for engaging a user of a mobile computer system, The mobile computer system may be connectible to a server over a wide area network. An audio signal of ambient audio is autonomously sampled in the vicinity of the mobile computer system to capture one or more audio samples of the audio signal. The multiple samples of the audio signal are autonomously sampled without requiring any interaction from the user, thus avoiding an input from the user to capture each of the samples. The audio sample may be processed to extract an audio signature of the audio sample. The audio signature may be compared with multiple previously stored reference audio signatures. Upon matching the audio signature with at least one reference audio signature a matched reference audio signature may be produced.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
obtaining, using at least one processor, first audio data associated with a first device, the first audio data including a first time stamp and at least one of (i) a sample of a first audio signal captured by the first device at the first time stamp or (ii) a first audio signature representative of the first audio signal sample;
determining, using the at least one processor, whether the first audio signature corresponds to a second audio signature, the second audio signature being representative of a sample of a second audio signal captured by a second device at a second time stamp; and
when the first audio signature is determined to correspond to the second audio signature, and when the second time stamp falls within a predetermined time period of the first time stamp, providing, using the at least one processor, and to the second device, first information advising at least a user of a second device of the determined correspondence between the first and second audio signatures.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, when the first audio signature is determined to correspond to the second audio signature, providing the first information to a plurality of second devices, the first information advising users of the second devices of the determined correspondence between the first and second audio signatures.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the providing further comprises providing the first information to at least one social network.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the first or second devices corresponds to a mobile device.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the first and second audio signatures correspond to a reference audio signature, the reference audio signature being associated with reference audio content; and
when the first and second audio signatures correspond to the common reference audio signature, providing, to at least one of the first or second devices, second information indicative of an exposure of the first and second devices to the reference audio content.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising
when the first and second audio signatures are determined to correspond to the common reference audio signature, providing, to at least one of the first or second devices, third information indicative of an exposure of the first and second devices to the reference audio content within the predetermined time period.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
a first application executed by the first device causes the first device to generate the first audio signal; and
a second application executed by the second device causes the second device to generate the second audio signal.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first audio signal corresponds to first streaming content presented by the first device; and
the second audio signal corresponds to second streaming content presented by the second device.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
when the first audio signature is determined to correspond to the second audio signature, establishing that the first and second streaming content correspond to common streaming content; and
providing, to at least one of the first or second devices, second information indicative of the presentation of the common streaming content.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining second audio data associated with the second device, the second audio data comprising second time stamp and at least one of (i) the first audio signal sample captured by the second device at the second time stamp or (ii) the second audio signature.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first audio data identifies first streaming content presented by the first device;
the second audio data identifies second streaming content presented by the first device; and
the method further comprises:
determining whether the first and second streaming content correspond to common streaming content; and
when the first and second streaming content correspond to the common streaming content, providing, to at least one of the first or second devices, second information indicative of the presentation of the common streaming content.
12. An apparatus, comprising:
a storage device that stores a set of instructions; and
at least one processor coupled to the storage device, the at least one processor being operative with the set of instructions in order to:
obtain first audio data associated with a first device, the first audio data including a first time stamp and at least one of (i) a sample of a first audio signal captured by the first device at the first time stamp or (ii) a first audio signature representative of the first audio signal sample;
determine whether the first audio signature corresponds to a second audio signature, the second audio signature being representative of a sample of a second audio signal captured by a second device at a second time stamp; and
when the first audio signature is determined to correspond to the second audio signature and when the second time stamp falls within a predetermined time period of the first time stamp, provide, to the second device, first information advising at least a user of a second device of the determined correspondence between the first and second audio signatures.
13. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instruction that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the steps of:
obtaining first audio data associated with a first device, the first audio data including a first time stamp and at least one of (i) a sample of a first audio signal captured by the first device at the first time stamp or (ii) a first audio signature representative of the first audio signal sample;
determining whether the first audio signature corresponds to a second audio signature, the second audio signature being representative of a sample of a second audio signal captured by a second device at a second time stamp; and
when the first audio signature is determined to correspond to the second audio signature, and when the second time stamp falls within a predetermined time period of the first time stamp, providing, to the second device, first information advising at least a user of a second device of the determined correspondence between the first and second audio signatures.