Iceberg Industries, LLC

Sparta, Inc.

Other

Stephen C Kenyon

Laura Simkins

John J Smith

John W Monroe

Michael E Anderson

Steven G Apel

A method and system for the automatic identification of audio, video, multimedia, and/or data recordings based on immutable characteristics of these works. The invention does not require the insertion of identifying codes or signals into the recording. This allows the system to be used to identify existing recordings that have not been through a coding process at the time that they were generated. Instead, each work to be recognized is 'played' into the system where it is subjected to an automatic signal analysis process that locates salient features and computes a statistical representation of these properties. These features are then stored as patterns for later recognition of live input signal streams. A different set of features is derived for each audio or video work to be identified and stored. During real-time monitoring of a signal stream, a similar automatic signal analysis process is carried out, and many features are computed for comparison with the patterns stored in a large feature database. For each particular pattern stored in the database, only the relevant characteristics are compared with the real-time feature set. Preferably, during analysis and generation of reference patterns, data are extracted from all time intervals of a recording. This allows a work to be recognized from a single sample taken from any part of the recording.

Method and apparatus for automatically recognizing input audio and/or video streams

A method and system for direct audio capture and identification of the captured audio. A user may then be offered the opportunity to purchase recordings directly over the Internet or similar outlet. The system preferably includes one or more user-carried portable audio capture devices that employ a microphone, analog to digital converter, signal processor, and memory to store samples of ambient audio or audio features calculated from the audio. Users activate their capture devices when they hear a recording that they would like to identify or purchase. Later, the user may connect the capture device to a personal computer to transfer the audio samples or audio feature samples to an Internet site for identification. The Internet site preferably uses automatic pattern recognition techniques to identify the captured samples from a library of recordings offered for sale. The user can then verify that the sample is from the desired recording and place an order online. The pattern recognition process uses features of the audio itself and does not require the presence of artificial codes or watermarks. Audio to be identified can be from any source, including radio and television broadcasts or recordings that are played locally.

Audio identification system and method

A system and method are disclosed for performing audience surveys of broadcast audio from radio and television. A small body-worn portable collection unit samples the audio environment of the survey member and stores highly compressed features of the audio programming. A central computer simultaneously collects the audio outputs from a number of radio and television receivers representing the possible selections that a survey member may choose. On a regular schedule the central computer interrogates the portable units used in the survey and transfers the captured audio feature samples. The central computer then applies a feature pattern recognition technique to identify which radio or television station the survey member was listening to at various times of day. This information is then used to estimate the popularity of the various broadcast stations.

Audience survey system, and system and methods for compressing and correlating audio signals

A system (30) for outputting digital data stored in a memory of a computer (12) in accordance with the invention includes a graphics display processor (20), coupled to the memory, for processing the digital data stored in the memory to produce at least one serial data stream including clock information, which is a function of a clock signal representative of a rate at which the at least one display formatted serial data stream is outputted, and display information for use in controlling a video monitor; a video channel (24), coupled to the display processor, for outputting the at least one serial data stream produced by the graphics display processor; a data processing memory (52); and a data processing system (40, 44 and 50) for processing the at least one serial data stream in response to the clock information and for removing at least the display information and controlling storing of the at least one of the at least one serial data stream with the display information removed which contains the digital data read from the memory of the computer system.

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Fairfax Station, VA, United States of America

Stephen C Kenyon